The Red Cloud chief., 1889-05-17

this old chest. Your course u won nigi
run, Clinton Starlight falsely dubbei
] Captain, and
A sound below cut short the young man,
speech. He concealed the precious paper
extinguished the light, and hurriedly made
his exit from b close air Of the garrett
When he gained tho hall below; which
was dimly lighted by b~racketlAmps, the
mans face stood revealed, and We recog
mise him - the genial hunter, Louis Fin
gal. he passed to the end Of the hail, lifted
. window and peered out into the night
listening intently.
81 hear no sound Of Wheels" he mutt
tered. "Ihope DR.. Cotton and his patient
wall not disappoint mo tonight. To watch
that villain, and guard . precious life,
without making . balk, is tiresome and
dangerous. 1t must be time, too, for that
infamous Captain to come nosing' about. ]
heard him tell Lucy that III need not lool
for him in several days, but I judge that t.
be . blind. Possibly, however, he may
have taken tho alarm. He was out until
late last night, and seemed pale and agi
tated when he returned"
Tho reader can readily guess why the
Captain wa agItated on the previous night.
The apparition st tho pool had completely
unnerved him for . time. On the morning
following he had driven away toward
Stonefield, assuring both Lura and LUCY
that he intended to be absent several DAYS.
Fingal had been where he overheard this.
but he had not believed it.
After listening . minute Fingal closed
the window and turned his steps toward
Grace's room. He found tho door closed,
and at once applied his hard to the knob. 1t
refused to yield.
Dropping to the floor Fingal attempted to
peer into the room through the keyhole. No
light Rhmmered there. and then the young
hunter seemed to realise for the first time
that something ~ wrong inside the sick
chamber. BE thrust . small reed that he
picked from the floor into the keyhola.
He then made . discovery.
The hole had been stoutly plugged
Something surely was wrong. He graspcd
the knob and shook the door.
No answe from within.
A chill shot to the heart Of Fingal. He
called the name Of Lucy and Of Grace, but
received no answer. A terrible fear CD
pressed the young hunters heart - he
turned from the door and hurried to the
stairs. He sped down these, three steps It
. time, and came near landing in the arms
Of the oolored maid.
"Lucy, you heref' demanded Eingal,
hoarsely. "Who is with 0race"
Miss Lura, I 'speck"
~ do not believe IT,"
WRuf 7 1nFA k~pAe~
"Something ID wrong" interrupted Fin
gal, seizing and shaking the maid f~uriously.
" You haven't been faithful, girl. The door
0race's room il locked. Have you the
key"
"Deed, marse, I hasn't"
Fingal stood irresolute for one moment,
Then sprsng to the outer door. opened 1t
and passed ont into tho night He hast
where . light glimmered from IN upper
window, the window Of Grace Penroy's
room.
For an instant tho young man stood
then, seeming to remember
'omething: be sped 70 the rear Of the old
house and in less than . minute returned
bearing in his hands . ladder. II ~ but
hort work 70 place this up against the
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ON 1sinnR.
Tho Captains hat lay on tho moor: His
oos was ON, MS arms oaro 20 tho elbows,
md he was evidently meditating some
err1DIe deeo. fmgal saw him move toward
DO bed gaze Tor one momen 1t the placid
acc OF tho apparently sleeping girl, then
END forward with the look ofa hend, and
wine his fingers about the throat OF his
'nsuspectanR victim
"0reat heaveui be would strangle herr'
.asped Fingal, hoarsely, almost losing his
old in the intensity Of his horror. With .
mighty edort b steadied himself, sei1ed
ho sash, hftod 4 swiftly and plunged head
ing into the room.