The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-27

membered that she had omitted to men,
ton that two men had called, one Of
them not having been shown into her
presence. The latter, Prince had said,
ba h 2se9 had 9 Ss eee W
messed by William, the second footman
"a dreamy servant at the best Of times,
and unreliable by reason of hopeless
attachment to the senior housemaid. The
thought thrilled Sybil that the other
man, having hoodwinked the footman,
might still be in the house, concealed in
one Of the many unused rooms.
his time in the stiffness of the sleeping
household, kept her wakeful. Once or
twice she looked out into the corridor;
but the flicker of her candle only
showed two rows of closed doors,
without a sign of life, and each
time she went back and tried to
fix her attention on a BOOK book;
hours; and about 3 O'Clock, after
longer interval than before, she de.
termined to take one more peep and
then get into bed.
She had already grasped the door
handle, when she withdrew her hand as
tho it had been stung by an adder. A
faint scrooping sound told her that
someone was doing something in the
corridor. and half minute Is strained
listening told her that, whatever that
something was, it was persistent and
continuous. It went on and on, like
the drone of bee in bottle.
Silently crossing the room, she turned
down her gas to pin-point and blew
out the candle with " hich she had in
tended to investigate. Then she re-
noiselessly, tiptoed into the outer dark
ness. Here the sound, tho still faint,
was more distinctly audible, and she
was able to locate it at the door Of the
room occupied by the duke. The dis
coverv left her no time for fear, Or
even for conjecture. There was only
one thing to be done--to rouse Alec and
the Duke, but without, till that supreme
moment, alarming the unseen manlpu-
lator at her cousin s door. Thus would
she narrow the time at the disposal OF
that mysterious person for revising his
plans and effecting his escape.
The thick pile carpet made for silence
/ and she stole quietly along the broad
passage, touching and counting the
| doors till she reached that of Forsyth g
room-only a few feet from the gentle
buz-buz that had attracted her atten-
tion and only few feet from someone
steady snore from the interior of the
dukes chamber explained his compla-
cence under that uncanny tamperlng
with his approaches.
4 Again giving himself no time for
/ fear. Sybil beat a rat-tat on Forsyth 8
door, calling him by name. The sound
4 at the next door Immediately ceased. an
i instant of intense silence following, and
then almost simultaneously two things
happened. An iron grip settled on the
4 girls wrist, Just as Forsyth flung open
the door of his room, in which he had
wisely turned the gas full on as he
leaped out Of bed. The light streamed
|. into the corridor and shone upon man
J in shabby tweeds and bowler hat, who
was holding Sybil, but not SO hampered
that he was prevented from drawing
revolver and aiming straight at For
syth's head.
i Whether he intended to fire or
matum was not demonstrated, for be-
fore he could do either he was taken
, in the rear and found himself target.
/, There stood the duke in his paiamas,
, with a handy little Smith and Wesson
) not foot from the intruder's temples,
and with his left hand significantly ex-
i tended.
1sGive me that pistol he said,
Beaumanoir was dealing with a
: TANGIBLE foe at last, and with thrill
t., of racial pride Sybil noted the light
), Of battle In her relatlVe,s eye: II was
therefore, more than shock to her
! when the duke, having relieved the
{ tweed-coated lurker Of his weapon,
! HNow. sir, if you will be good enough
to march in front of me down to the
/ front door, I will let you out. You
. two, he continued, addressing Sybi
4 and Forsyth in the same quiet tones
. twill greatly oblige me by not raising
: any alarm or disturbing the servants
! while am gone.
+ ct am coming downstairs with you,
i | said Forsyth, dryly.
: the stranger with brace of pistols al
/ his head, had fled off to the grand
t staircase, Sybil ran back to her room
!, and fetched her candle. An inspection
? Of the duke e door showed that a pane
i had been partially cut ont with
! watchspring saw, which was still stick
. ing in the almost invisible assure.
I TO Be Continued Next Saturday.