A PAGE OF SECRET HISTORY.

(By W. L. STEWART in "Pearson's Weekly.") (The following story contains the actual facts of one of the most extraordinary disappearances that has ever occurred, and until the publication of this story the facts were only known to tho tew people concerned. The names, of course, have been altered.) Wo were spending a beautiful July uight at the Franco-British Exhibition. Seated, as we were, on the green lawn of the Garden Club, we could placidly enjoy our after-dinner coffoe and cigars and watch the ever-changmg crowd passing in front of us. I was the guest of Hugh Thompson, half newspaper correspondent and half (but let it only be whispered) Secret Service Agent. On many occasions, although the service was, of course, never officially recognised, he had rendered estimable service to the British Government, and knew more secrete of tho inner workings of Continental diplomacy than many a Foreign Office official. " I suppose I am at liberty to tell the story now/ he was saying, "although had it been known a few years back the consequences would have been serious." 1 lit a fresh cigar and settled down in my chair expectantly. He commenced: — Probably you know this Franco--1 British Exhibition is the largest I Europe has ever seen; but, large as it is, it does not involve the huge financial responsibility of tho great Paris Exposition of 1900. The " White City " before us is the work of private enterprise; but the great show of Paris was the work of nob only Paris but the whole of France. Now, Paris is not like London, a city ! of commerce; she is essentially a city of pleasure. Paris staked the whole of her existence on the success of her Exhibition, and it is not too much to say that there was hardly a person in the city who had not some stake in it. And yet the Exhibition, nay, the whole of Paris, was wiihin less than an ace of being ruined utterly within twelve hours of its opening. You may or may not remember that Paris even went so far as to build special hotels to accommodate tho enormous number of foreign visitors, who were expected from all over the world, and many, anticipating the crush, booked their rooms months ahead, so as to secure accommodation. Amongst the latter were an American lady and her two daughters., who wore coming from Baltimore. They had arranged to travel across the Atlantic to Havre and to arrive in Paris on the eve of the Exhibition. The hotel at which they had booked their rooms, although not, one of the best-known in the city, wa» yet very select, and not very far from the fashionable Rue Rivoli. They travelled by the " boat special " and drove .straight to their hotel, arriving about nine in tho" evening. On entering the vestibule they were received by the manager, who welcomed them with the usual affability of a true Parisian, and they were asked to register their names in the hotel regies tcr. The mother took off her glove n,nd in a bold hand inscribed " Pho?be Hoskyns. Baltimore, U.S.A." She was followed by her eldest daughter, Sadie, and afterwards by the second daughter, Alsie. Their baggage- was taken up the luggage- lift, and they were asked if they required any refreshment that night, j but, as the mother was feeling fatigued ] after tho journey and complained of not feeling at all well, they decided to <>o straight to their rooms., and accordingly they all went upstairs together. . , , Tho- mother had been given a bedroom on the second floor, and the two girls a room on tho third floor, llic daughters decided to see their mother intoTboct. They entered tho room and sat down. While their mother was undressing, they noticed the French wooden bedstead, the pattern of the wall-paper, and commented upon the pictures on the wall, and made laughing comparisons between French and American bedrooms. When they saw their mother comfortably settled in bed they rose to go, arranging to meet in the hall Jor their petit dejeuner at half-past nine in the morning. They then retired '.o their own room. Sharp to the minute of half-pust t ( ij!« the following morning they were down in the hall, anxious to set out and enjoy the opening of .the Exhibition. Five | m inutee. ten minutes passed, but the mother did not appear, and at a quarter to ten the girls got impatient. " Run upstairs, Alsie, and hurry mother up," said the elder. Alsie flew upstairs, and, .with a hasty knock at the door, entered the room in which they had seen their mother to bed th~e night before. But <ehe stood aghast. Surely this was o>e room. It was the same number, , and yet the bed had not been slept in. . The wall paper was a different colour, ivnl I the pictures were different. i She hastily retreated downstairs and : told her <?ister. '■ "Oh, rubbish/ said Sadio. laugh

ing. f: You've made a mistake. Let's make certain," and she went to fcho hot-el bureau and asked for the clerk at tho office what number they hai given their mother the previous night. " I bog your pardon, m'selle, 1 do not understand yon. You two v.vung ladies camo here alone last night." The two girls looked into Path, other's faces and burst out laughing. " Nonsense," said the elder. " Show us the register," and in answer to their request, he placed it on the ledge in front of them. They turned overleaf to the previous evening, and ran their eyes rapidly down the column. Then they stared at each in blank amazement. For in the list of names there were only their own two, and not a sign of their mother's. " Oh. this is some silly joke," said Sadie, in a frightened tone. " Send for tho manager at once." The clerk retired and presently returned with a gentleman who, however, was nnt the manager who had welcomed them the previous evening. They hurriedly explained the situation. "I am sorry, the manager is not here. It is the opening day, and he is busy, but anything I can do I will; but I assure -you, young ladies, you came alone." Sadi© stamped her foot with impatience. " Why. we saw her in bed ourselves, you fool," the younger cried, having now thoroughly lost her temper. "Well, m'selle," said the man, "to assure you, I will get the keys and show you ovei-y room in the hotel if you wish it /' and, suiting the action to the word, ho wont into a small office and returned with a master key. " Follow me," he said, and they did mechanically. Right through the first floor they went, then the second, and then the third and top floor ; but there was not the slightest sign of their mother, neither did a single room bear the eliahtest resemblance to the room in which their mother had retired the previous night. Clinging to each other in fear they descended into the hall, where their sang-froid entirely deserted them, and, sitting down on a settee, they burst into a torrent of uncontrollable tears. Their distress soon attracted the attention of their visitors, who naturally wondered at the cause of their tears. Amongst them was another American visitor, who, recognising the girls were fellow-countrywomen, hastened forward to their assistance. "Say, little girls, I'm a Yank. What's the trouble?" he said. With a cry of gladness they welcomed this offer of assistance. Speedily they told the American the cquse .of their distress. Scarcely helieying his ears he made for the manager's office. In a few minutes he returned with a very set face. , "Here," he said, "I guess there's something queer about this. We'll just jump into a cab and go down to the Head Bureau of Police. Come along." ... I Only too willing to do something to set their minds at rest, they flowed him eagerly, and in a few minutes they were set down at the Bureau. After a tedious wait, all three were shown, into a dingy room in which, at a table, in the centre, sat an official. Without uttering a word or making a single comment he listened to their story, and at the end of it offered to accompany them, back to the hotel, and within ten minutes they were once more seated in the vestibule. The official went into the manager s office. After a considerable time he emerged, and, speaking excellent English, solemnly informed them that he had made the most exhaustive inquiries but he could only assure them that they had really made a mistake, and they had arrived unaccompanied by their mother. He bowed and then left them. , . ..... The girls by this time were little short of demented, and with tears they implored their fellow-countryman not to leave them, and, far from doing so, he assured them he would leave no stone unturned to solvo the mystery Only too thankful for the assistance offered, they assented, and their American friend hastened to see the officials at the Embassy. Naturally, on the opening day of the Exhibition, most of the officials were not in, but, as luck would have it a a few minutes after his arrival one of the juniors came in and immediately granted him an interview, and the whole story was once more unfolded. . } To the astonishment of the girls friend, the young secretary did not seem at all astounded at such an extraordinary story. All he did was to listen, make one or two notes on a piece of paper, and drum his fingers on his blotting-pad. "Man alive!" said the American, " for Heaven's sake speak, or do something. The girls will be raving lunatics in an hour if something isn t done -" „ -j *i, •'Wait here a moment," said the secretary, and he left the room. He returned 'in a few minutes and resumed his seat. "Look here, sir. will you do the Embassy a service," he said. Flattered at the request, the American readily assented. "We want you to go back to the hotel and tell the Misses Hoskyns that the Embassy will do all it can. You may even hint that by the night we may have news. We then want you to 'insist on their accompanying you to the Exhibition. Do all you can to distract their attention, but, mind you whatever you do, return to the hotel at five o'clock to the minute. Good-bye for the present." With this tho American returned to the hotel and told the girls the result of his interview, and the little hint that the Embassy knew something immediately ha<3 the effect of lifting the girls from the depths of despair to an optimistic cheerfulness, and they immediately agreed to accompany their new-found friend to the Exhibition. A dainty lunch at one of the restaurants for which Paris is famous soon restored their spirits, and the wonders of the sights they saw soon removed the grief of the morning, which was succeeded by an increasing sense of certainty that in the evening they would have their mother with them. True to his promise, their friend had iJi-era back to the hotel at five to the miuute. and they once more seated themselves in the vestibule. Before ten minutes had elapsed a cab drove up, and the young secretary whom the American had seen in the morning alighted and entered the hotel. He immediately noticed the little group and came over to them and introduced himself. " Have you any news?" cried the girls, simultaneously. " I have," he answered. «* Now sit down, I want to ask you one question. Do you ever remember your mother losing her memory* or saying she was going to do one thing and then doing another?" The girls paused in thought for a moment, and at first answered in the negative ; but a minute later, first one sister and then the other remembered some trivial incident of this nature. " Ah, I thought so," said the secretary. " Now, go and pack your thr is at once and come with me. ' "We haven't unpacked," they answered, "except one or two articles." " All the better," he replied. Run upstairs at once and put those together and have your boxes brought down immediately." Wondering what could have happened, the eirls .rushed upstairs to do his biddingfand in ten minutes they and their boxes were down in the halL The secretary bade the porter put them in the cab, and, telling the oabman 7 in French, to hurry to the West Station, they were soon scurrying through the streets of Paris. ..,,,. AH the way they bombarded him with questions, to which the secretary returned evasive answers and bade them be patient. Arriving at the station, he hurried j

them through the barrier ont^ to platform, whore, to their astoniehnnHJ stood an engine with only a single <HJ riago and a guard's van attached HJ "In you get." he said ; "there'eH time to lose," and -with a hurrßJ glance to see that the luggage HJ safely in, he entered the carriage hHJ self, and the train glided out of H station. _ # " Whatever is the meaning of t&i^H asked the eldest of the girls. 'HJ "It is useless asking me questioHJ yon must be patient and' you will »HJ find out for yourselves," he repli^J and for the remainder of the jourHJ to Havre the girls refrained ri^| worrying him and discussed amonHJ themselves every possible theory asH vrhy their mother had so suddenly S Paris, and in the midst of their thHJ rising the train entered Havre StatiM The secretary jumped hastily onH the platform and cast a hurried lA| up and down. Presently he espdecM man who was evidently expecting h^H A hurried whispered conversation t<H place, and a carriage that was standH close by drew up opposite the trainHJ " Now, then, come along, as quHJ as ever you can," he said, helping^H girls to alight. HJ With bewildering haste they wH bustled into the carriage and thHJ boxes placed on to a. cab, and at a rfl tling pace they dashed down to S quayside. Swinging in midstream tH a huge liner belonging to the FreiH Trans-Atlantic Line to New York. H The girls caught their breath. H • n Why surely mother can't be goH back to America. She must be craa^H "You will soon see." eaid the secH tary, hurrying tfie girls and their bH gage on to a waiting tender. In &fH seconds they were alongside the lowH ed gangway of the liner. Their bH gage was hurriedly seized by vvaibH sailor® and dragged, on board. H The secretary took off his. hat aH produced a long official envelope h'H his* pocket. H 11 This contains the. official expiafl tion," he said. " Good-bye. lam «H ry your mother has spoilt your ii'ipH Paris." H There was no time for more The girls hurried up the gangway e<ijHj to find their mother on the ship. 3HJ engine-room beJl clanged, and the sfl moved slowly down stream toward* HJ Atlantic. As the secretary -Et*jpnH ashore from the tender, he ?'<anoea HJ hind him towards the rlisappeurHJ "Poor girls 1 God help them!" I said, with a pitying shudder. H All this time I had been listemn^H Thompson's narrative without . n*oHJ THe wliole stor.y eeeined so fan*a«HJ tHat I sat spell-bound, but I could HJ repress an exclamation. H "What in the name of creation IHJ happened to the mother then,?" I aH i ' The Franco-British Exhibition crotß were now streaming towards the en Thompson pulled out his watch. H "It is time we were going, so H must hurry up with my story. You A me what really happened to the ifl ther. You would never guess in a hfl dred times. I will tell you : H " You will remember I mentioned eH went to bed feeling unwell. That \H about half-past nine. About two^H the morning the night porter vHJ startled by hearing & continuous aH violent ringing of the bell in her bH room. He hastened upstairs aH knocked. All he could hear were groH proceeding from the room. With<H much more ado he entered the rooH and, to his horror., he saw a woinH writhing on the bed. Without waitiH to make a further inspection he rufl ed off to the manager's bedroom, wcH him up, and in a few words gave bH the particulars. H " The manager told him to go to iH telephone and ring up the nearest dH tor, who arrived in a few minutes, fl gether they went to the bedroom. TH woman was quite still now, and iH doctor made a hasty examination, aH recoiled with horror. . H " Mon Dieu !" he exclaimed. "TH is terrible — on tlie eve of the ExhiH tion too," . H "What is it?" demanded the hoH manager in alarm. H The doctor took him by the ehouH er, and, in a voice shaking with enH tion, 6aid : I "'Do you know what this is. It vH ruin the Exhibition — ruin Paris. ItH a case of black plague. She is deaeH What black plague and its conH quences were, the manager probalfl never grasped. He stood there, duH and helpless.' No so the doctor. H recognised that instant action was il cessary if Paris were to be saved. B He pushed the manager out of iM room before him, and, locking the bA room doorj the two descended into iH '•'Wait here," said the doctor. W am going down to the chief of fl polio." In half an hour he returrH with that official, who was accompani by six subordinates. "Quickly they went to work. Fi tlie body was disinfected and remov to be interred in quicklime in the da on the outskirts of the city. With silt shoes on their feet others removed 1 pictures, re-papered the walls, hu fresh pictures, and re-made the bed. After informing the hotel manager the steps he intended to take, the eh of the police returned to his office, U ing the hotel register with him. 1 page on which the mother and the t girls had signed their names was ca fully removed, and every entiy m forged on a fresh page., excluding i mother's name. Tlie book was th returned to the hotel. H The next step was to- inform the H ficials of the Embassy of the dreadH occurrence. Although it was the mid<H of the night everything had to be H ranged before the girls rose in iH morning, and, recognising the serioH ness of the situation, the Embassy H ficials saw that proipt action was H sential. At all costs the girls must JJ kept ignorant of their mother s f&H and what was nioro they must^ be gH out of Paris before they had time ■ communicate their fears to others ■ "p*s t*is hhl It was arranged then that a detfl tivo should take the place of the msH ager in interviewing them when the flj evitable question arose in the mofl ing, and it was arranged a docißJ should be in the hall of the hotel whBJ they came down in the morning ■ make sure that they had not cans the plague. H It was discovered that a boat ifl leaving Havre tho following evening H New York. But it would not do H have taken them down to Havre unHJ the last possible moment of sailii Hence the device of taking them tot Exhibition and letting them, belie that their mother was the victim of temporary loss of memory. Everything down to the last det was arranged. The special being ti od to arrive after the liner had 6wu into mid-stream, and a telegram frt Paris to Havre instructed the capta to wait five minutes for two importa passengers. The document which t young secretary handed to them on £ ing on board the liner contained t official explanation of the French poll and the American Embassy. "But what about the coroner's i quest?" I queried. " A coroner's inquest as you und< stand it in England is not necessai The police have absolute power in matter such as I have described you—well, there is the story, it is trt every word of it." „,„,., _. The grounds of the «' Whate City were nearly empty. Whole rows brilliant lights were disappearing fas and the scene which, when Thomps commenced his story, was all anim tion, had vanished. I rose with a shudder — the story h been a little gruesome. And as t strolled towards* the Wood Lane Si tion exit I could not help picturi; those two helpless girls searching amol the passengers on the liner for ' mother they were destined never '„_ . again on this earth, and could only ed the secretary's words: "Poor girls. G< holp them,"