The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-25

"a momentary annoyance; but it strangely
revived all his previous suspicious and
sagacity displayed by the iorator in his
search purely intUitiVe? Could any one
have disclosed to him the secret of the pas
sengers' boards? Was it possible for hel
while sitting alone in the coach 10 have
communicated with the band? Suddenly
the remembrance flashed across him OF
her opening the window for fresh air,
She could have easily then dropped some
signal. If this were so, and she really
was The culprit, it was quite natural fol-
her own safety that she should encour-
age the passengers in their absurd sus-
0icion of himself His dying interest
revived: a few moments ago he had half
resolved to abandon his quest and turn
back at Three Pines. Now he determined
to follow her to the end. But he did
not indulge in any further sophistry re-
Sarding his duty, yet, in a new sense OF
honor he did not dream of retaliatinG
upon her by communicating his sus-
picions to his fellow passengers. When
the coach started again he took his seat
on the top and remained there until they
reached Jamestown in the early even
ing. Here a number Of his despolled
companions were obliged to wait TO COM
mGnicate with their friends. Happily the
exemption that had made them indignant
enabled him to continue his journey with
a full purse. But ne was content with a
modest surveillance of the lady from the
top of the coach.
On arriving at Stockton this surveil-
lance became less easy. 1t was the ter
minus of the stage route and the diver
gence OF others by boat and rail. IT he
We're lucky enough to discover when one
the lady took, his presence now would
be more marked and might excite her
suspicion. But here a circumstance,
which he also believed to be proYldenual
determined him. AS the luggage was
being removed from the top of the coach
he overheard the agent tell the express
man to check the 'lady''s'' trunk to san
Luis. Key was seized with an IDEA winch
seemed TO solve the difficulty, although
il involved a risk of losing the clue en-
tirely There were two routes to san
Luis, one was by stage and dlrecl'
though slower; the other by Steamooat
and rail via San Francisco. II he TOOK
the boat there was less danger of her
discovering him. even if she chose the
same conveyance; if she took the direct
stage-and he trusted TO woman ;
avoidance of the hurry Of change ana
transhipment for that cholce-he would
still arrive at San Luis, via san fran
CISCO an hour before her. He resolved TO
take the boat: a careful scrutiny from a
stateroom window of the arriving pas
sengers on the gangplank, sausnea MIN
that she had preferred the stage. Inere
was still the chance that IN losing SlsnI
of her she might escape NM put lLie , nlsfN
seemed small. And a trifilng clrcum-
stance had almost unconsciously ln1lu-
enced him, after his romantic ana super
stitious fashion, as to this final step.
q
heard that San Luis was the lady prop
able destination. It did not seem 10 bear
any relation to the mountain A'lGeIHeSs
and the wild life she had Just Quilted,
ii was aDparently the most anupafhlc,
incongruous, and inconsistent refuge she
co1lld have taken. 1t offered no oppor-
tlritv for the disposal of booty or for
communication with the gang. 1T was
less secure than a crowded town. An
old SPANISH mission and monastery col,
lege In a sleepy pastoral paint had
even retained its Old World naVor anna
American improvements and social reVo-
luton He knew it well. From the
ouainf college cloisters where the only
TenOsefnl wears Of his adventurous
youth had been spent TO the long Ale-
media or double avenues oil ancient trees
which connected it with the convent OF
santa Tulsa, and some of his youthful
's6evotions" it had been the nursery
of his romance He was amused at
what seemed to be the irony OF fate III
no,v linking it with this folly OF ms ma
tllj-er manhood, and yet he was uneaslIy
conscious of being more seriously affected
nv If And it was with q great Anxiety
than this adventure had ever YET c Gs
INN. that he at last arrived at the san
lose hotel, ana from a balcony corner
awaited the coming of the coach. a nls
heart beat rapidly as 1t APPROACH SHe
VIC therei But at her side, as she ues-
oa,,5ad from the coach, was the mySteri-
Ors hOrseman of the sierra rodu. MY
could not mistake the Wei pullL ny ~ <
vshateVer doubt there had been apout elS
fsa t111es which had been so carelullg COli-
cealed With the aStonishment OIL inns
1,s-discovery there flashed across nun
aeain the fatefulness of the inspiration
which had decided him not 70 20 III e,ie
coacb His presence there would nave
no doubt warned the stranger, ana 50
estopped his convincing denouement: II
was quite possible that her compa mon, py
reIaNrs of horses ana the advantage OF
triGie cut-offs, could have easily followed
me Three Pine coach and joined her at
StoclIton But for what purpose. Inc
ladv's trunk which had not Deen MS
3J5rhed during the fore part or the Jour-
oe1 and had been forwarded at stockton
untouched before Key 5 eyes, c Oulu 80 ~
have contained booty to be dlspoSeu Oh III
this forgotten old town; .;r,,r,1,,
the name OF Mrs. Chivers. OIL S1ochl9h,
lut no record c. her compahloil WIZ
seemed to have disappeared as mystsrl-
oasIy as he came. That she occupied a
Stirling room on the same floor as ms
nwn-in which she was apparently seclu9-
ed during the rest OF the day---WaS All
he knew. Nobody else seemed 70 A t,sot
her. Key felt an odd hesitation, that
might have been the result OF some vague
fear of duplicating her premaiurely, IN
making any marked inquiry or nupeL1llHS
his secret by the br1pea espioIlase; or 1ea,.
ants. once when he was passing her
door he. heard the sounds OF laughter
albeit innocent and heart lree-Ml r-.ti
.eerned so inconsistent with the EraVlty
that he was strangely shocked. But he
yras still more disturbed by later occur
renee. In his watchfulness OF the move
1rents of his ueighhor he had been equal
~ careful of his own, and had not only
rISsfrained from registering his name, but
nod anicined secrecy upon the landloru,
,,hon1 he knew. Yet the next morning
q fer his arrival, the porter not answer
no his bell promptly enough, he so Tar
so;5seof himself as TO walk to the stair
&c which was near Che lady's room,
md call to the employee over the balus-
@rs5e AS he was still leaning over the
,aiIinar the faint creak OF q. door and a
efngiIlar magnetic consciousness OF being
ovesI,Iooked caused him to turn slowly.
b1,t only in time 10 hear the rustic of a
.rifhsl,,avyine skirt as the door was quick
~ closed. In ar instant he felt the full
force of his foolish heedlessness, but. it
1Tas too late. Had the mysterious fugitive
coaaized him2 Perhaps not; their eyes
had not met and his face had been turned
away.
which his knowledge of the old town
made easy. He watched the door of the
hotel. himself unseen, from the windows
Of a Billiard saloon opposite, which he
had frequented IN former days. Yet he
was surprised the same afternoon to see
her from his coign of vantage, re-enter-
u.