The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-02
| a Secret Of the Sea
a MYSTERY STORY.
By MRS. C. N. WILLIAMSON.
Copyright 1909 by the National Agency.
Can Rights RessvedJ 5%.
By MRS. C. N. WILLIAMSON.
Copyright 1909 by the National Press Agency.
"a MYSTERY STORY
(AIl Rights Reserved


saw only scene of desolation as the,
crossed the threshold. A whirlwind Nigh
nave swept through the cabin, once
marvel OF luxurious daintiness 1t was
the stateroom which had been occupied b,
the mysterious lady. Her exquisite
dresses strewed the floor. The curtains
| OF pink and white silk and lace which
had draped the graceful, swan sha pee
| bed were partly torn down. The COVERING
OF the dressing table had been swept out
OF place. and the rose wreath which
! framed the mirror was broken.
one turn OF the eye showed the men
these things. They saw them almost I'M
consciously, and took no note of details,
but made straight for the open door. be-
tween the adjoining cabins. On the
lthreshold lay a long cloak of gray satin,
ermlne lined, with large hood and the
CLEAN of jewels in a broken clasp, which
once had fastened it at the throat The
man who went first, stumbled in the thick
iolds, for his eyes had been on the open
door and a strange shadow which moved
on the opposite wall. Extricating one
foot he caught the other, and striving to
save himself from fall by snatching at
the door frame, he pitched forward on his
face into the next stateroom. AS he fell
ne mad one glimpse Of a thing so horrible
that even in his confusion he told him
self that his eyes had played him false.
The chatter1ng rose to a savage shrek
and gray shape that had been strug-
Cling in deadly combat with Dick Knight
wrenched itself free from his grasp to
bound upon the new enemy. Quick as
| light DICK was upon it again from be-
hind, one of his hands streaming blood.
With thick silk coverlet which he
snatched from the bed in passing, he muf-
| fled the hideous head, and, springing over
| the body of his fallen mate, who lay help
| less, the man who came second bounced
on the claW-like hands that tore at the
silk. ~ .... -.--
Make haste!' he suffered to his friend
who scrambled up half dazed. II can't
hold on long. Take sheet-anything
that'I go around the wrists. It's got the
strength of two men. Great heavens, I've
lost it!'' ..-
With a twist the gray shape was free,
| save that its head was still muffed in the
crimson silk, coverlet, Dick knight hold
ing it from behind. But writhing round
| it caught Dick round the body with two
Extraordinarily long arms. So sudden
was the movement that Dick, weakened
from loss of blood, was. borne down to
his knees, with the gray shape crouched
over him, shaking it's head to get rid of
the muffing folds, and chattering with
fury. Dick still cutched the twisted COW
erlet to prevent Its slipping Off, but the
great arms crushed the breath from his
lungs. He was deadly white and painting
Another instant Of this. he thought vague
ly, and his ribs would crack like eggshells
The chattering was faint In his ears now
One Of the men was shouting something
sharply to the other, but though it was
odd, since the voice was 50 near, he could
not hear the words through the roaring
In his head which was like the sound of
the sea. Then, suddenly. something
flashed in the air, something that cleaned
in the light from the portfolio The chat
tering ended in an explosive gasp which
was half grOan. The pressure of the bind
ing arms relaxed, and with a dreadful
shudder the gray shape, with its swathed
head, tumbled in confused mass Of
twitching limbs and twisted folds of Grim
son silk on the floor. 80
| Il stabbed it in the back with my
knife one Of the men sobbed "Tve
Killed it. Oh, for heavens sake don't
uncover that facet
When Dick had had a talk with the
captain Of the port he was allowed to
give his evidence in writing, so that,
instead Of remaining at Gibraltar for the
inquest on the body of the murdered
woman, he might proceed at once to Tan
gier, where he was able to convince the
authorities that his immediate presence
was necessary. The question was how
to arrive there with least delay. The
young man was looking CHASTITY white
more like a patient for some doctor than
| O. u bF Clcl, clAu LIS IlSHL arm Wdro III a
| sling, his hand wrapped in bandages
| Nevertheless, he told the captain of the
port who congratulated him very warm
! ly on certain performances, that he had
never felt better in his life. Since there
was no regular boat for Tangier that day,
he was trying to make arrangements for
obtaining the use Of a private yacht
whose owner had gone away, leaving it
in charge of the captain and crew, when
he was told that Mr.. Fox-Smith was in
quiring for him. Dick had known man
named Fox Smith in Oxford days, and
had not seen him since; rich vulgarian.
but gOOd-natured; and when Knight heard
that the Mr.. Fox-Smith who was in Glib
raltar, had arrived the day before on
his own steam yacht, he began to be as
anxious to meet his old acquaintance
as the old acquaintance apparently was
to meet him. They did meet at last I'M
der the auspices of the captain of the
port, and it appeared that Fox Smith
had stopped over night solely in the hope
! Of seeing Dick, of whose presence on
board the xenia he had heard mat
ter of gossip, too late to obtain sight Of
him before morning. ..--r ...r. . ~.
! FOX-Smith was on his way to Lisbon,
and was delighted to take Dick to Tan
gier, especially when he had been given
a few sketchy outlines of the Xenia' S
strange story. It was Immediately after
| this arrangement was satisfactorily made
that Dick wired to Sir Peter Markham.
| It was evening when he arrived at
| Tangier. He got rid of Fox Smith and
went straight to the hotel where he had
| been told to address Sir Peter. only to
find him absent, with Lord Waverley.
He then inquired for Lady Drayton.
whom he had never seen, and was shown
| into her sitting-rOom, but found her
| frigid and inclined to be monosyllabic.
The mystery of the Xenia was nothing
| to her, and she had a haZy idea that
! somehow Eve Markham's disappearance
and the general disagreeable change in
people and plans were at least partly due
| to the influence of Sir Peters secretary.
She could not help thinking that he was
good to look upon, and that the sling
| in which he wore his arm made him ra-
Their interesting; nevertheless, she did
| not approve Of Mr.. knight, and showed
| it. He told her nothing, and was told
nothing by her in return save that Eve
| had not returned, and that there was no
definite news of her. Bitterly disap-
nointed at not finding Sir Peter, Dick left
| the hotel and went down into the town
| TO reach it he had to pass by the Sok
which was usually deserted at this hour
| Rut tonight a small crowd OF White and
brown clad figures were collected round
the site Of dismantled booth They al
seemed to be gathered about something
or some one lying on the ground.
E ITO be Continued To-morroWO
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