Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-05-29
continued Henson would relax his Wig

the direction Of the drive. Did the man
know anything: Enid wondered. He
had so diabolically cunning a brain.
He seemed to find out everything. and
to read others before they had made up
their minds for themselves.
The cigar seemed to dance like a
hooking sprite into the bushes. II Reg
irald Henson was afraid of one thing.
1t was Of the dogs. And in return, they
hated him as ne hated them.
Ends mind was made up. II the
sound of that distant voice should cease
for moment, she was quite sure Hen
son would turn back. But he could
hear it. and she knew that she was
safe. Enid slipped past him into the
bushes. and gave faint click of her
lips. Something moved and whinei.
and two dark objects bounded towards
her. She caught them together by
their collars and euffed them soundly.
Then she led the way back. so as to get
on Herson's tracks.
He was walking on ahead of her now.
beating time softly to the music of the
faintiydistant song with his ciga".
the red circle.
AAoiu mn. OdHs SIZE WlllSpeE0u.
Watch, France; watch, boy!"
There was low grcwl. as the hounds
found the scent and dashed forward
Henson came up all standing, ana
sweating In every pore. 1t was not the
first time he had been held up by the
dogs. and he knew, by hard experience,
what to expect il he made bolt for it.
Two grim muzzles were pressed
against his trembling knees: he saw
four rows of ivory flashing in the dim
light. Then the dogs crouched at his
feet, watching him. with eyes as red
and lurio as his own cigar. Had he at
tempted to move. had he tried coercion.
they would have fallen upon him and
torn him in pieces.
Confusion to the creatures!" he
c-.ed, passionately. I'll get q revolver;
I'll buy some prussic acid and poison
the lot. And here I'll have to stay ur-
til Williams locks up the stables.
Wouldn't that little Jezebel laugh at
me If she could see me now? She would
enjoy it better than singing songs in
the drawing room to our sainted Mar
garet. Steady, you brutes! 1 didn't
mcve.''
He stood there rigidly. almost afraid
to take the cigar from his lips, while
Enid sped, without further need for
caution, down the drive. The lodge
gates We're closed. and the deaf porters
house in darkness, so that Enid could
unlock the wicket without fear of de-
lection. She ratified the key on the
bars. and a figure slipped out of the
darkness.
Good heavens, Ruth, is it really
you?" Enid cried.
Really me. Enid I came over on
my bicycle. am supposed to be round
at some friends house in Brunswick
Square. and one of the servants is sit
ting up for me. Is Reginald safe? He
hasn't yet discovered the secret of the
tradesman's book?"
That's all right, dear; but why are
you here? Has something dreadful
happened?"
well, will try TO tell you so, in as
few words as possible. J never felt so
ashamed of anything in my life
Don't tell me hat your scheme has
failed!"
Perhaps need not go so far as that.
and then very dreadful thing hap
pSACu' W. ~ I'VE gu AsAl. 4IdSAo oSSCA
into frightful trouble. He is going to
be char ged with attempted murder and
the dark
'It was the night whel-well, you
know the night. 1t was after Mr.. Steel
returned home from his visit to 219
Brunswick Square.
You mean 21s, Ruth"
cit doesn't matter, because he knows
pretty we'll all about it by this time. 1t
would have been far better for us if we
hadn't been quite so clever. 1t would
have been far wiser to have taken Mr..
Steel entirely into our confidence. Oh,
oh, Enid, if we had only left out that
little sentiment over the cigar case!
Then we should have been all right"
Dearest girl, my time is limited. I've
got Reginald held up foc the time, but
at any moment he may escape from his
bondage. What about the cigar case?"
"Well. Mr.. Steel took it home with
him. And when he got home he found
a man, nearly murdered lying in his
conservatory. That man was conveyed
to the Sussex County Hospital, where
he still lies, in an unconscious state.
On the body was found a receipt for a
gun-metal cigar case set with dia-
monds."
Good gracious, Ruth, you don't
mean to say"
ooh, I do. I can't quite make out
how it happened. but that same case
that we-that Mr.. Steel has-has been
positively identified as one purchased
from Walen by the injured man. There
is no question about it. And they have
found out about Mr.. Steel being short
of money, and the G1,0OO, and every
thing"
"But we know that that cigar case
from Lcckhart's, in North street, was
positively"
Eyes, yes. But what has become of
that? And in what strange way was
the change made? I tell you that the
whole thing frightens me. We thought
we had hit upon a scheme to :'olve the
problem and keep our friends out of
danger. There was the American at
Genoa who volunteered to assist us. A
week later he was found dead in his
bed. Then there was Christiana's
friend. who disappeared entirely. And