Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-07-10
By Fred m. White
CHAPTER XXI.
A Find.

prtSed. lndeed, ne was long since past
that emotion. Before the bottom of the
mystery was reached a great many
more strange things were sure to hap
pen.
$50 you bought that cigar case your
self?" III said.
Indeed. I did" Ruth answered, ca
gerly. 'tof course, / have long known
you by name, and I nave read pretty
well all your tales. III liked your work
o o much"
David was fiattered. The shy. sweet
admiration of Ruth's eyes touched him.
"And / was very glad to meet you"
Ruth went o 4. You see, we all liked
your stories. And we knew one or two
people who had met you, and, gradual
Iy, you became quite like a friend or
ours-Enid and Chris and myself, you
understand. Then, a week or two ago,
] came down to Brighton with my uncle
to settle all about taking the u
here. And I happened to be in Lock
hart's. buying something, when you en-
tered and asked to see the cigar case. l
recognized you from your photograph,
and I was interested. OF course, 4
thought no more of 1t at the time, until
Enid came up to London and told me
ali about the synopsis and how strange
ly the heroine's case in your proposed
story was like hers. Enid
how you We're going to get the girl out
of her difficulty. and / jokfngly sug-
xested that she had better ask you.S She
accepted the idea quite seriously, say
ing that IL you had a real. plausible way
cut of the trouble you might help her.
And gradually our scheme vas evolved.
You were not to know, because of the
possible danger to yourself"
"At the hands OF Reginald Henson, OF
course?"
yes. Our scheme took a long time.
but we got IL worked at last. We de-
cided on the telephone. because we
thought that we could not be traced
shat way. never imagining for a mo-
n-ent that you could get the number OF
your caller over the trunk line. ENID
came UP to town and worked the teie-
phone. Chris was in No. 2lS, and l
brought the money"
You placed that cigar case on my
doorstep"
YES: I was wound up for anything.
ri was I whom you saw riding the bicy-
Gle through Old Steine; IL was ! who
dropped the card of instructions. IL
Seems a shameful thing to say and do
now, but I--well, I enjoyed II at the
time. And I did 1t for the sake of my
friends. DO I look like that sort or a
girl. Mr.. Steel?"
David glanced into the beautifully
shy eyes. with just the suggestion OF
laughter in them. !.
You look all that Is loyal. and good
and truel" he exclaimed. And don't
think / ever admired you quite as much
as I do attthis moment"
Ruth laughed and looked down. There
was something in David's glance that
thrilled her and gave her a sense or
happiness she would have found 1t hard
30 describe.
81 am SO glad you do not despise me-
she whispered.
.sDespise you," David cried. why?
III you only knew how /. well, how I
loved you! Don't be angry. / mean
every word that I say; my feelings for
you are as pure as you own heart. II
you could care for me as you do for
those others / should have a friend. In
deed
you have made me care for you very
much. indeed. Mr.. Steel" Ruth whis-
pered.
"caii me David. How nice
my plain name sounds from our lips.
Ruth and David. But I must hold my
self In hand for the present. Still, I am
glad you like me-"
well, you have been SO good and
kind. We have done you a great deal
of injury, and you never blamed us. And
you are Just the man I ave always
pictured as the man I could love. :.
David"
"weil, ii was only little kiss, and
TIM sure nobody saw US. dear. And.
later on. when you are my wife,
"Don't you think we had better keep
TO business for the PRESENT." Ruth said,
demurely.
Perhaps. There is one point you
must clear up before we go any fur
'ther. How did you manage TO furnish
those two big dining rooms exactly
alike7"
why. the furniture is there. At the
top of the house. in a large attic, all the
furniture is stored"
Dul " dbSht Soao "S
removed"
she was wrong. You can't expect the
agent TO recollect everything about q
house. The place belonged to a lady,
whom we may call Mrs. Margaret Hen
son. at one time. When the home
scheme fell through she sold one house
as II was. In the other she stored the
furniture. Enid knew all this. of course.
We managed to get a latchkey to fit No.
21S, and Enid and a man did the rest.
Her idea was TO keep you in the dark
as much as possible. After the inter
view the furniture was put back again,
and there you are"
Diplomatic and clever, and decidedly
original. not to say feminine. In the
light OF recently-acquired knowledge
can quite see why your friends desired
( preserve their secret. But they need
not have taken all those precautions.
Had they written"
They dared not. They were fearful
as to what would become OF the reply"
but they might have come to me
openly"
"Again they dared not. for our sake,
You know a great deal. David; but
there Is darkness, and trouble and wick
edness yet that { dare o speak of.
And yon are In danger. Already Reg
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