St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-27


'BUENA VISTA Is ON FIRE."
her seat, and reached out her hand to assist
Dora.
Some feeling of affection, or it may be of
duty, still moved the girl. Hers had been
far from a happy life, though she was the
envied of all her associates. She had always
had an influence over her father, and while
she understood his character and hated it,
yet she appreciated to the full every effort to
show his love for her, and now, desperate
and fierce though he was she would aid him
in his extremity if she had the power.
"Let me go to him!'' she said, "and tell
him of our purpose, and say to him, good
by"
Dora moved as if about to carry out her
purpose, but with cry of alarm, her mother
laid her hand upon her arm, and exclaimed:
"No, no /! my child. You do not know him
If you go to him he will detain you, and he
will keep you by his side till the end comes,
and the end, fear, will be death to him, as it
would to you, if you were with him.
Assisted by Mile. Bertrand, they hastily
placed in some satchels a few of their more
precious belongings; then extinguishing the
lights, they stole like thieves from the great
mansion of Buena Vista.
Two hours after this, Colonel Morton who
had still been lying on the lounge in his
private office, with his eyes closed, as if
asleep, suddenly sprang to his feet, lit little
hand lamp, and made his way to his wife's
sitting-roo He did not expect to find her
here and so raped vigorously on her bed
room door. No response coming, he called
to her, and getting no reply, he opened the
door with vigorous jerk and walked in. To
his amazement, he saw that the bed was not
occupied-had not been occupied that night
A realization of the true situation burst
upon him, and he cried out:
"My God! have they deserted me?" -
With the glare of @ mailman in his eyes, he
hurried to his daughters room, raped on it
in the same way, and with the same result,
entered, and found that Dora's bed had not
been occupied. He at once sounded an
alarm, and in few minutes the frightened
servants came pouring up.
The fine self-possession that had so long
distinguished him, now seemed to be gone,
and with the frenzy of drunken man he
shouted at the frightened throng:
"Where is your mistress? Where is nv
daughter?"
The servants could make no response, but
looked from their masters glaring eyes into
each others frightened faces.
$50! go! damn you! and search!' he
shouted.
Glad Of the excuse of being away from
his presence, the servants started off; but it
was not to search for their mistress nor her
her daughter. ..., - .a..,.
a., CHAPTER Xxx
THE DRAMA Is ENDED, RING DOWN THE
CURTAIN.
After having made his discovery as to the
Identity OF Colonel Morton, Commodore
West would have returned at once with his
nephew to San Francisco, had it not been for
the promise he gave TO Mrs. Morton and her
daughter to remain near by until the curtain
rang down on the last act of this stirring
drama, an event which he felt was not far
distant.
The commodore and Ralph Holmes sat up
at the Gomez House discussing the situation
until after midnight, when they retired to
their respective rooms for rest rather than
morning, and Ralph was dropping into
doze, when he heard voices in the sitting
room between his uncle's and his own Sleep
ing apartments. He recognized his uncle's
voice, and the agitated tones of the Mexican
servant, who was saying in broken English:
"The ladies is here, senior; Mrs. Morton,
her daughter and the French woman. They
are in the parlor downstairs. They would
see you at once. They have much trouble.
What shall I say to them?"
"Say to them !" repeated the commodore
"Why, wait until make myself present.
able, and then fetch the ladies up here.'
Ralph could hear the servant going down
the stairs, and then his uncle called out to
him:
"Ahoy, in there! Get up, Ralph Mrs. Nor
| ton and Dora are here! I fear there is
trouble. Throw on your things. They will
| be up in few moments
'tAye, aye, sir!' replied Ralph, in the nau-
| teal accents which he had learned from long
association with the old sailor.
The young man sprang out of bed and
| dressed hurriedly. Just as his uncle
emerged from his own room in flaming red
wrapper, Ralph heard the rustic of dresses
| outside, and the next instant Mrs Morton and
her daughter, followed by Mile. Bertrand
entered the sitting room.
| Ralph sprang forward, and seeing that
Dora was very pale and excited, and as if she
were about to fall, he took her hand, raised it
CALAMITY to his lips, then led her to chair,
while his uncle was performing the same SER
vice for Mrs. Morton. i+
II will not say am glad to see you," said
the commodore, addressing the mother and
daughter, "for your presence at this time
and place seems to augur trouble to your
selves and that means sorrow to me. When
parted with you at Buena Vista, I told you
should remain hero for the present and
hold myself ready to, obey your commands
that promise I repeat +now.= What can I do
for your" 5
1--WE fed" said Mrs Morton, with forced
calmness, because felt that the lives of my
daughter and my maid would be in danger if
we remained in Buena Vista tonight. Col
onel Morton has summoned band of his adj
herents from San Francisco. and fear that
before morning these will be brought into
conflict with the officers Of the law and the
followers of a man named Albert Howard