The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-05-30

lawyer. "Out of town." was the reply
made to her. From that Office she sought
detective, in company with an acquaint-
ance, whom she left in an ante-room.
"You will follow this man ?'' she asked
of the detective at the conclusion of her
interview
"Of course. But, if you will permit
me the question, why do you suspect
him?"
"Because he is rejected lover, and
therefore an enemy of Mr.. Delarre Fur
thermore," opening small paper box,
"here is shirt stud which found in the
gutter, nearly halt block distant from
the corner. As you may see, it has been
wrenched from the fastening, apparently.
Try these clews and let me know!" With
that much information for er-stone
for her plan Miss Shannon went to the
house of Mr.. Delarre.
1t was while she was there that MIR.
Delarre was summoned to the door by a
man who declined to enter. Miss Shan
non, suspicious and watchful, contem-
plated HIM from parlor window.
"You have lost your son!" asserted the
man, slim, fashily. y.dressed young fel-
low, who kept his hat slouched over his
face and his body at remarkable dis.
tance, for conversational purposes, from
Mr. Delarre.
"Yes," said the latter.
"And the reward is"
zone thousand dollars"
The man came little nearer, but still
kept out Of reach. MAKE it 5000 and
your son shall be here to night"
Unwisely, as it proved, the old gentle
man did not exercise his powers OF diplo-
macy, but in the excitement of the an
nouncement thus strangely expressed he
made dash at his visitor, who, however,
ran swiftly down the steps and into the
street and was out of sight in less than
half minute, leaving Mr.. Delarre tremb-
ling and speechless with excitement.
Miss Shannon had seen the actions of
port or hearing the words, and when Mr..
Delarre told the story of the interview
she upbraided him for his haste.
"But never mind" she said, consoling.
ly; 1--WE shall hear more if Harry is alive.
Let us be patient-that is, as patient as
we CAM"
The next morning there was found un-
der the door note promising the deliv-
cry of Mr.. Henry Delarre, alive, for the
sum of Sc, 600, answer to be given in
"personal" in a daily newspaper. That
note was handed to the police, and an an
swer by them placed in the paper named,
without result. On Thursday morning
another note was as mysteriously deliv-
cred, in which the sum was placed at
$40, 900, and the same request as before
was appended. 1t was committed as be-
fore to the police, with the same results.
By this time the father despaired. Every
one seemed powerless to entrsp the seem
ing kidnapers. Miss Shannon's scheme
was proven failure; for the man she had
suspected was in New Orleans, and had
been there for month. AS for the cor
respondents of Mr.. Delarre, senior, she be-
lieved them to be nothing more nor less
than blackmailers. Two days passed
away without letter and without news.
Sunday morning came. With it a note.
1t demanded $4,000, or, if that sum was
not forthcoming, the father could have
the dead body Of his son. The old gen.
tleman was distracted. He raved about
the horror Of such a happening in Chicago;
about the ineft1ciency of the police;
about his son, whom he pictured as dying
or dead; about his own powerlessness,
and, as a conclusion to his madness, he
prepared an advertisement accepting the
terms.
| U11SS OAdAuOu, LII P1uJ Will OOOAS SC
Delarre, a lad of fifteen, herself carried
this acceptance to the Office of the paper
1t was already dark, and the street-lamps
were lighted. The streets were compare
lively deserted. The restaurants and
lunch-rooms we're thronged, however. As
she passed one of them man came SLOW
ly forth bearing in his hands basket
covered with a white cloth. As he
passed beneath the overhanging lamp she
recognized the face. 1t was that OF the
person who had attempted to bargain
with Mr.. Delarre, ON his own threshold,
for the return of her lover. With calm
ness that made every muscle thread Of
steel she allowed him to increase the dis
tance between them, while, with a word
of caution to her companion, she followed
Down this street and that moved this
triplet, one ahead aud two in pursuit.
The man seemed absorbed in his own
meditations, for he never noticed their
presence, but hummed and whistled to
himself as he went along. He reached
Fifth avenue, turned to the north and
crossed the street. Miss Shannon fol-
lowed in the distance, on the other side
of the street, nearly block behind. She
hoped, but vainly, for the presence OF a
policeman. The man with the basket
crossed Lake street. She saw him as he
crossed, saw him as plainly as she noted
the boy at her side; yet, in the twinkling
of an eye, the man disappeared: She
stopped, confounded by the suddenness
Of his exit Had the earth opened and
swallowed him? Had he been caught
from heaven by an unseen hand? For
the first time the woman was afraid. Not
soul was that moment in sight. Yet the
man was. gone-gone while she was
hoping and planning for his arrest. She
went little distance down Lake street,
then turned and travelled up the avenue.
The Jagged ruins at the corner cast 81.
gantic dancing shadows on the t1ickering
gaslights; but no man with a basket
stole forth out of the gloom.
"Heaven help mel" moaRed the poor
girl. II have lost him when would
rather have lost my life."
At the alley she stood for q minute ir'
resolute and despairing. Then, thinking
the man might have gone that way, she
went east in the alley for perhaps 200 feet
all the while in the dark and trembling
with fear. Suddenly the boy at her side
clutched her arm.
LOOK there, Bess" he whispered
pointing to the pile of masonry which
held three or four old vaults, unleveled
relics of the great fire. "Look there
quick!" he repeated. In the direction
indicated hung what seemed a. thread o1
fire against the ruins. It was gone almost
as soon as seen. At the same instant
the sound Of mufled voices came