Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1902-12-12
A NARRATIVE OF ADVENTURE.
By SEWARD W.. HOPKINS
tCopYRIGHr 1899 BY RoBEsr BoSNER's soNs)


way up gloomy flight 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. He
took bunch of keys from his pocket
and quickly unlocked the door.
"Clom!" he said.
stepped inside, and 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 snowny
bosom, was the most beautiful girl I
thought I had ever seen. Fair as the
the fairest lily, with skin as pure
and white as wax, the beauty of her
face came over me like sudden vision.
Her lips were full and well-shaped.
Her throat was dazzling in it's white
ness. Her hair, long, glossy and soft,
was tangled and snarled. Her pres
ence in this hive of Cinnamon startled
me. The secrecy maintained by the
fellow who was her keeper told me
that I was in the presence of one Of
those great and horrible mysteries
that 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 Chinaman's
wife. Savee, doctor. Savee her.
Much big fee if not die
He:spoke earnestly and anxiously. [
did not doubt his sincerity in wishing
her saved, but 1 thought he was liar
when he said she was his wife.
She was evidently high-born. The
scanty clothing that she had on was
rich and of American manufacture.
There were no jewels. If she had
ever possessed any, they had been
taken from her.
I mentally noted all the surround.
ings while L made hasty examina-,
ton of the girl. After careful work,
I came to the conclusion that she
had been drugged. I could not tell
what the nature of the drug used
was, but it was something that
had the power almost to sus-
pend life. The Chinaman had used
too much, and was now fright
ened at the probable result. I did
not disclose my discovery to the
Chinaman. I was now fully con-
vinced that he was a scoundrel. [
could accomplish nothing by inform,
ing him then what I knew to be the
matter. I opened my medicine-case,
and chose from it most powerful
restorative-a drug that acted directly
upon the heart. I 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 slight movement of the chest.
Then twitching of the eyelids. Then,
after still longer wait, she gave
deep inhalation.
"Ah, she breathes!" ] said. "She
will live!"
"Glood! Glood! Me no want die!
Velly booful wife! No die"
I eyed the Monaghan contemptu-
ously. The thought that I was sus-
pected of being so simple as to be
gulled by his words made me angry.
The Chinaman was now beginning
to get restless. 1t was very evident
that he regarded all need for my SER,
vices ended, when I said she would
live. I knew he did not want me to
be present when the girl returned to
consciousness. L was in doubt what
to do. My impulse was to take the
girl in my arms and fight my way to
the street. I was not armed. L did
not doubt that every Chinaman in the
house was armed like brigand.
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. The
ridiculous spectacle Of Archibald
Crickmore, NJ. d., Juggling China
mans wife out into the street at that
unseemly hour, with gang of cut.
throats at his heels, was not a pleas
ant one to contemplate. would, at
least, under these circumstances
make a great impression for the
wrong, and probably injure my pros;
poets for life. At any rate, 1 would
be the laughing-stock Of the Golden
Gate Club. I 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, I did
not believe she would be harmed be-
fore she became conscious. Then
happy thought struck me: One of
those sparks of genius that occasion
ally light up dull mind and then go
out again. I would administer a
sleeping potion that would prevent
her becoming conscious for at least
our hours. In that time could do
whatever seemed hest 10 do.
Ihad heard of cases where girls were
stolen by persons and held or sent
away for the benefit OF others. The