Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-05-30
CHAPTER XXX.

intense excitement.
CHAPTER xxx.
AN APPARITIoS
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 dissipated
over the carpet Grace lay breathing hotly,
quite as startled as the Captain. Lura had
nctas yet dared whisper her suspicious 70
the sick girl, and so the accusing voice
frightened Grace almost TO fatnting.
"What was its" questioned Grace, after
an instant of terror
Captain Starbright turned swiftly 70 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
ingswiftly away
He recognized the intruder as Louis
Fingal.
"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 a flight of narrow
stains 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 up yonder, Captainf' the girl
demanded, with piercing look
ibid you see him
''See whom2n
s'That internal hunter, Fingal.n
''Of course not. The young fellow is q
gentleman. What an idea, to think Of look
ing in garnet for a gentleman friend Of
the family. believe you are going crazy,
Captain Starbright, and Lura at the last
INDUCED in an amused and tantahzing
laugh.
II begin to think so myself he
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 uuSneu, auu tuefe WAS Hu uuuSuA
glitter of the gray eyes.
'sDid you hear it! Do you know!" ques-
toned the sick girl in tremulous accents.
81 know all about it. You had a narrow
escape, Grace, but don't worry over 1t now !;
the danger is past"
Danger! Was il really true
Eyes, dear. Fingal told me He IS my
friend and yours"
"Fingall Was it he who spoke of-of the
water being poisonedi"
Eyes, dear He has consented to remain
on the premises for time. The Captain is
bad man, but do not worry over that
now"
She sick girl closed her eyes and tried to
collect her scattered thoughts. 1t 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 reprimanded her for leaving
Grace alone.
but Mssus Pen sent for me-"
''It~doesnat matter Iwant you TO remem-
Der and ohey me" said Lura Joyce, sharply.
"DeeAfwiIl, missus."
ssSee that yon do. When / am absent
You mast go from this room GA no errand
whatever. Will you rememberp
yes, missun."
Soon after Lura Joyce was pacing ths
nRper hall with nervous steps and .
thoughtful expression Of eDunfenance.
"Why doesn't DR.. Cotton Gomez muir
INJURED the girl, impatiently Nrhe time IS
ripe for the work, aad-he assured me thas
he would be here before this. dare net
trust myself away from here now. The
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
actually believe Starbright himself, or an
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 inn
mense fortune lay almost within his grasp,
yet not near enough TO seize.
''Lura Joyce has thus far proved my evil
genius" muttered the Captain. II would
certainly have long since been in undisputed
possession of the Vandible fortune but for
her Fool that | was to ever pay corEt to
such a strong minded woman. She follows
me like cat, watches and suspects some
thing wrong always. l believe she knows
and has determined TO thwart, perhaps to
crush me But am too clever to permit g
girl TO corner me. will crush her and thas
young hunter, Fingal. He, too, seems TO be
in the league against me. Confonnd Gripesi
He ought to have put that will through the
court before this"
The Captain followed the path that led to
the CABRERA cabin. When he reached the
place he tried the door. 1t opened 70 his
touch and he entered. He found the place
deserted. The Caberas had gone, he knew
not whittier, and he hoped that he might not
see them again. II one of them lived, how
ever, he knew that he might expect a visit
at the end of six months.
The house was gloomy, and the sound OF
his feet sent cold chill over him.
He passed out and walked 10 the edge Of
the gulch, little way of. The depths
were Swallowed and gloomy. Autumnal
frosts had changed the leaves 10 brown and
yellow in places, and the air that sighed
through the trees was chill and unc0mfort-
able. There seemed premonition Of an early
winter in its breath.
While he stood there with the grim shad-
ors of the short afternoon lengthenlng into
the gloom of night, Captain Sterbrigni
thought of the past, of the year Rone Va
which his brain had schemed and plotted
for self-aggrandizement
ut is more than two years now since
struck the first blow for the VandiblD midi.
ion amid the hills Of California" be mutt
tered, inaudibly, while his thoughts ran On
Then came the sudden death Of The
other, and my coming 70 Lone Hollow q
win the friendship Of an easily-duped old
man. / pretended to be the friend Of his
idolized though erratic brother, and brongn<
him a memento from the far-of land OF
gold. told how had ministeRed TO th<
dying, and completely won Old Morgan Vsn-
dible's heart. Karl, his youngest brosAez,
he idolized. He would have made him ms
heir had he lived. This the old miitio0aan y
told me in confidence. 1t seems that me
blow that sent Karl over the precipice IN
the gold range did not kill
my treachery might have been discoy'
cred, FOR Karl Vandible lived, bu0he Cans
back from that fall 9 crazed being. Lsnp
posed / had nothing 70 fear, and e3AeG
rssssnized me thas siskt " freAk "a Loo