Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-07-31

| SAl:
ooh. the girls right enough. She's
standing exactly where she can hear the
cry Of the suffering In distress. You
can leave that part Of the drama to
me. She's a smart girl. with plenty Of
pluck, but, all the same. Tn going to
make use of her. Have you got the
things?"
"Got everything. pardner. Got a
proper wipe over the skulp too"
Elbow on earth did you manage to do
that?"
"Meddlin with Bell. OF course. Why
didn't you let him come and produce his
picture in peace? We should have been
did come"
MY good Merritt. I have not the
| slightest doubt about 1t. My plans are
too carefully laid for them to go astray.
| But, at the same time. firmly believe
in having more than one plan of attack
and more than two ways Of escape. But
If we could have despoiled Bell Of his
picture 1t would have been utterly use.
less for him to have come here. He
would have gone back, preferring to
accept defeat to arriving with a cock
and-bull story to the effect that he
|
way And so he got the best of you.
! eh?"
Rather! I fancied that was pretty
strong. but-well. 1t doesn't matter.
Here am with the tools. and I amt
| going to fail this time. Before Bell
comes the little trap will be ready. and
| you will be able to prove an alibi."
Henson chuckled hoarsely. He loved
| dramatic effect, and here was one to
hand. He almost fancied that he could
see the white outline of Chris's figure
from where he stood.
"Get along" he said. 'There is no
| time to lose"
| Merritt nodded and began to make his
way upward. Some way above him
Chris was looking down. Her quick ear
had detected some suspicious sound.
She watched eagerly. Just below her
the big electric light on the castle tow
err cast a band of flame athwart the
cliff. Chris looked down steadily at
this. Presently she saw hand uplift-
ed into the belt of flame, hand grasp
ing for a ledge Of rock, and a quickly
stiflsd cry rose to her lips The thumb
on the hand was smashed flat; there
was tiny pink nail in the center.
| Chris's heart gave one quick leap.
then her senses came back to her. She
needed nobody to tell her that the own
| er of that hand was James Merritt.
| Nor did she require any fine discrim.
| ination to perceive that he was up to no
good. That it had something to do
with the plot against Bell she felt Ger.
tain. But the man was coming now,
he could only reach the top of the clin
| cIo NHv0o
standing. Chris peered eagerly down
into the path of light until the intrud-
err looked up. Then she jerked back,
forgetting that she was in the dark
ness and absolutely invisible. The ac-
| ton was disastrous, however for 1t
shook Chriss diamond star from her
feet of the climber. An instant later,
and his eyes had fallen upon it.
What bloomin' luck" he said, hoarse.
ly. IT suppose that girl yonder must
have dropped it over. Well, it's as good
anyway. Little missile you'd better
of sugar, as you'll never see them
To Chris's quivering indignation, he
slipped the star into his breast pocket.
again.
For a moment the girl was on the
point of crying out She was glad she
had refrained second after, for real
ly brilliant thought occurred to her.
She had never evolved anything more
clever in her life, but she did not quite
realize that as yet.
Nearer and nearer the man with the
manned thumb came. Chris stepped
back into the shadow. She waited until
the intruder had slipped past her in the
direction of the castle and prepared to
follow at a discreet distance. Whatev.
Ell he was after, she felt sure he was be-
ing ordered and abetted by Reginald
Henson. Two minutes, five minutes
elapsed before she moved.
What was that? Surely, voice
somewhere near her moaning for help.
Chris stood perfectly still, listening for
the next cry. Her sense of humanity
had been touched, she had forgotten
Merritt entirely. Again the stifled cry
for help came.
who are you?" Chris shouted. "And
where are you?"
"Hensoa," came the totally unexpect-
ed reply. "I'm down on a ledge OF
rock. No, I'm not particularly badly
hurt, but dare not move"
Chris paused for moment, utterly
bewildered. Henson must have been
on the lookout for his accomplish, she
thought, and missed his footing and
fallen. Pity he had not fallen a little
farther, she murmured, bitterly, and
broken his neck. But this was only for
a moment, and her sense of justice and
humanity speedily returned.
II cannot see anything of you,' she
said.
"All the same, I can see your out
line" Henson said. dismally. Il don't
feel quite so frightened now. I can
hang on bit longer. especially now
know assistance is at hand. At first I
begun to be afraid that was prison.
err for the night. No; don't go. If L
had rope 1 should have the proper
confidence to swarm up again. And
there is coil of rope in the arbor close
by you. Hang it straight down over
that middle boulder and fasten your
end around one of those iron pilasters.'
ropa was fhera Hanson had