The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-05-24
CHAPTER III.
WESTWARD, no!

forth by the police of San Francisco
in the search for Annie Ralston. All
the exginery of law and force that
wealth and influence could control was
brought into action. But it was of no
use. The willy Chinaman and the man
with the Scared face had done their
work without an error. They had left
no sign to betray them. The police
were mystifed.
Imet the father of the missing girl.
He was a splendid specimen of Ameri-
can. I Judged that when not suffer
ing from a great affection the ex-Sen-
ator was man whose talents and bear
ing would make him a marked man in
any sphere or any land. My heart
went out to him in his great grief, and
tie more I saw of him and realized
She awful burden under which he was
staggering the more I cursed myself
for brainless fool for not strangling
the Chinaman the night saw him and
had chance to do it.
Imet, also, Annie's brother. Ed
%ard Ralston was man of many
noble qualities. He was intellectual,
he was noble-minded; but his time
was spent in his library with his
books. When called upon to meet
the world and grapple with one OF its
tragedies he hounde-ed helplessly,
utterly lost in the whirlwind of crime
that he saw whirling around him. He
resembled somewhat the girl I had
seen, and whose picture the captain of
police had shown me. After few
days acquaintance with Edward Raj
ston, declared him to be a royal
good fellow. In this I was heartily
seconded by my legal friend.
I had even dragged Langston into
the case. His experience in conpli-
Gated criminal csses-always, OF
course, in a professional capacity
assisted me not little in solving some
of the riddles of this peculiar kidnap-
ing or abducting or whatever else his
legal lore nightmare it.
As for me, the more I thought over
it the more morbid I became. I had
come to believe that upon me lay the
responsibility for the second disap-
pearance and escape. This thought
being burned into my brain, it was
but another step to decide that it was
my duty to search until Annie Ralston
was found, no matter what the cost.
I was haunted day and night by
visions OF that pale, beautiful face
lying so helplessly on the pillow.
Often I would grow almost sick and
dizzy when thought of her and her
probable fate.
Langston, much to my surprise,
plunged heartily into the search. He
was better posted on police ways than
I was; and often when I rebelled at
seeming lack of interest, he would
assure me that it was all right and
then tell me of some secret line of
action that was being followed.
But it was all of no use. In the
language of the people who choose
their phrases for their expressiveness
aud not for beauty, we had been put
to sleep"
We began to get discouraged. In
fact, that became my chronic condi-
ton. T neglected my meals; neg
leoted my patients. My entire being
was absorbed by the thought that I
must find Annie Ralston.
One day, when the police had about
exhausted their efforts and were
going to declare the game lost, and
the poor fathers heart was full of
misery, the superintendent received
telegram from Victoria, Vancouver,
that again plunged Us all into fever.
At the same time it lifted our hopes
and overwhelmed us with despair.
This telegram was short; it might
mean nothing, it might mean every
thing. All it said was:
young woman answering description
Annie Ralston sailed In steamship ketoto
to-day, p. M, with two Chinese servants.
"BAYLIs, Chief"
Upon receiving this telegram the
superintendent called US together for
immediate consultation. No details of
Identification were given. The news
was very meager. Of one thing we
were certain: Annie Ralston did not
sail on the Ketoto of her own will. A
telegraphic correspondence between
the superintendent and Chief Baylis
followed. But little more could be
learned save the important fact that
the young woman had not engaged
passage in person, and her namc did
not appear on the books OF the COM
pany. Two staterooms had been en-
gnged; one for Chang Lung and the
other for Sid Kee and wife. 1t was
further stated that, when the pas
sengers appeared, Sid KEGS wife, a
beautiful American, was very i'll and
apparently unconscious. 1t was be-
iieved by the agent OF the company at
Vancouver that the two Cinnamon
occupied one stateroom and Sid Kee's
''wife" the other.
This information, as may well be
imagined, simply whetted my appetite
for the chase. But the police seemed
to lose their ardor. At any rate, the
superintendent proiessed to doubt the
identity of the woman on the Ketoto
IS Annie RalstJn.
cit is impossible" he said, "that
these Cinnamon could get an uncon-
scious girl out of San Francisco with
out the police knowing it,"
81 don't know about that" I re-
piled, bluntly. "They succeeded in
getting her out of house, with one
of your own men on guard. What are
you going to do about this?"
ct cannot see that there is anything
f..I. IL barool;o5 HOnr ,o1ioa