The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-12-07
CHAPrER xxII.-fContinued.)

Montgomery came up to me again, dress
ed for the street.
II can't find it now, Silas: I will bring
ii home with me and You can do 1t tor
morrow"
Vexed and annoyed at this trifing, l
ran round to the front Of the house.
But to re-cnter the pit was impossible.
The people were crowding out in one
dense stream; so / was obliged to stand
aside until my companions should APP
pear, or until the passage was suffi-
ciently cleared for me to go back to
seek them.
had not stood there many seconds
before | saw Mrs. Wilson forcing her
self through the crowd, and looking wild
Iy about her. She caught sight Of me in
an instant.
Where is Clara?" she cried. gasping
for breath. II have lost her in the
crowd. Some men pushed between us,
and separated her from me; and from
that moment / have lost sight OF her.
Look about you. She must be in the
street"
The audience were now dispensing in
all directions. Up and down, in and out
the crowd, here, there and everywhere,
L eagerly sought for her, but she was
nowhere to be seen. Mrs. Wilson, stand
ing in a doorway, trembling and wiring
ing her hands, soon collected a small
crowd round her.
Had they seen a young lady, in n
black dress, with long golden hairy she
never ceased asking.
At last a man suggested that the po-
liceman who had been standing, about
the door during the latter part OF the
performance was the most likely person
Co have seen her.
"Yes. He had seen q young person an
swering the description. She had been
one among the first of the crowd to come
down the passage. She looked as il she
had lost some one. When she got into
the street a young man touched her upon
che arm and said something, and she
walked away with him. Then he lost
sight Of her.
"What was the man like?" l asked.
"Oh, he was a youngish. smooth-faced
Yellow, with a cap on" was the reply.
The very man who had beckoned me
out of the pit. 1t was n plot, then:
but by whom originated, and for what
purpose?
Take a cab; 70 TO Bow street police
station at once, and l will follow you in
a few minutes" l said to Mrs. Wilson.
Back l rushed to the stage door Had
Mr.. Montgomery left the theater? He
had followed out at my heels, was the
answer.
Suddenly l bethought me of the public
house frequented by Josiah and Mr..
Montgomery. Away / ran thither. No;
they had not been there that evening.
Then i went down to Bow street, where
4 found Mrs. Wilson, more dead than
alive. giving her deposition.
"Are you quite certain that the young
lady has not gone off of her w free
win?-some sweethearting case, per-
haps-only for a little walk-met some
n she knew, and finding that she had
rmissed you, he has taken her home?'
suggested the functionary who was tax
Iing down the dispositions.
Pray disabuse your mind of such an
idea. the young lady in question has no
friends except those you see here
knows no others-associates with no
Others"
The solemn earnestness of my tones
seemed to convince him of his error, for
from that time he gave us a more seri-
uus attention.
"A description shall be sent to the diff
fereut heats and police stations, and you
had better issue bills. and IL you care
TO go TO the. expense, advertise In the
daily papers. Ii we hear anything, we
will let you know. But you can max
your mind easy upon one point-at least,
I think SO; wherever she is, she has
gone with her own free will. There's
no accounting for the vagaries of girls"
Both myself and Mrs. Wilson felt very
angry at the light and skeptical manner
In which a subject so momentous to us
was treated; but the officer only smiled
mt our warmth.
Mrs. Wilson expressed her inteution
Of issuing bills early the next morning.
offering u reward for her discovery.
There was nothing more to be done in
that place, for the cab was waiting,
and l persuaded her to return home i'm
mediately. She implored me 10 accom-
pany her. No, l would search the neigh
bcrhood; | might chance TO get some
tidiags.
Finding that all her entreati-s were
IN vain. the old lady Reluctantly depart
ed alone.
Mr.. Jonathan was standing upon the
doorstep when the cab drove up. Before
the cabman could descend from the box,
he had the door open.
"Where Is she-where Is Clara?n he
asked, seeing but one person within.
Too utterly terrified and bewildered to
think of the oddity Of such a question
from a stranger whom she had never
seen before. Mrs. Wilson could only gasp,
s*She is gone--run away with"
Ten minutes afterwards, Mr.. jena
xhan jumped into the cab that had
drought her heme. and which he ordered
n stay. TO the Bow street police
station as fast as you can drive" he