Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-09-03

thieves or track down road agents than
this kind Of fancy, underhand work. SO
you'll excuse me. miss, II amt got
the STYLE"
He paused, rubbed his chin thought.
fully and then said slowly and with
great deliberation: "Ef there's any lit.
tie thing here, miss-any keepsakes or
such trifes as you keer for in partick.
ler, things you wouldn't like strangers
to have-you just make little pile Of
'em and drop 'em down somewhere
outside the back door. There amt no
inventory taken or sealin up Of any
thing done just yet, though have to
see there amt anything disturbed. But
l kalkiiate to walk out on that veranda
for a spell and look at the landscape"
He paused again and said with q sigh
Of satisfaction: ITS mighty pooty
view out thar. 1t Just takes me every
time"
As he turned and walked out through
the French window Cissy did not for
moment comprehend him; then, strange
ly enough, his act Of rude courtesy for
the first time awakened her to the full
sense Of the situation. This house
her fathers hOuse-was no longer hers!
II her father should never return, she
wanted nothing from it-nOthing! She
gripped her beating heart with the lit
tie hand she had clinched so yaliantly
q moment ago. Suddenly her hand
dropped. Some one had glided noise
lessly into the back room, figure In
blue blouse-a Chinaman, their house
servant. All Fe. He cast furtive
glance at the stranger on the veranda
and then beckOned to her stealthily.
She came toward him wonderingly,
when he suddenly whipped note from
his sleeve and with dexterous move
ment slipped 1t into her fingers. She
tore It open. A single glance showed
her small key inclosed In a line OF
her fathers handwriting. Drawing
quickly back into the corner, she read
as follows: "If this reaches you IN
time, take from the second drawer OF
my desk an envelope marked Private
Contracts and give 1t to the bearer"
There was neither signature nor ad-
dress.
Putting her finger to her lip, she cast
n quick glance ut the absorbed figure
on the veranda and stepped before the
desk. She fitted the key to the drawer
and opened it rapidly, but noiselessly.
There lay the envelope and, among 9th.
er ticketed papers, small roll OF green
backs, such as her father often kept
there. 1t was his money. She did not
scruple to take it with the envelope.
Handing the latter to the Chinaman,
who made it instantly disappear up his
sleeve like conjurer's act, she signed
him to follow her into the hall.
"Who gave you that note, All Fe"
she whispered breathlessly.
"Chinaman."
"Who gave it to himp
"Chinaman."
"And to himW
"Nollee Chinaman."
Another Chinaman"
"Yes, heap Chinaman. Alice same as
gang"
"You mean 1t passed from one China
mans hand TO anotherT
"Allee same"
"Why didn't the first Chinaman who
got 1t bring it here"
"S'pose Melikan man want to catchee
lettel. He spotty Chinaman. He follee
Chinaman. Chinaman passee lettel next
Chinaman He no get. Melikan man
no hab got. SabeT
"Then this package will go back the
same way"
"Allee same"
"And who will you give 1t to nowT
"Allee same man blingee me lettel.
Hop Ii, who makee washee."
An idea here struck Cissy which
made her heart Jump and her cheeks
flame. All Fe gazed at her with an In
fantile smile Of admiration.
"How far did that letter comeT she
asked with eager, questioning eyes.
"Lettee me see him." said Ah Fe.
Cissy handed him the missiye. He
examined closely some half dozen
Chinese characters that were scrawled
along the length Of the outer fold and
which she had innocently supposed
were q part Of the markings OF the rice
paper on which the note was written.
"Heap Chinaman velly much walkee
-longee way! S'pose you look" He
pointed through the open front door to
the prospect beyond. 1t was famil'
iar one to Cissy-the long canada. tho
crest on crest of serried pines and be-
yond the dim snow line. All Fes
brown finger seemed to linger there.
"In the snow," she whispered. her
cheek whitening like that dim line, but
her eyes sparkling like the sunshine
over 1t.
"Allee same, John." said Ah Fe plain
lively.
"Ah Fe," whispered CIssy, "take me
with you to Hop L."
mo good" said Ah Fe stolidly. HOP
Ii, he givee this"-he indicated the enc
yelope in his sleeve-'to next China
man. He no go. S'pose you 60 with
me, Hop Ii. You no makee nothing.
Alice same heap foolee"
II know, but you just take me there
DoP
The young girl was Irresistible. All
Fe's face relaxed. "All uteeP he said,
with a resigned smile.
"You wait here q moment" said Cis-
sy, Frightening. She few up the stair
case. In O few minutes she was BACK
again. She had exchanged her smart
rose spriggsd chintz for pathetic lit
tie blue check frock Of her school days.
The fateful hat had given way to .
brown straw "flat," bent like q frame
around her charming face. AL the
eirlishness, and, indeed, q certain hon.
est boyishness Of her nature, seemed
10 have come out In her glowing, free
kled cheek, brilliant, audacious eyes
and the quick stride which brought
her to All Fe's side.
"Now, let's 60" she said. "out the
back way and down the side streets"
She paused, cast q glance through the
drawing room at the contemplatve
figure of the sheriff's deputy on the
veranda and then passed out Of the
house forever.
(To BE ousT1UED.l