Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-08-28
The CrimS0n
BY Fred M. Ghte hllH0
BY Fred M. @hae
CHAPTER, NXXVII-tCOntinuc

And what a lot of plate there was on
the table and sideboard. Some of IT
was gold. too. Merritt's greedy profess
s'ional eye appraised the collection AT
some hundreds of pounds-hundreds OF
rounds-that is. after the stuff had
been disposed of. In imagination he
had already drugged the butler ana
stuffed the plate into his bag.
Henson said very little. He was TOO
tusily engaged i'll watching his confen-
crate. He wished from the bottom OF
his heart now that Chris had never
seen Merritt. She was smiling on MN
now, and apparently hanging on every
word Henson had seen society ladies
doing this kind of thing before WITH
Well-conc called contempt. So long as
people liked 20 play his game for him
he had no objection But this was quite
different. Merritt had warmed little
under the intlIance of his fifth glass OF
champagne. put his eye looked lovingly
and longingly in the direction Of Sill
Yer spirit stand on the sideboard.
The dinner came to an end at length,
to Hensons great relief. and presently
the whole party wandered out to the
terrace. Bell dropped behind with
Chris.
Now is your time" he whispered
clemson ia:e not lost sight of Merritt
before he goes to bed, and III keep the
latter out here for a good long SPELL
I've muf1lel the striker of the telephone
so that the bell will make no noise
when you get your call back from
Brighton. so that you must be near
enough to the instrument to hear the
xlick of the striker. Make haste.'
Chris dropped back to the library
and rapidly tluttered over the leaves OF
the "Telephone Directory. She found
what she wanted, at length, and asked
ITO be put on to Brighton. Then she sat
down in an arm chair in the darkness,
close under the telephone. prepared to
wait patiently. She could just see the
men on the terrace, could catch the dull
,sred glow Of their cigars.
: l4eI patience was not unduly tr!ec
At the end of a quarter of an hour the
striker clicked furiously. Chris reached
for the receiver and lay back. comfort
ably in her chair with the diphragm TO
her ear. Are YOU there:"' she asked,
quietly. rs that YOU. Mr.. Steel?''
To her great relief, the answering
voice was Steel's own. He seemed 10
be q little puzzled as to who the ques-
TONER was.
Cant you guess?" Chris replied.
<NThis is not the first time 1 have had
you called. You have not forgotten 2ls
Brunswick Square yet?'
Chris smiled as she heard Steers sud-
den exclamation.
$50 you are my fair friend whom
saw in the dark" he said. Yes, I rec
ognize your voice now. You are Miss
Chris-wcll. I won't mention the name
aloud, because people might ask what
a Nell-regu!ated corpse meant by rous-
ing people up at midnight. I hope you
are not going to get me into trouble
ngain."
<*No; but I am going to ask your ad-
vice and assistance. 1 want you to be
so good as to give me the plot of a
story after have told you the details.
And you are to scheme the thing out
at once. please. because delays are
dangerous. DR.. Bell
whats that? Will you tell me
where you are speaking from?'
ct am at present located at Littimer
Castle. Yes, DR.. Bell is here. Do you
want him?'
ST should think So" Steel exclaimed.
~<Please tell him al once that the man
who was found here, half-dead-you
know the man I mean-got up and
dressed himself in the absence of the
nurse and walked out of the hospital
this morning. Since then he has not
been seen or heard of. I have been
looking up Bell everywhere. Will you
<c1l ~, -; INT
matter afterwards. Don't be afraid;
Til tell the telephone people not to cut
YOU off till I ring. Please go at once"
The voice was urgent, not to say i'm
perative. Chris dropped the receiver
into it's space and crept into the dark
ness in the direction of the terrace.