The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-05-10
CHAPTER xxx.

CHAPTER Xxx
AN APPARrrIoN
Captain Starbright started back with q
Wild thrill Of alarm at his heart The voice
| seemed at his very elbow, and in his nerv-
| Gus excitement he dropped the glass to the
| floor.
TWAS shattered. and the poison dssipated
| over the carpet Grace lay breathing hotly,
quite as startled a. the Captain. Lura had
not as yet dared whisper her suspicious to
| the sick girl, and so the accusing voice
frightened Grace almost to fainting.
"What was it" questioned Grace, after
an instant of terror.
Captain Starbright turned swiftly to the
door without reply. He realized now that
the warning must have been sent through
the keyhole. He crossed the carpet, turned
the key in the lock and opening the door
sprang quickly into the upper hall Not ten
feet distant he saw the form of a man NOV
ing swiftly away.
He recognized the intruder as Louis
Fingal7
"Halt there, you scoundrelr'
But the young hunter evidently wished
to avoid the Captain, and began moving at
swlfter gait Then the Captain started in
pursuit, resolved on bringing the fellow to
account for his interference
Down the hall, up q flight Of narrow
stairs to the garnet the young hunter fed,
and here in the shadows the Captain lost his
enemy. He CROPPED about for fully half an
hour ere he gave up the search.
As he descended the garnet stairs he
came full upon Lura Joyce.
What in the name of all that is lovely
were you doing upyonder, Captainf' the CIR
demanded. with a piercing look.
"Did you see him"
''Sec whomr'
THAT Internal hunter, Fin GAL"
''Of course not The young fellow Is a
gentleman. What an idea, TO think of look
ing in a garnet for gentleman friend of
the family. believe you are going crazy,
Captain Starbright" and Lura at the last
INDUCED in an amused and tantalizing
laugh. 49,.
answered, striding fiercely away.
Lura hurried swiftly to the sick chamber.
She found Grace alone, the broken tumbler
on the carpet. Gathering the ragged frag-
ments the girl placed them on the stand,
then resumed her seat beside Grace, who
seemed deeply excited, as her pale cheeks
were flushed, and there was an unusual
glitter of the gray eyes.
''DlQ you near lts 10 you huOw.' QueSN
toned the sick girl in tremulous accents
II know all about it. You had a narrow
escape, Grace, but don't worry over 1t now:
the danger is past"
"Dangeri Was It really true"
friend and yours"
"Fingdl Was il he who spoke of-of the
water being poisoned"
"Yes, dear. He has consented to remain
on the premises for time. The Captain Is
q bad man, but do not worry over that
now"
She sick girl closed her eyes and tried to
collect her scattered thoughts. II was a
task, however, that she was not Likely to
accomplish. When Lucy returned from
Mrs. Penroy, who was still too Ill to leave
her room, Lura reprimauded her for leaving
Grace alone.
"But Missus Pen sent for me-"
ut doesn't matter. Iwant you to remem.
Der and obey me-" said Lura Joyce, sharply.
Deed viii, missus."
"See that you do. When am absent
you must 60 from this room on no erraud
whatever. VIII you rememberm
"Yes, missus."
Soon after Lura Joyce was pacing the
upper hail with nervous steps and .
| thoughtful expression Of countenance.
"Why doesn't DR.. Cotton comer' muir
INJURED the girl, impatiently. The time is
ripe for the work, and he assured me that
he would be here before this I dare not
trust myself away from here now. Tho
Captain is becoming desperate. He hopes
to see Grace die, and then Austin Went
word would suffer either imprisonment or
death for the crime Of murder that I
accomplice, committed
Uneasy was the heart Of Lura-
The day waned and night fell with no
doctor.
In the afternoon Captain Starbright left
the vicinity Of Lone Hollow on foot He,
too, was gloomy and Dissatisfied. The i'm
mense fortune lay almost within his grasp,
yet not near enough to seize.
s1Lura Joyce has thus far proved my evil
genius muttered the Captain. Il would
certainly have long since been in undisputed
possession Of the Vandible fortune but for
her Fool that I was to ever pay court to
such strong-minded wonxn- She follows
me like cat, watches and suspects some
thing wrong always. believe she knows
that Grace was DYING from subtle poison
and has determined to thvart, perhaps t.
crush me. But am too clever to permit Q
girl to corner me. Twill crush her and that
young hunter, Fingal He. too, seems to be
in the league against me. Confound Gripes!
He ought to have put that will through the
court before this"
The Captain followed the path that led 70
the CABRERA cabin When he reached the
place he tried the door. It opened to his
touch and he entered He found the place
deserted. The Caberas had gone, he knew
not whittier, and he hoped that he miehtnot
see them again II one of them lived, how
ever, he knew that he might expect Q wish
at the end of six months
Iro III CoSTIEUxRl