Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-11-13

find him yet. Well find him yet, or
else I'm no prophet

find him yet. Well find him yet, or
else I'm no prophet!
I had my suspicious of Officer
Sykes. But it is not always q good
plan to air your opinions of certain
people in certain places, 80 | held my
peace. But to this day the escape Of
that Chinaman is the greatest mystery
of the whole affair. There was no use
looking any further. The house was
empty.
The sergeant gave sundry orders to
his men, under which they scattered
themselves through the neighborhood.
All patrolmep wero to be asked if they
had seen any one answering to the de.
scription of the girl or the Chinsman.
But bad no hope in all the plans he
projected. felt a sense of insecurity
in the help of some OF the police. l
knew that we were defeated.
accompanied the sergeant back to
headquarters. In our absence tho
superinter dent had arrived. He
heard the report of the sergeant in
amazement. He hastily wrote out
message, rang bell. and handed
what he had written to an officer who
responded.
"Send that dispatch to every port
on the coast" he said.
Then he told me the pitiful story Of
the girl
Her name was Annie .Ralston. Her
father was one Of the wealthiest and
most prominent men Of California.
His power and influence was felt in
politics, State aud national. The
social position OF the family was of
the very highest. The homestead
wns fine large place at Oakland.
Annie was the belle OF her circle OF
friends, which was very large. She
was talented and brilliant, She made
a lasting impression on any one who
saw her Her fathers house was the
constant scene OF social festivity.
Some one was always being enter.
tanned there. He had once been Sen.
ator, and his stately house at Wash
ington had been noted for its open
handed hospitality.
I'm all this Annie shone resplendent,
by Wit, beauty aud accomplishments,
Potentates of foreign nations had beeu
glad to sit at her foot and worship
her, Proposals of marriage had been
made to her by representatives
of European nations, and even
by titled noblemen of wealth. But to
ell these she turned deaf ear, She
was an American. She loved America
aud Americans. Her greatest love-
the love of her lifs--must 90 to an
American. All this, If course, was
from the story that her people had
told the SUPERINTENDENT. There was
not the least doubt as to its absolute
truth.
Suddenly she was missed from her
Oakland home. She left no word
no sign. There was no reason for her
going. No within Of hers had ever
been opposed. But she was gone
utterly and completely. Her father
and her brother had visited the police
IF Oakland and San Francisco, 1t
lad been discovered by the Oakland
police that a stranger-an individual
of unknown nationality-with
wicked pair of eyes aud livid scar on
The right side Of his face had been
seen i'll Oakland, had spent money
Freely. had been in the company of
several of the most worthless char
,cters of the place and had disap'
peared again. 1t was further learned
that a person answering somew hat to
The description of him, but wearing
beard, boarded a train for San Fran
cisco the night Annie Ralston was
missing, with woman who was close
y yelled and seemingly totally help
.ess and very i'll.
There the clew ended. No person
rad seen them leave the train at San
Francisco, nor at any other place.
The police of all cities had been mott
lied of this, and watch was being
Kept, Her mother, so the superinten'
dent said, was now Frustrated with
grief Her father was well-nigh dis
sracted. Her brother, a man of about
thirty, who was more Of a student
than a man of the world, followed
helplessly in his fathers wake, unable
to assist, by even a suggestion, the
uuraveling of the awful mystery.
1t was not to be wondered at, then,
that my recital of what l had seen and
my Identification Of the picture had
stirred the police force OF San Fran
cisco even to its highest officer. Dis
appointment was plainly visible on his
face, at our failure to capture the
Chinaman and his victim. His white,
set lips, left no doubt of his determin-
alton to do his utmost. There was no
doubt of his sincerity.
I left him with sad heart. | felt
in some way responsible for all this
failure. 1t was daylight. My driver,
disguised at my long delay, had de-
parted. I boarded a car and stood
moodily on the platform, stolidly
smoking and Illuminating over the
events of the night. Never before
had seemed so small in my own cs-
timation.
TO BE CONTINUED.