Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-11-06

"Clom me-" said my guide, imperi-
'ously.
I turned to follow him. He led the
way up gloomy fight Of stairs and
through the hall toward the front OF
the second story.
Here is" he said
He stopped before door that evil
IDENTIFY led into the front chamber. lie
took bunch of keys from his pocket
and quickly unlocked the door.
"Olom!' he said.
/ stepped inside, aud he looked care
fully around the hall as if to see that
no one else was there. Then he locked
us in The gas was burning low. He
stepped to the side OF the room and
turned the light full on. A huge bed
stead stood in the center of the room.
I stepped TO it and looked down. Lv-
ing there, still as death, pale, with
scarcely breath stirring the snowy
bosom, was the most beautiful girl l
thought had ever seen. Fair as the
the fairest lily, with a skin as pure
and white as wax, the beauty OF her
face came over me like a sudden vision.
Her lips were full and well-shaped.
Her throat was dazzling in its white
ness. Hor hair, long, glossy and soft,
WAS tangled and snarled. Her pres
ence in this hive of Cinnamon startled
me. The secrecy maintained by tho
fellow vino was her keeper told me-
that | was in the presence of one of
those great and horrible mysteries
shat have made the blot on the fair
land of California.
Something of my thought must have
appeared in my face The Cinnamon
stood over the bedside, wringinG his
hands and crying aloud in his own
tongue. He glanced up at my scowl-
ing face, and said:
she my wife. She Chiuaman's
wife. Sayee, doctor. Sayee her
Much big fee if not die.
He:spoke earnestly and anxiousiy. |
did not doubt his sincerity in wishing
her saved, but | thought he was II liar
when he said she was his wife.
She was evidently high-born. The
scantv clothing that she had on was
rjch and of American manufactures
There were no Jewels. If she had
ever possessed any they had been
taken from her.
mentally noted all the surround
ings while | made hasty examina-
ton Of the girl. After careful work,
| came to the conclusion that she
had been dragged. | could not tell
what the nature Of the drug used
was, bnt it was something that
had the power almost to sIs-
pend lite. The Chinaman had used
too much, and was now fright
encd at the probable result. l did
not disclose nay discovery to the
Chinaman. | was now fully con
vincel that he was scoundrel. |
could accomplish nothing by inform
ing him then what / knew to be the
matter. | opened my medlcinecase,
and chose from it n most powerful
restorative "A drug that acted directly
upon the heart | lifted the lovely
head on my arm, and dropped the
potion down my patients throat.
After what seemed to be an intermin-
able time. I had the satisfaction of
seeing a slight movement of the chest.
Then II twitchingof the eyelids. Then,
after still longer wait, she gave Il
deep inhalation.
"Ah, she breathes.' I said. "She
/ will live!'
"GIood, Gloodl Me no want die!
Nelly boofuI wlie No die.'
| eyed the Monaghan contemptu
onsly The thought that [ was sus-
pected of being so simple as to be
gulIed by his words made me angry.
The Chiuaman was now beginning
to get restless. 1t VAS very evident
that he regarded all need for my SER
vices ended when ] said she would
! live. | knew he did not want me to
be present when tho girl returned to
consciousness. | was in doubt what
to do. Ny impulse was to take the
girl i'll my arms and fight my way to
the street. | was not armed. | dad
not doubt that every Chinaman i'll the
mousse WIS uilutu llhO DllSNli'A'
Again, there was no doubt that they
would not stop at murder to gain their
! ends. But then it came over me,
suppose the story the old villain told
me should prove to be true. Tho
ridiculous spectacle of Archibald
Crickmore, NJ. D., Juggling a China
mans wife out into the street at that
unseemly hour, with Il gang of cut
throats at his heels, was not pleas
ant one to contemplate. l would, at
least, under these circumstances, :
make a great impression for the
wrong, and probably injure my pros
poets for life. At any rate, would
be the laughing stock of the Golden
Gate Club. ] soon convinced myself
that rash course in the matter would
accomplish no good, and might, pos
sibly, be harmful Whatever fate was
in store for the beautiful girl, did
not believe she would be harmed be-
fore she became conscious. Then a
happy thought struck me; One of
those sparks of genius that occasion
ally light up dull mind and then go
out again. [ would administer n
sleeping potion that would prevent
her becoming conscious for at least
four hours. In that time ] could do
whatever seemed best to do.
had heard of cases where girls were
stolen by persons and held or sent