Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-06-06

|
glared about him hercely, but saw no one
Then he strobe back to the bleeding form
on the ground, still holding the smoking
| weapon of death.
At this moment man rushed down the
| path from the direction of the house and
confronted Wentword.
1t was Captain Starbright.
| $50 it has come to this at last" cried the
Captain, in an awful voice. 81 feared it all
along Poor Grace! to die by the hand of
| a miserable mudsillr'
| CHAPTER XIV.
| THE ARREST.
| For one moment the two men glared
fercely at each other.
| Austin Wentword was too terribly
shocked to realize his position, or the full
| meaning of the words uttered by Captain
Starbright He even allowed the Captain
to take the pistol from his hands, when he
bent and lifted poor Grace in his arms and
| moved toward tho house
| There was CONSERVATION among the
servants when the young mechanic en-
| tered the house with his bleeding burden.
Mrs. Penroy met him and screamed with
| fright, and tainted on seeing the blood.
To Mrs. Penroy's room the young man
| made his way, and placed Grace on the
luxurious bed. Then, with pallid face and
trembling fingers, he examined the wound
in the head of his betrothed. He was un-
able to ascertain the full extent of the
wound, but believed it fatal. Captain Star
bright at once dispatched q messenger for
a physician, the nearest one being at Stone
field, ten miles away. With this messenger
he sent note which the man promised to
deliver to the county sheriff.
Soon after the accident a visitor was an
.ni1i. al fhf,x bun
Wentword met him with groan as he
extended his hand. In tremulous accents
he told the youth of what had occurred.
Sand you think Grace will die?''
A tear stood in the young hunters eye as
he put the question.
81 fear she will"
"Then retribution must fall at once on
her assassin cried Fingal, in a stern
voice.
"That it SHALL ~
Both men turned to see Captain Star
evil that he had ever been since his appear
ance at Lone Hollow.
ssYou here!" exclaimed Fingal
al am. No one has better right. I
mean to see that the murderer does not es-
cape''
"You know him.
"He stands there" pointing at Austin
Wentword.
Fingal regarded the young mechanic in
silence. He saw the pallor on his face
deepen, caught resentful CLEAN IN the
eyes, and realized that the words of Cap
tain Starbright had struck deep.
s'This is not the time nor place to resent
such language, Clinton Starbright,'' re-
turned the young mechanic, in a low voice,
almost hushed under the shadow of his
awful grief. "When l am assured that she
will live, or death intervenes, then 1 will
settle with you, sir, in a way that will prove
satisfactory
Then turning to Louis Fingal the young
man took his arm and led him away. In an
other room, with the door locked tokeep out
intruders, the two young men sat and con-
versed long and earnestly.
"Just as my happiness had dawned it is
awful to have it snatched from me by the
bullet of cruel assassin" groaned Austin
Wentword.
at is awful" agreed the young hunter.
"Can you imagine who could be so wicked
as to do thiss''
II can not"
.sIt is Captain Starbright's work." de-
clared the young hunter. HE is wicked
enough for any thing. He has plotted to
gain the Vandible fortune, and nothing is
too black in the way of crime that he will
must be watched. have not seen the will
left by Morgan Vandible, but know its con-
tents from one who has read it, and it is so
worded as to leave every thing to Captain
Starbr1ght should Grace die or marry
another. Depend upon it, Austin, it was
hand hired by the Captain that fired the
bullet at Grace tonight"
at may be so. can not believe that one
so pure and good has an enemy in the
world"
'sShe has enemies only as she is an OBJ
stacle in the way of that devils greed. He
must be watched"
''Mr. Fingal, quite agree with you," re-
turned the mechanic, sadly. ''The Captain
must be watched, and l know Of but one
person who can do it successfully"
'sWellan
81 mean Lura Joyce. She is at Stonefield,
and you know where. If you would only
go for her should feel under everlasting
obligations to you. / like that girl, and be-
lieve now that Grace isis i'll, she would
gladly come
"Of course she would" agreed the young
hunter, touched deeply by the emotion
eyinced by Wentword. 81 will go for the
girl myself. / know her like q book, and
am sure she will not delay coming one
moment when she learns that her cousin is
injured
"You arc very kind"
s'Not word of that sort, Austin. like
you and Grace, and hope that you may both
live to be united and happy in spite Of the
Vaccinations of contemplate villain"
Then Fingal turns& from the room.
Austin Wentword sat like one in dream
until he heard the outer door clang behind
the departing hunter, then he leaned his
head on his hands and moaned in an agony
of spirit
A pair of glIttering black eyes looked in
upon the Borrowing young man, the malev-
olence in their depths indicating how ven-
omous was the heart beneath.
at ID we'll The game is now completely
in my hands," muttered Captain Star
bright, as he passed down the hall to the
front door, after glancing in upon the
bowed form of Wentword. He stood on the
steps and peered down through the trees
to the road and the gloomy hollow beyond.
Night held full sway now, and a mist hung
over Lone Hollow, as if the blue armament
was mourning for the beautiful girl so
cruelty stricken down this night.
Captain Starbr1ght became nervous after
a little and began pacing the wide veranda
with solemn steps and slow, his chin bowed
upon his breast, o thoughtful, troubled look
in his eyes.
He remained pacing here until the roll Of
wheels announced the coming of the ply
stefan from Stoneieid-
Mrs. Penroy and young Wentword were
at the bedside of Grace when the doctor en-
tered Both fell back to permit the man OF
medicine an opportunity for examination.
NJ. -:s.,, aftor rocover1np from the