Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-06-12

| man utdIHS Is WOuueIlul. I1c w III
come creeping down here on those
large, fiat feet of his. and that cunning
brain will take in everything like a
flash. Good dog!"
A hound in the distance growled, and
then another howled mournfully. 1t
was the plant of the beast who had
| found his quarry. impatient for the go
oler to arrive. So long as that contin-
| ued Henson was safe. Any attempt at
| escape, and he would be torn in pieces.
Just at the present moment Enid al
most hoped that the attempt would be
made. 1t certainly was all right for the
| present, but then Williams might hap
| pen along on his way to the stables at
! any moment.
| The two men We're coming nearer.
They both paused is the dogs gave
tongue. Through the thick belt OF
| trees lights cleaned from one or two
| windows of the house. Steel pulled up
| and shuddered slightly. in spite of him.
self
Crimson blinds" he said Crimson
blinds all through this business. They
are beginning to get on my nerves.
| What about those dogs. Bell?"
Dogs or no dogs. I am not going
back now Bell muttered. Its per-
! fectly useless to come here in the day
time; therefore, we must fall back
| upon a little amateur burglary. There's
a girl yonder who might have assisted
| me at one time, but"
| Enid slipped into the road. The night
was passably light, and her beautiful
features were passably clear to the
| startled men in the road.
do you want?"
| Bell and his conn anion cried out ST.
| multaneously: Bell because he was so
suddenly face to face with one who was
| so very dear to him: David, because it
seemed to him that he had recognized
the voice from the darkness, the voice
of his great adventure. And there was
another S, rpr;se, as he saw Ruth Gates
side by side with the owner Of that
wonderful voice.
Enid" Bell cried, hoarsely. II did
not expect"
| ITO confront me like this" the girl
said, coldly. THAT I quite understand.
What don't understand is why you in
| trude your hated presence here"
| Bell shook his handsome head mourn
fully. He looked strangely downcast
| dlA oCJSCleu, anu Tic 1SSSS pei
| hays, because fall in crossing the
downs had severely wrenched his ankle.
But for a belated cab on the Rotting-
| dean road he would not have been here
now.
GAS hard and cruel as ever" he said.
t Not one word to me, not one word in
my defense. And ell the time I am the
victim of a vile conspiracy"
/ yi,o1 loo
theft conspiracy"
ut was nothing else" David put in,
eagerly. "a most extraordinary con-
spiracy. The kind of thing that you
would not have deemed possible out of
| book"
"And who might this gentleman beo''
Enid asked, haughtiiyl
| "a thousand pardons for my want Of
ceremony, David said. 'If I had not
been under the impression that we had
met before I should never have pre-
| sumed-''
"Oh, truce to this" Bell cried. eve
are wasting time. The hour is not far
distant, Enid, when you will ask MY
pardon. Meantime, I am going up to
the house, and you are going to take
me there. Come what may, I do not
| sleep tonight until have had speech
with your aunt
| David had drawn little aside. BY
kind of instinct Ruth Gates followed
him. A shaft of gray light glinted
upon her cycle in the grass by the
roadside. Enid and Bell were talking
in vehement whispers-they seemed to
be absolutely unconscious of anybody
else but themselves. David could see
| I,o M he :, io1,
bred face; he could see Bell gradually
strength and firm power Of will to
bear.
What will be the upshot Of this?"
I Ruth asked, timidiy.
BELL will conquer" David replied.
"He always does, you know"
81 am afraid you don't take my
meaning, Mr.. Steel"
| David looked down into the sweet,
troubled face of his companion, and
thence away to the vivid, crimson
patches beyond the dark belt of foliage
Ever and anon the intense stiffness of
the night was broken by the long
| drawn howl of one Of the hounds. Da-
vid remembered it for years afterward,
| it formed the most realistic chapter of
one of his most popular novels.
''Heaven only knows" he said. II
have been dragged into this business,
but what it means I know no more
than a child. am mixed up in it, ana
Bell is mixed up in it. and SO are you.
| Why we shall perhaps know some day.
You are not angry with me?"
"Why, no. Only you might have had
little more confidence in me-
"Mr. Steel we Jared not. We wanted
your advice and nothing more. Even
now I am afraid I am saying too much.
There is a whitening blight over yonder
house that is beyond mere words. And
twice gallant gentlemen have come for
ward to our assistance. Both Of them
are dead. And If we dragged you a
total stranger, into the arena. we should
morally have murdered you"
Gam I not within the charmed circle
now" David smiled.
Not Of our free WILL" Ruth said, ca
gerly. you came into the tangle with
Hatherly Bell. Thank Heaven you have
an ally like that. And yet L am filled
with shame"