observed the mouth of that
Gouverneur Faulkner to again become as one straight line of coldness.

"Indeed, thanks to _le bon Dieu_, Mademoiselle," made courteous
answer to me my Capitaine, the Count de Lasselles. "But how will you
accomplish that purpose. Monsieur le Gouverneur?"

"As soon as I've done with these figures I'll have in Jim, your
jailer, and then you'll hear some things about the American mountain
mule that you never heard before, I believe." As he spoke, my
Gouverneur Faulkner proceeded with making figures with his pencil, a
fine glow of eagerness added to that of rage in his eyes very deep
under their brows. "Now, I'll go and call in Jim," he said after a few
minutes of waiting, and left the room in which I was then alone with
my Capitaine, the Count de Lasselles, who came to me with outstretched
hands.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Roberta," he exclaimed, "I am in a debt of gratitude
to you for bringing this great gentleman, your friend, to my rescue
and also to the solving of this very strange situation concerning
these contracts. Indeed have you accomplished the mission for which
you enlisted: your 'Friends for France.' But before procedure I must
ask you, little lady, why it was that you made a vanishment from that
hotel of Ritz-Carlton in New York. I sought you. I sought out that
Monsieur Peter Scudder to inquire for you. Behold, he also is in
sorrow over the loss of you and had for me a strange news of a cup of
tea thrown in the face of that Mr. Raines of Saint Louis by a member
of your family who had departed immediately into the south of America.
I said to myself, 'The beautiful child does not know that your heart
is in anxiety for her,' and immediately I intended to seek you in the
city, to which the very fine lady, who had reported that 'tea fight'
as she so spoke of it to her paper, directed me after my finding of
her. It is a great ease to my unhappy heart to find you in the care of
a family and friends. I make compliments on your costume of the ride.
I also observed the custom of attire masculine to be on those plains
of the great West where I sought the wheat."

"It is a great joy to me, _mon Capitaine_, that you give to me
your approval. Much has happened to me in these short weeks since you
left me in loneliness on that great ship that I must tell to you," I
said as a sob rose into my words.

"Poor little girl, it will not be many hours now before I can say to
you the things that have been gr