Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-06-02

| secure the clemency OF the law for An
drews. Beyond the posse comitatus is
our hope"
He had not forgotten Crawley's fond
ness for using law Latin terms, whether
/ correctly or otherwise.
This Is good news. You-are a trump,
| Crawley. You have taken a weight on
my mind. Andrews might have made
| some ugly disclosures if we did not help
him cheat the hangman.
I thought you were anxious about
the matter, for in my note told you to
call at my office to-day. I had an idea
my letter might have failed to reach
you.
I should have been to the Office If I
had heard from you, answered Malvin.
At that moment a eolored waiter an
nounced supper, and Malvin said:
You have dropped in Just in time.
am giving a supper TO few OF my select
friends. There will be plenty to drink.
| VIII you Join US at the table?"
! Certainly; 1 am not non cOmpOs
mentis. When was ever known to de-
/ cline such an ofTer?"
Thus answered the pretended lawyer,
and his host conducted him and his
other guests into q spacious dining
l room at the other end OF the hall upon
which the street door opened.
| The table was Respondent with silver
/ and cut-glass-
At each plate several bottles Of wine
had been placed, and upon an elabor-
| ately carved sideboard there was a col
lection Of stronger liquors Of all kinds.
| AS the company was becoming seated
at the table, a cOlOred woman entered
and whispered to Malvin.
What the woman said the detective
did not hear, although he was on the
alert and tried to catch her words.
| But he heard MRlvin's answer:
| Let her make all the noise she
chooses, she cannot be heard beyond
| the walls OF the house"
Paxton smiled.
I was right in thinking I should find
Marion Oakburn here. She is the
female captive who must be imprisoned
here, he thought.
] He knew, however, that there was a
] possibility that he was mistaken In the
/ Identity OF the female captive.
! III find out the truth before the
night is over. Everything Is working
TO suit me, and this supper invitation
has given me an idea. I'll persOnate
the character of Ajax Crawley to the
letter. and get stupidity intoxicated, in
appearance. They will be obliged to
stow me away somewhere TO sleep of
my drunk, and thus / may gain an Op-
portunity to search the house"
Thus Paxton reflected.
] He acted his part perfectly.
AS Ajax Crawley naturally would
have done, under similar circumstances,
Paxton drank, or, what amounted to
the same thing, seemed TO drink very
/ freely.
Finally, after passing through the
various stages Of intoxicatiOn with all
the skill OF a veteran impersonatOr of
such characters, he fell across the
table in a well-feigned drunken stupor.
! Here, Dan and William, put this sot
to bed, ordered Malvin.
! A couple of burly eolored men re-
spOnded to Malvin's call, and. lifting
| the detective between them, in a by no
means gentle manner they carried him
up stairs and deposited him on Il bed il
a little hall sleeping-roOm, and left
/ him.
The detective had heard AIalvin and
/ his companions express their determine
/ ton to make a night Of il, and he
knew, therefore, that it was useless to
wait for them 10 retire before com
mencing his search for the girl captive.
whom he believed to be beneath that
roof.
| Perhaps half an hour elapsed, and
then Paxton arose and erept forth from
the room where the negroes had de-
posted him, and gained the hall.
A gas jet in the rear end of the hall
burned dimly, but its light enabled the
detective to see his way.
He listened for a moment, and he
heard the sounds of revelry from the
dining hall below.
His acute ear also presently caught
another sound, which seemed to ema-
nate from above his head.
The building was an ordinary three
story structure.
In a moment or so Paxton was con-
WINGED that the sound which came from
the third story was the muf1led sound af
blows, such as might be made by some
one pounding on a door with naked
hands.
He surmised that he should find the
captive whom he thought to be an in
mate Of the house, in some apartment
on the next story.
He silently glided up the stairs and
gained the hall above.
He almost instantly located the sound
which he had heard, and gained the door
upon which some one who occupied the
apartment to which it led was pounding.
The detective tried this door, but as
he had expected, he found it locked.
He habituelly carried bunch of keys
in anticipation of such emergencies as
this, and with the aid of a key of this
bunch, he was not long in opening the
door.
Quickly he stepped inside, closed the
door, and placed his back against it.
Paxton found himself in a small win
dowless room, face to face with Marion
Oakburn.
In the character OF Ajax Crawley the
detective was not calculated to inspire
/ confidence.
OF course Marion did not penetrate
his disguise.
At his appearance she retreated with
an exclamation OF fear.
Her face was deathly pale, and her
features wore an expression Of fright.
Hush" cried Paxton, and then in a
low voice he told Marion who he was.
She uttered a glad exclamation as she
recognized his natural tone of voice.
oh, how thankful I am that you have
come. I prayed for deliverance, for I
am a prisoner, held a captive here by
sOrdid wretches. You must save me. I
am ready TO explain all you wish to
know. I will correct terrible mistake.
will save Stuart Harland's life" said
Marion, in intense tones that thrilled
her hearer.
It seemed that in the excitement of
the moment the words rushed from her
lips unbidden, and that she scarcely re-
allied their import.
She trembled from head to foot.
Paxton answered her hastily:
You may depend upon me TO save you
If 1 can. You can repay me by lifting
the veil Of mystery which has shrOuded
your conduct Come, we viii attempt
to escape from this house without delay,
while its inmates are at table.
He cautiously opened the door and
listened.
Still the sound of loud voices, laughter
and the merry clink of glasses was
u n Al 70 kia 49, frnr, the lininc. hal