The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-24
(Part II continued

The two young men met in the hall of
Sir Joseph's house. They had both rush
ed with equal haste on receiving Clarissa's
summons. 1t WAS after nine O'Clock in
the evening. Edgar was in a somber grey
suit.
he is COMPOUNDED handsome fellow. -
Lawrence said to himself, angrily, Then
La Wrence noticed that Edgar had on a
White tle-a very gorgeous evening dress
tle-contrastlng oddly with his sober grey
SUIT: he had evidently been hastily
getting rid of his dress-suit, and had for
gotten to change the tie. why is he
ashamed OF dining out?" suspicious and
pfeludlced Lawrence asked himself.
was working at home over the ao-
counts of the firm Mescall said.
Yes, Lawrence answered, thinking
of the dress tide.
When l got this sudden summons-of
course you have the same?"
suppose so-yes-at least | have got
an alarming letter from Miss Canaway. !"
Quite SO. l am afraid something
alarming has happened to Sir Joseph.
Good heayeni- illness-not-not
death!''
II, after that excitement, he should
have died suddenly" Lawrence Thought,
with what horrible association would
my name come forever after to the mind
OF Clarissa.''
''No; not so bad as that. 1t will never
come to that, L hope. We shall take
means to prevent all such evil-you and
MIR. Tryon."
"Yes-if we can" Lawrence began.
''We must try. He was always too in
day, and he was angry with me. He
would make light of the danger
wouldn't believe there could be any dan
GER
"But, great heavens, what danger?"
'This terrible bandit conspiracy in our
very midst-this gang of scoundrels who
capture rich men-these Red Rovers -
"Oh-that; Sir Joseph captured? Mr.
Mascall, it can't be!''
''Why, don't you know Didn't she
tell your" Mascall's face underwent a
sudden and painful change as he put
the question in startled voice.
Didn't who tell me?'
"Miss Carnaway. of course
'tNo-not a word? Did she tell 'you?''
Mascall hesitated.
81 don't quite remember if she told
me, but must have guessed somehow.
1t was on my mind--it was borne in
upon melt was preying on my mind all
the day"
"Stiil,'' Lawrence said, eff she did not
tell you-and she certainly did not tell
me-you may have only dreamed 1t or
fancied 1t.
81 don't have day dreams. am not
writer of romance" Mascall replied,
coldly.''
"Well, you seem to have got at this by
some process of intuition. Perhaps you
have been. led astray, Mr.. Mascall. Let
us hope you have"
Lawrence Tryon's mind was perturbed.
A very flood Of vague distrust streamed
in upon him. He had always regarded
| the brigand stories with utter contempt.
He had even thought of trying to make
| a sensation story out of them, but he had
given UP the idea as hopeless. 1t would
be impossible, he felt sure, to induce the
British public to belisve in stuff like that
| "a Calabrian or Sicilian gang of bandits
carrying off men and holding them to
| ransom, in great English manufacture
ing town! One might perhaps make some
| thing comic out of it-something bur-
| lesque-some fun about great scare ex-
| planned by practical joke. But then
| how came it that n cool, clever, cynical
man Of the world like Mascau could be-
| lieve in it? And if Miss Carnaway had
not told him anything how did he know
| that Sir Joseph was captured? Law
rence's pulses throbbed. He was deter
mined however to keep cool and watch.
He would study artistically this sensation
story.
"Miss Carnaway will see you, gentle.
Ul6n- Un6 DuUl6r Sdlu anu Illey followed
| him into little writing room where
Clarissa sat alone. She was very pale
Her eyes sent CLEAN of trust and loving
appeal to Lawrence. She told her story
| in few words, and she showed them the
| letter.
written on typewriter" Lawrence
said.
"To avoid detection by handwriting
no doubt" Masoall explained.
"Do many people use type-writers
here?''
"Oh, yes-everyb almost"
zone thing is clear" said Lawrence
gravely, "this isn't a business for the
police
"Oh, why not?i CIarissa asked
| eagerly.
'5Well, the thing is either a sham or a
reality; either monstrous practical
joke of an atrooious kind, or a genuine
new development of the deviltry of civil
ization. In the first case we shouldn' It
need the police-until afterwards, any