St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-22


said; he gave up the effort and went down
the spiral stairs.
After no had bathed and changed his
clothes, he went out to dinner. He found
DR.. Ellerton present and Dora presiding. In
addition there were at the board number
OF young people, friends from the neighbor-
ing estates, who had come over to inquire
about the invalid and had been prevailed on
to stay to dinner; for hearty informal hos
pitaiity was the rule at Buena Vista.
The colonel kissed, Dora, and there was
nothing in her manner to indicate that her
affection for him was clouded by suspicion,
or that she felt he was neither an ideal hus-
band nor father. 5sssyi s.
He had always beenostentatiously kind and
lavishty liberafwith his daughter. Dora had
become the one object that to him made life
worth living. Beautiful she certainly was,
but to his prejudiced sight, his daughter was
the loveliest being and most perfect woman
that Heaven had ever, sent on earth.
The very purity of her character; her en-
tire ignorance OF that life with which he was
so familiar, and her noble unselfishpess
were qualities that by reflection he often
deiuded himself into the belief that he in a
way possessed himself
During dinner the talk was principally
about the handsome young stranger. but.
perhaps, stranger" is not the proper word,
for every one for miles round felt strong
friendly interest in Ralph Holmes, and their
grief over his injury was intensified at the
consciousness of their own inability to help
him.
81 shall not disturb Mr.. Holmes tonight"
said the colonel to his daughter after dinner
"But give hin my kindest regards, dear
Dora, and say his uncle has arrived in San
Francisco and will be here some time to-
morrow"
Dora promised to comply with her fathers
request, and went with her friends to the
drawing room.
The colonel and Doctor E!lerton lit their
cigars and strolled out, keeping within the
circle of light pouring out of the many large
windows.
"Any news of Almedo?" was the colonel's
first question.
eyes; he is down at San Bernal. He keeps
close by, you see. Curse the fellow! I am
sorry you ever encouraged him." said Eler-
ton, angrily.
Encouraged him." repeated the colonel,
"Lord bless me, how could I help myself?
could not shake the fellow off, Speaking
in lower Tone as if thinking aloud, rather
than addressing the colonel, Ellerton said
"We have had men who were in our way in
the past. and if my memory is not at fault,
we had no difficulty in getting them out OF
the road
'tNo; but you, and too, have been trying
toget out If the old methods. If there was
an actual need for it, might do desperate
things yet, but it is better not, if it can be
avoided
81 agree with you as to that; but if you
imagine we are on e bed of roses, you are
mistaken. In my opinion, there has been no
time within twenty years when the danger is
so great as now"
''True, old fellow, but it is our last effort.
A few days more and all will be over; then
we can rest in perfect safety and become in
every way the models which we have so often
planned and dreamed of And the colonel
linked his arm into Elerton's, and IS they
walked out of the circle of light. into the sur
rounding darkness, their shadows lengthen-
ed, blended, and became one.
CHAPTER XVII.
FACE TO FACE AFTER LONG WAITING.
Some men are held by mystic rites and
secret oaths as they could rot possibly be if
lett to their own moral guidance.
The people whom Albers Howard had gath
cred about him weret men who had been
Wronged at some time through band of
swindlers whose audacious deeds might be
said to be brilliant, and who, despite all the
efforts of the law, remained undetected
Men will do more to redress wrong or to
crafty revenge than they will to further
benevolent purpose, and their conscience
will sanction deeds, ordered by a secret Or
ganization, from which they would shrink
with horror if left to plan and act for them
selves.
The commodore had learned of the "Black
Vigilantes" through his correspondence with
Albert Howard, so that he was not at all sur
prised when he found himself in this strange
gathering.
Standing at the other end of the room the
presiding officer, addressing the commodore
and his guide, said:
'Our secret labors for this night are over,
and the lodge of which you, Brother West,
are an honorary member, is now open for
the express purpose of welcoming you.
Those whom you see about you are bound by
an oath, which would be weak, indeed, to
hold us together, were we not united by the
strong purpose of a common wrong. You
have been hunting for a thief. defamer and
murderer for years; it rejoices me to tell you
that we have placed him, and that the end of
his career of infamy is within sight. More
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