The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-02-25
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GIRL ,
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BY MAJOR
ARTHUR GR1FFITHs. I
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coPYnIGHT, 1900. BYR. r. FENSo / co. u
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COPYRIGHT. 1900. BYR. r. FENyo 4 co.

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"Of course you are from Captain
Wood? This is his dog. What have
you to tell me2 Quick! Explain. Where
is he himseif?"
II wish, madam, I could tell you that
for certain, but cannot. The fact is
the captain Isl
Here! Step In here" She opened
the door Of room, showed me chair
then took her stand on the hearthrug.
with her arms behind her back, and
said:
LET me have the whole story or as
much as you know Of It, Make haste,
please"
She still stood erect and fearless,
showing great mastery over herself, as
l told briefly and quickly all knew.
Except that the color came and went,
that her cheek was now crimson, now
blanched creamy white, that her eyes
gllttered with the tears she still reso-
lutely kept back, this brave child suf-
fered no sign Of emotion to escape her
at the peril of her lover.
"N'ell, what have you done?" she
asked imperiously. What do the po-
lice sayW ...
began to explain.
"Tut, tut! Let us have no excuses, no
beating about the bush. You have
known this--let me see-more than II
hours, and vet my-my friend, Captain
Wood, is still there where you say they
took him"
where believe they took him."
"This won't do at all, Mr. l don't
know who you are or what you call
yourself-Snuyzer, an American de-
tective? All, well, Mr.. Snuyzer, l shall
now take this matter In hand. We've
got to find Captain Woodat least I
have whether you come into the bust
ness or not"
81 shall be sorry to be left out, miss,
but there are others besides us have
taken it up now. I've seen British
general, Collingham by name"
Eyes, yes; know. Willie's-I mean
Captain Woods chief at the sfntelli-
gence. was just going to send to him.
He is a man of great influence and i'm
portance, man of the world, who
knows his way about. He has been
told, then? What is he doingT'
working the police. He will take
mob of them down to where traced
the captain. l am going on to meet
them there"
"Then I'll go too. Wait here, please,
while l put on my hat" and she rang
the bell. "When the man comes, tell
him to bring my bike around. No; I'd
better take you with me. Order my
pony cart. Say 1t must be at the door
in ten minutes from now"
In less than ten minutes she came
down stairs dressed for driving and
buttoning on her gloves.
"Come, sir" she said brisker and
sharper than ever. II cannot easily
forgive your previous dilatoriness, but
we must try to make up for lost time.
Here is the pony cart, and we will take
the dog"
When we reached the Strathallan
road, to my deep chagrin the boy Jo-
seph was not there, nor was he to be
seen anywhere near or far. Now,
could have stakcd my life on little Jo-
seph Walls. He was a London lad
who had seen much in his short life on
shore and af1oat, for although l had
picked him off a crossing on account OF
his quick tongue and bright ways he
| had been to sea on Thames lighters
right. round the coast. Now l was
training him to our business. He took
to it naturally, knew what was ex-
pected of him and was not the sort to
be fooled into quitting his post or going
off on fandangocs on his own account.
Miss Fairholmc turned on me like a
tiger when we drove past the house
and back still without sign of Joe.
Get out of this cart and go and ring
the bell" she said ficrccly. "rhe soon
er we get inside that house the better.
Make haste, please"
hammered at that door and hung on
to that bell till woke all the echoes of
that dead-alve suburb. No one came.
There was not a sign Of life within.
Presently the police came up, and the
general, who had been cruising about
OH his bicycle Joined miss outside.
They all stopped there, talking to her a
bit, and Judge they were hesitating
to act, arguing 1t out with the general,
who was very fierce and positive, or
dering them about short and sharp but
doing little good till missy took up the
running. But she soon sent them fly
ing in after me and came with them.
One of the constables ran around to
the back, where he found a strip Of
garden with low wall. He was over
that like flash and in through the
scullery window. Half a minute more
and we heard him unchalning the front
door. Then we all trooped into the en-
try and ran through the house, some
high, some low, but none Of us finding
anything. There was not scrap Of
furniture nor the signs of any occu-
pancy that we could see.
But miss, she also hunted, halloing
on the collie dog with go look, Roy"
worry, worry, worry, which drove the
beast nearly mad. He hunted and
| quested through the house with a
short, swapping bark, as If he was
rounding up sheepfOld, and 1t was
he, marvellous animal, who led us into
the basement, into sort Of cellar be-
| twoop tho fropf M rlnr md tho Kitchen