Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-09-25
Tie Crimson
By Fred m. G,hte AnHn
By Fred M. White
cHAprER XIV. ,continued.)


CHAPTER XLyI. CContinued.)
81 am sorry IL j have done So" Chris
said, but i should not have done SO
unless / had been taken by surprise. 1t
was so not that / a taken of my
glasses and put my hair up. Then
Frank came up and surprised me-"
You have grow a n exceedingly
pretty girl, Chris Littimer sale crit
ically. OF course, / recognize you now.
You are nicer looking than Miss Lee"
Chris put her glasses on and rolled
her hair down r~esolutely.
You will be good enough to under
stand hat / am going to continue Miss
Lee for the present, she said. MY task
Is a long way from being finished yet,
Lord Littim sr, you are not going 20
send Franz away"
Littimer looked undecided.
IT didn't know" he said. Frank, i
have heard a great deal to-day to u
me to think that / might have done a
great injustice. And yet I am not sure
In any case. IT would be bad policy
for you To remain here. If the new
came to the ears OF Paginald Henson
1t might upset Miss Machiavelli's
plans"
Tina had not occurred to me for the
moment" Chris exclaimed. On the
whole. Frank had better not stay. Bul
1 should early like 10 see you two shake
hands"
Frank Littimer made an involuntary
gesture, and then he drew back.
"Pd-Id rather not ne said. al
least, not until my character is fully
vindicated. Heaven knows / have suf-
fered enough for a boyish indiscretion.'
And Q have youth on your side"
Litt;mer said, ~gravely. Whereas IT,
4 know, l know 1t has been terrible
all round. / tool those letters of poor
Clairc's away because they were sacred
property, and for no eye but mine"
No eye but yours saw them. / was
going to send them back again. / wish
] had"
Aye. so do I. i took them and de-
stroyed them but i take Heaven to wit
ness that ! touched nothing else b.
sides. If 1t was the last word / ever
uttered-what is that fellow doing
here In tibet garb? It is one OF Hem
sons most disreputable tools"
Merritt was coming across the ter
race, he paused suspiciously as he
caught sight of Frank, but Chris, with
q friendly wave of her hand, encour-
aged him TO come on.
It's all a part of the game" she
said II sent for our friend. Merritt.
out when ! did SO ] had no idea that
Frank would be present. Since you
are here you might just as well stay
and hear a httleemore of the strange
doings OF Reginald henson. The time
has come to let Merritt know that J
am not the clever lady burglar he takes
me for"
Merritt came up, doggedly. En
IDENTIFY the presence OF Frank Littimer
disturbed him. Chris mptioned him to
q seat quite gaily.
you are very punctual," she said.
II told you | wanted you to give Lord
Littimer and myself a little advice and
assistance. In the first place. we want
10 know where that gun-metal, dia
mond-mounted cigar-case, at present
for sale in Rutter's window, came
from. We want to know how It got
there and who sold 1t to Rutter's peo-
Fple. Also, we want to know why Van
Sneck purchased a similar cigar-case
from Walen's OF Brighton.
Merritt's heavy jaw dropped, Ills
face turned q dull yellow. He looked
around helplessly for some means of
escape, and then re.inquished the idea
with a sigh.
"Done!" he said. "Clear done. And
by a woman, too! A smart woman, /
admit, but a woman, all the same. And
yet why didn't you"
Merritt paused, lost In the contem-
nlation of n Orohlam hayond his initial
lectual strength.
"You have nothing to fear" Chris
said, with a smile. Tell US all you
know, and conceal nothing. and you
will be free when we have done with
you"
Merritt wiped his dry lips with the
back Of his hand.
81 come p~eaceably," he said, hoarse-
ly. "And I'm going to tell you all
about It."