Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-21


fair-faced youth (who had entirely escaped
Van Alstine's observatory suddenly pushed
pretty, slender hand over his shoulder.
81 will,' he said, in accents soft as the
tinkle of a silver bell.
At the sound of that voice Van Alstine
wheeled round suddenly in his tracks. His
face was CHASTITY already, but wild, scared
look spread all over it, as he stoodand glared
at the youth moment in half-incredulous
amazement. He was shaking from head to
foot, and could scarcely stand.
'My God!" he gasped.
Then, as if compelled by some stern ne
cessity for selfcontrol, he brought the
strength back to his nerveless limbs, and
catching fercely hold of the youths arm,
led him quickly to one side.
"Harry saw them pause in recess at no
great distance. mpelled by feeling over
which he had no control, he still watched
and listened.
"Eloise," he heard Van Alstine say, in a
shrill, Kissing whisper, "why are you here,
and in this disguise?'
81 came to find you, Dick" was the an
swer, in a low, firm voice.
'My Godn' and great drops of agony
came out on the poor fellows forehead.
"Come away, this instant-come away. Do
you know, do you guess the fearful risk you
have run in venturing into this placer"
The lovely eyes still looked straight into
his own.
"You were here, Dick, and I could not
keep away
"Silly fool,' he said, half fondly, half in
anger.
At this instant one of the gamblers rose
from the table, and stepped toward them.
evan Alstine, 1 would like word with
you in private before you leave the house.
The young man started, flashed a quick
glance from the man back to his companions
at the table, but there was nothing suspicious
| in the demeanor of any one of them.
Certainly, sir" he said, and turned te
lOllOW tuo SduDici 1uIO Ouo VI tlt SLUG
apartments
He turned back hastily before reaching the
door, however, and, coming up to his recent
companion, said, in a rapid whisper:
81 must go, or these rufians will suspect
something wrong. Walk boldly down stairs.
and out of the house-that is your only way.
For Gods sake, don't linger, Eloise! will
presently join you at the first street-corner. "
Then with last imploring glance, he was
gone.
Not word, not movement, of all this
had been lost upon Harry Blaisdell. Here
was a romance under his very nose, and
Providence had called him here on purpose
to play role in it, perhaps.
AT any rate, he could not think of leaving
| the place until he had seen the end of the
affair. So he drew back in the shadow of
the window drapery, when nobody was
observing him, and crouched there close
against the wall, mentally calling himself
fool, and a thousand other uncomplimentary
names for lingering and hiding there, yet
feeling no inclination to 60 away.
Fortunately, his friend of the piping voice
and sarcastic face had vanished, and there
was no fear Of espionage from him.
What an odd affair it was altogether. Of
| course, the fair-faced stranger was a woman
There could not be doubt of that; and his
imagination woye very pretty romance, in
which this Eloise was the heroine, and
Van Alstine her lover.
And yet-strange contradiction.-he felt
a keen pang whenever he thought of them
in that light; and he thought of nothing else
while watching for further. developments
l-om his hiding-place.
Eloise-we may as we'll give her a name
did not leave the room, as she had been bid
den. Instead, she squeezed herself into the
remotest corner of the recess, and waited
there in silence, glancing apprehensively
round the apartment every now and then.
A full half-hour went by, and still
Van Alstine did not make his appearance
A-ioi1S SiSh hOiN Ouo III last, 81 UlU
He had observed what she did not-that the
rooms We're rapidly being vacated by all ex-
cept the rufiianly crowd belonging there.
Presently sudden confusion rose in one
| OF the inner rooms.
"Iou villain you mean, cowardly vii
lain!" reared q stihed voice, evidently
Van Alstine's. Then came the sound of a
scuffie.
Eloise started up with suppressed cry.
"Merciful Heaven!''
She darted to the green-baize door, tngged
at it with all her strength, and flung it
wide. She seemed to forget her disguise,
her own danger, herself in every way, in the
awful fear that was upon her.
Harry was less than three feet behind her
| when she entered that inner room. They
were just in time to see two tall figures con-
fronting each other under the chandelier, a
bludgeon swung high in air, and Van Alstine
roll upon the floor like log, stark, still,
senseless.
Eloise darted forward.