The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-05-03
LONE HOLLOW;
Or, The Peril Of The Ptnroys.
A Thrilling and Romantic Story
Of Love and Adventure.
BIZ JAMES IN. MERRILL. AUTHOR OF "BoGus
BILL" FISHER JOE" AND
OTHER STORIES
lCepyrioM, 1853, by the A. N Kellogg Ntsos-
paper Conapany1
CHAPTER XXyL-CoSr1Nuyp.

CHAPTER XXvL-CoNrINuEp.
he paused. She made no attempt to in
terrupt him, and he proceeded:
When you put in an appearance at Lone
Hollow realized that my chance of WIN
ming the heiress was lessened / knew how
you hated me, and / felt alarmed. wished
you away, anywhere but in this house"
Even under the sod," and she smiled
grimly as she interrupted him.
"No. In that you wrong me-" he assert
ed, impressively. 81 did not plan to harm
you, / could not do that; for to be honest
with you, Lura, you are the only girl who
ever stirred the inner depths of my heart.
If you had been the heiress instead of
Grace could have wooed with tenfold more
IRE. But let that pass. / endured your
presence without attempting to abate it.
That night, when you disappeared so mys-
-teriously, and during the days that followed
when i turned heaven and earth to find you,
I was really sad at heart, although elated at
the thought that you would not be likely to
trouble me again.
81 was getting on swimmingly with Grace
when, to my surprise, you suddenly re-
turned. saw you enter the house and go
to Grace Penroy's room. l then believed
that you had played trick on us all, on me,
for the purpose of beating me out of this
fortune on which set such hopes. The
thought that 1 was about to be defeated
when tine wealth was ready to fall into my
hands maddened me, and l lost reason and
GOODNESS.
"That was why I assaulted you SO
furiously. i repeuted it afterward, and
have been longing to see you to ask your
I l>ai,, I'LL hx-a
madman myself. He carried you away, and
afterward feared that he had murdered
you"
Captain Starbright had resumed his scat
during this narration, while Lura Joyce
leaned one hand on the table and contented
herself with listening in 4 meek way that
was surprising considering her fiery nature.
ado you expect me to believe all this,
Captain Starbrighta' she said, without
lifting her eyes.
81 have spoken the truth. or course, i
have no means of compelling belief" he
said, in subdued tone. II tell you honest
~, am glad that you escaped from the
clutches of the mailman"
"He seemed gentle enough with me-" re-
sumed the girl. what became of the poor
fellow at last, haven't seen him of late.''
Il influenced the authorities to send the
poor fellow to a mad house,
Did you know him!'
"No, only that he made an absurd claim
to be brother of the late Mr.. Vandible.''
about the shooting tonight" SAID Lura,
suddenly dropping the subject of the mad
man. "Can you throw any light on that!"
at is a sad affair."" sighed the Captain.
81 would rather not talk of that now.'
"Why has Austin Wentword been ar
rested!"
at was necessary. In case Grace dies
the fellow might leave the country"
"Then you suspect him of being the
assassin of the girl he loved, who was his be-
trotned. in fact!''
Her eyes were regarding him now with
their steely glitter, that rendered him nerv-
Gus always.
"My suspicion amounts to conviction"
he said, cooily.
"You saw him commit the act?"
liam not prepared to say that At the
proper time my evidence shall be forth
coming"
Indeed. Is this part of your plot to
win the Vandible fortunei'
He became uneasy under her gaze. He
realized that she was reading him like an
open book. He might deceive some women,
but not this grand, self-reIiant girl, whose
strong mind and quick wit were more than
match for him.
1T is useless to prolong this interview"
he said. coming to his feet "You would
distrust one even If hewere TO swear on a
mountain of Bibles. 1 am sorry, but in
time shall be able to prove to you that am
a much-abused man"
Then he strobe from the room and sought
the outer air.
"Sor' murmured Lura. 81 am once more
on deck to watch and counteract your evil
influence, Clinton Starbright. If Grace
dies, you are a doubly doomed man. The
idea that Austin Wentwori fired that shot!
That warn might fool the marines, but it will
not pass current with me. All, if you only
knew what i know. Captain, you would
tremblc in your boots 1t is just as well
you do not know will now have an op-
portunity to search this house for the will
old Mr. Vandiple made long ago. That, l
believe to be. the only lawful document Of
the kind in existence.
" He told me that it was somewhere with
in the walls of Lone Hollow. and mean to
find it and coufound them all"
Then Lura went TO the room where her
wounded cousin lay. When Mrs. Penroy
saw the girl she uttered scream and fell
faiuting TO the floor.
1t Will be remembered that the widow did
not know of the continued existence OF Lura
Joyce. She had looked spon the girl as
dead. Grace having kept her secret accord
ing to promise. and her sudden appearance
was rs startling as the appearance of
ghost.
Lura saw her mistake the moment she
crossed the threshold. She rang for
Lucy, the colored maid, who, assisted
BY Miss Joyce, succeeded in conveying the
faInting woman to bed in another part OF
the great house.
Lucy was pretty thoroughly frighte ned,
too, when she saw Miss Joyce, but Lura
soon satisfied the maid that all was as 1t
should be by assuring her that she had only
been away on business, and that now she
was back to care for Grace, and make her
home hereafter at Lone Hollow.
Mrs. Penroy did not recover from her sec
ond fainting fit as from the first, and she
days
In the meantime Grace rega;ned con-
sciousness, but remained very weak and
required constant attention. Lura gave
this, and exerted herself to aid the wound
ed Rrl in every possible way. Mrs. Pen
row was too weak and i'll herself to assist in
taking care of her daughter, and so for the
time Lura Joyce was complete mistress OF
the house.
DR.. Faxon gave assurance that Grace
would speedily recover, and he came TO
Lone Hollow less frequently as the days
passed
When the wounded girl asked after her
lover, Lura gave evasive answers. The
young man still languished in Stonefield
Jail, awaiting the outcome Of the shot. and
Lura feared TO make known the fact, since
shock now might terminate the life of
Grafp