Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1893-12-21
CuAPrER x-Contlnuod.

why, | have been taking walk In
the interior, Mr. Lane, as J. told you
this forenoon l thought Of doing"
He sank YEARLY into the proffered
chair, as he uttered these words, and
Mr.. Lane dropped into another, open
ing his eyes wide with wondering as
constituent.
"Youve been i'll, | suppose-or ship
wreclSed-bu where?" asked Mr.. Lane,
with gaze expressive of his curious
interest.
mo; I've been waylaid by three run
away sailors from the Nor'wester, ut
the instigation of Hank Ripple" re-
turned Ralph, in turn scrutinizing Mr..
Lane, and wondering at his aemarks.
"They seem to have left me for dead,
taking my purse and papers.
And when was this done?"
This afternoon-within an hour, in
fact, after l left you!"
The gaze of Mr.. Lane became con-
centrated still more strongly upon his
visitor.
"See here, Mr.. Kemplin, he said, at
has been three months since you took
leave Of me upon the forenoon in ques-
tion!"
"Three months?" stammered Ralph.
1t was now his turn to stare, and the
wonder with which he took in the pur-
port of the agents words was akin to
CONSERVATION
""One of us must be dreaming" he
muttered. "I'll go off to the Yoko-
hama"
"The Yokohama, sir?" interrupted
the agent. "She has been to China
and back since saw youl She sailed,
as intended, the morning after you
vanished so strangely"
Ralph gasped for breath.
Impossible" he muttered
"And here's letter from your faith
er inquiring after you," pursued Mr..
Lane. "The date will tell you that
you've been taking Rip Van Wrinkle
sleep Of the strangest description.
The young Chicagoan looked shocked
and bewildered as he took in the pur-
pc t of the missive in question, and the
az ent resumed:
capt. Cross received a line purport-
ing to come from you, and saying that
you had suddenly decided to make a
voyage with Capt. Stepp to the Arctic
Ocean. This letter. can now see, was
for am aware that you have not been
in the Nor'wester, the survivors OF
the Inflated ship"
"Ill fated? Survivors gasped
Ralph, as everything seemed to reel
around him. HAS anything happened
to the Norwester?"
! She's a total loss, probably. Got
\ nipped in the ice beyond Behring's
Straits, after securing an immense
cargo of oil Mr.. Hadley started out
on a scout with part of the crew, and
was in turn followed by Mr.. Grabell
and several others, leaving Miss Stepp
and her aunt with the Captain and a
few frost-bitten sailors. Hadley and
Grabell, with the most of those who
left the ship with them, have arrived
in town this morning, after the great.
est perils and fatigues. AS to the ship
Hadley fears that she has been crushed
and that the women are lost, with the
Captain and those with him"
Ralph raised his head imploringly.
please go over all the facts again, he
said. Ell don't understand"
Mr.. Lane complied, giving details
When the narration was ended, Ralph
passed his hand nervously across his
eyes.
II must have been ill-fearfully ill
in some farm house-Or elsewhere" he
faltered. II know nothing whatever
of this lapse of time-nor where have
been-nor whom | seen-nor what
have been doing!"
you don't?" cried Mr.. Lane, start
ing up, abruptly. II think I see, il
~ 90 nd VO,t o.
be the singular stranger who has beer
stopping at I'D Bullet'sw
Bullet? Bullet? That's the mar
about whom some inquiry was made o.
me by native as | came into town,
said Ralph.
Indeed? Then there's no doub
about it. You are the mysterious
idiot, to borrow current phrase, who
has been stopping at Bullets. AS tt
the native in question:"
Here shadow darkened the door o.
Mr.. Lanes office, and the man under
discussion entered-Kulul
-Good-day, Mr.. Lane, he said, pro
ducing a package of papers. II have
y followed Mr.. Kemplin into town, anC
he indicated Ralph by nod, "to re
pair so far as in me lies, the imposi
tion and wrong of which he has been {
victim. About three months ago he
was waylaid by three sailors near Kalik
Bay, and received such injuries on thu
head that he lost all knowledge of hi
past, where he came from, his identity
and everything else.
Il see" cried Mr. Lane. "The ligh
is coming at last.
Finding such appreciative hearing
Kulu went on to relate the whole con
spiracy, detailing how he had fount
the mysterious idiot" and taken hin
to Bullet; how Bullet had learned hi
identity from his papers, and conceived
the project of marrying his daughte
to him; and how this project had dull.
eliminated, through Keeri's jealou
rage and violence, in the disasters o
the morning.
But all is coming out right, /
seems" was the Kanaka's conclusion
Mr.. Kemplin is himself again, thank
to his latest beating. Keeri and hi
hired ruffians have been pursued, AM
the girl has been rec vered. Old Bull
let has been set upon his pins by pin
of brandy, more or less. And as to m
humble self, I have taken advantag
of the general commotion to enter Bul
let's house and recover these paper:
which a friend has read to me, and "
ridden into town at gallop to max
4ha ,ybO1a 1nofta1, rDloin the maj