The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-05-28
CHI AP1ER XIV.
UNMARKED

even changed his handwriting."
CHAPTER
UNMARKED!
Something's up,
Ralph Prescott. describedt the situa-
ton III that terse Expression. There was
something up, to a certainty. Some
thing, dark, mystical, suspicious.
Bur what? He had made a new dis
covery-that even the handwriting of
Paul Dalton had changed; but what of
that A man acting a part for two
years might, upon resuming his original
identity, have changed his appearance,
manner and handwriting back to the
real from the false. and emerge as Diff
ferent into his new existence as O but
terily from chrysnis.
He was always discovering" some-
thing, and every additional discovery
generally resulted in disaster for him
self
He had set~out to sweep his enemy
from the field by a simple plot, and had
only succeeded i'll precipitating'a climax
that had richly benefited that foe and
impoverished hims
Still, p,otting was like. drinling-fas-
einating, cumulative. Once in the swim,
to put il .tritely, the victim plunged
deeper anG.lceper into the labyrinths. of
crime
Besides all this, things looked queer.
He could not imagine Paul Dalton so
cminentiy hearless and insensible to
the rare beauty OF Ruth Elliott as to
utterly ignore her and prefer wealth to
her love, when he might have both.
I'll keep him in view bit, if only
for curiosity" soh'oquized Prescott.
He said lFe was going to meet friend
at the hotel. / may learn something by
watching them.
TO the hotel, therefore, Prescott .took
his way.
He passed by the open doors and
glanced in, but caught no sight of the
man he sought.
Through the window of .the smoking
room, however, opened to admit the
fresh air upon the Tobacco smoke tainted
atmosphere of the apartment, he made
out Pau Dalton and a.stranger.
They occupied the room alone, and,
tilted back in chairs, sat conversingt
animatelly.
Prescott had become quite an expert
shadowcr of late, and he was soon Turk.
ing near the window.
Distinctly on his hearing sounded the,
conversation of Paul Dalton and the
black bearded iran who was his conf
panion.
SO YOU could not make it, PAUL." the
the latter was asking, in disappointed,
tone Of voice.
Not all of it; but what's the odds?"'
Il weeks the odds" returned tho
other; and a week sometimes changes
the destinics OF nations"
1t won't change mine," asserted Dal-
ton, confidently.
You don't know that"
"Oh, yes, / do. Here's the plain facts
of the case: Paul Dalton falls heir'Jo q
fortune. Paul Dalton appears and
claims it."
He is accepted as heir, rightfully and
urdisputcd. Very good"
But the side entanGlementsf"
The grip"
Yes.
she's sick. May die. Sick enough
anyway, to be out Of the way for q
week"
That's good"
BY that time fortune and Paul Dali
ton will have disappeared"
But her father"
Wont even look at me if he saw me,
and this simpleton of Prescott ! can
wind about my finger
Can you?" ground out the enraged
/ listener.
Well, everything looks oil right" re-
marked the bearded man.
of course it's all right spoke Dali
4 ton with convincing emphasis. ave
get the fortune, leave and enjoy 1t.
| And after we're gomez"
/ Let these people figure out the cost
} Of a.ri,A foo Of OF hat
/ leisure"
/ 1t will be a surprising awakening to
reality. smiled the other grimly. Paul.
about him"
You mean"
"s-st. No names. Him. What of
hinl?'
/ Hes safe and sound, isn't her"
| For the present
! For a week, surely?"
! "Ics: but afterwards"
| Unlock the door, say 60. Well be
/ safe and far away by the time he comes
/ here.
All right. All, thank you. A hun
dred3 l need it. No Instruction."
/ Yes, get back TO Black Rock, and
! stay there. Watch him close. If he
escaped"
Don't fear. he won't"
1T would mean ruin to our plans.
Il realize that as well as you. I guess
I'll GO"
Very good. I'll take a look at the
rich girl, just for poltcy's sake. Then
! I'll try and devise way to kill time
until the lawyers ready to pay me- my
/ fortune"
What does it mean?'
Over and over again the marvelling
/ Ralph Prescott asked himself the ques-
/ tor.
Here was a plot, beyond the perad-
venture Of doubt-here was mystery.
/ Who was the bearded man? A fellow
/ conspirator? In what? A plot. A plot
for WHAT The fortune. But why?
The acknowledged, proven and ac-
cepted heir 20 the legacy, why should
| Paul Dalton plot 10 secure that which
was already his?
Above all, who was the man so mys-
teriously and covertly alluded to?
L can't make 1t OUT. muttered the
dazed Prescott.
III find way" he asserted stub
bornly, a few minutes later. Black
Rock, At that place this aecomplice of
Paul Dalton makes his headquarters,
and a gruesome, desolate place it is
There he has him. I'll drive there to-
night, and take look around. No,
won't Dalton spoke Of gong TO see
Ruth. Out of sheer curiosity I'd like to
sec how he acts when he dess met her"
| Prescott left his place Q! espionage