The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1893-03-04
CHATTER TX.
W HITHERc

GOne-vaniShcd disappeared! What
did 1t mean? What could it mean, but
| trcacherv, or providence! Securely shut
in he had left Flora Merwyn. The mas
5iye door had been dOubly locked. How
had she penetrated that barrier, or
rather whose hand had liberated her?
Certainly not that of the Sheriff or his
guards. They had not visited the room
since he had left the bank for the Court.
| Wharton? A fierce, passionate rage
burned in the plotter's bosom at the sug-
gestiOn Of that thought Had his hire
ing relented? Would he turn craven at
4 critical moment? What more natural
than that, under the stress of conscience
stricken misery, he had stolen back TO
the ank, rescued the imprisoned Flora
restored the stolen fortune, and washed
his hands Of the entire affair by speedy
| preCipitatG flight?
With cry of ungovernable anger, Ar
mold Dacre made a bound for the door
a if to overtake and punish his treach-
| arOus subordinate at once Then he
halted abruptly.
| bolt, idiot that I am he CALCULATED
| why it could not have been Wharton
He does not even know the combination
Of the lock-"
The decision was mOmentary relief,
but this emotion speedily gave way to a
new and far more intense dread. If not
| Wharton, who? Only the dead banker
and himself know the com animation, only
they had power to enter the vault.
| Nainly the scheme worried his brain
for some solution to the overw Ginning
mystery of the moment. Speculation,
theory, dread, doubt, anxiety ran riot in
his haunted mind. Then, with sick
pning conviction that somewhere along
the line of his weli-laid plans a broken
link had been ungarded, he left the room
| and the hank, and proceeding around
| the square, rung at the front door of the
| bankers dwelling.
| Flora had escaped. Flora had been
rescued Flora was free. WHAT would
that mean to him? Strongly entrcnchcd
| behind Carcfuly-crcCtcd fertilization,
prOppcd up with fraud, forgery, and
cunning, he did not so much dread Il
battle with a pennlleSs orphan. He
| could set down any public accusation
| she might make as the rawlings Of a
| distracted mind, as the natural en-
| dcaYor of daughter seeking to cast
| the blame due her father upon some
| one else. But a vague intimatiOn told
him that the hand which had liberated
her was a friendly hand, that hidden,
secret foe, whose identity he could not
even surmiSe, had appeared to disturb
his well-laid projects. An enemy in the
| dark-what latent power to unmask, lie.
tray, and punish, might not this first act
of antagoniSm predicate,
The old hOuSekcepcr answered his
summons. Her nervous, hySterical man
ner made her greeting almost incohercnt.
l. q i:
lapDcared
With stern harsbneSs the cashier sub.
dUed her agitation.
Speak he ordered. ''Where is Mss
Merwyn?"
"She left the house for the bank, hours
since. | have not seen her. She h as
not returned. | went through the GOV
cred passage way and called her, but the
door leading into the bank is locked"
The open window-the ladder, Dacre
decided that Flora had not returned or
been brought to the house. Where, then?
He went around INTO the little court II
had but one entrance - from the stable.
| Rarely used, the tiles were mOdy and
covered with dust, and a disturbed path
showed leading from the bottom Of the
ladder to the carriage house.
An, what is thiS?"
Dacre uttered the startled ejaculation
with a movement toward an object ~
ing on tae ground 1t was lace collar,
aud the pin that had held it in place bore
the Intelligent initial IF"
Flora came this way" he decided,
"Or was brought this way Yes" his
heart sinking, here are the marks oil
tour feet Why. the carriage ana the
two gray horses are gone"
The discovery threw new light upon
the subject. Tho Investigation of the
ensuing half-hour verified tho growing
dread in his mind, that the mysterious
disappearance of the banNer'S daughter
was due to a rescue, and that, whoever
her protector her subsequent safety and
retirement FROM the proximity Of cncmic.
had been well looked after.
Fer. coming out upon the street, DaCrf
had not questioned half-a-dozen people,
before he found one fully able to answer
his anxious leading qucStionS-had they
seen ANYTHING of Mr.. Merwyn's close
carriage?
81 did" confidently announced one Of
q group.
''WLcn-wherc?" demanded the eager
questioncr.
Making for the river road, just at the
edge Of the village, just before noon"
You are Sure9"
"Don'tI know the horses? Didn't
see MerwynS initial on the door? The
inside curtains were all drawn, but
got sight a the wind waited one aside
Plain as | sec YOU now | saw Flora Mer
wyn lying lack among the cushions
suppose she's making off with what hcl
thieying old father didn't steal from tho
bank"
Dacre passed the unjust insinuatior
by UNDECIDED. That phase of the case
would help his own side Of affairs
Prejudice for Flora would initiate
against any effort she made 20 accuse
her fathers cashier Of crime.
And the driyer?' he queried sharply.
oh him. He had on a great coat
and SloUch hat drawn down well Over
his eyes, and drove 50 fast l could not
make him out
Arnold Dacre turned from the spot
with darkcning browS Who was thJ
mysterious Coachmaa-thiS strange nm
known who possessed the secrets OF the
Tank, who knew inst how and wien t
act in the Interests OF the dead banker
daughter? Whittier had he removed thC
one living witness TO the crime Of the
cashier?
In an agony of suspense, DaCre hur
ric{ TO the nearest livery stable. He Or.
deSd its swiiicst horse, and once
mounted dashed down the road that led
To the city like one mad At eycrF roat
tavern and fam house ho haltat-o
! every passing Pedestrian lie made the in.
/ resSent nqHiry- had they saan 4 clos.
. carriage ana team IL gf4ys3 No. Va.
the iuvGTta D,ts I..EiE tH.e fran ~ ria
! town, The ftyipe vehicle ard its ocur