The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-12-22

But what had been his part in the
affair? Fer moment I Tropcd blind
ly in the dark. but only fU;' n moment
Whatever his Share in tlie tragedy, he
l had plainly been left behind To watch
us: to make sue that we did not fol-
low TIC fugitlN"#: 10 warn them IN
| case OF danger. l understood now his
| solicitudc for Miss IIolladay-"in her I
| take such an interest" 1t was i'm
| portant that he should know the mo-
ment we discovered her absence. And
he had known: he knew that | was
even at this moment commencing the
search for her. My checks rcddencd
at the thought of my indiscreetness;
yet he was man to command conf
dcncc. Who would have suspected
him? And an old proverb which he
hal repeated one evening flashed
through my mind
"Sily is the sheep who to The wolf
herself confcsscs," had translated it,
with that painful literalness character
iStic of the beginner. Well. 1 had been
the sheep and silly enough, heaven
knows!
l had reached Broadway. and at the
corner paused to look at n display OF
mems furnishings In n window. Far
down the street on the other side. al
most lost in the hurrying crowd Mar
tSny was buying paper of Il news
boy. lie shook it out and looked quick
ly UP anu down its columns, like q
man who is searching for some special
item OF news. Perhaps he was Il spec.
ulntor: perhaps, after all, was de-
ceiving myself in imagining that he
was following me. had no proof Of it:
it was the most natural thing in tho
world that hc should be in this part OF
lho town | must test the theory be-
fore accepting it. 1t was time grew
wary Of theories.
l entered the store and spent ten
minutes looking at some nccitics.
When | came out again Nartigny was
Just getting down from bootblack's
chair across the street. His back was
toward me. and watched him get out
his little purse and drop Il dime into
the bootblack's hand. | went on up
Broadway, lettering sometimes, some
times walking straight ahead; always,
away behind me, lost in the crowd,
was my pursuer. 1t could no longer be
doubted. He was really following me,
though he did it so adroitly, with such
consummatc cunning. that | should
never have seen him, never have sus.
pectcd him. but for that fortunate in
tuition at the start.
"A hundred plans flashed through nv
brain. | had this advantage-he could
not know that l suspected him. If
could only overmastcr him in cunning
wrcSt his secret from him-anl then
as ! remembered the strong face the
piercing eyes, the perfect self control
l realized how little possible 1t was
that could accomplish this. He was
my superior In diplomacy and deceit:
he would not pause now>Hea@ze..nanaaeu,
to assure the success OF his plot-
Yes, | could doubt no longer that
there was plot. whose depths / had
not before even suspected, and / drew
back from the thought with little
shiver What was the plot? What in
tricate, dreadful crime was this which
be was planning? The murder Of the
father, then, had been only the first
step. Tho abduction Of Frances IIol-
laday was the second. What would
the third be? How could we pre-
- vent his taking it? Suppose we should
Dc unsuccessful? And, candfdly. what
chance of success could we have. fight
Ing In the dark against this accom-
plishcd scoundrcl? He had the threads
all in his fingers; he controlled the
situation; we were struggling blnd.y,
snarled in net of mystery from
which there seemed no escaping NV
inn0 0,ri, ION, ,I,
human attributes. For moment a
wild desire possessed me to turn upon
him, 10 confront him. to accuse him,
to confound him with the very GER
tainty Of my knowledge. to surprise his
secret, to tramplc him down!
But the frenzy passed No. he must
not discover that | suspected him. I
must not, yield up that advantage. l
might yet surprise him. miSlcad him,
set trap for him, set him to say moe
than he wished 10 say. That battle OF
wits would come later ol-this very
night perhaps-but for the moment I
could no nothing better than carry out
my first plan, yet he must not suspect
the direction of my search. must throw
him OFF the track. Why, this was for
oil the world just like the penny dread
fuls of my boyhool. And | smiled at
the thought that had become an actor
In drama fitted for q red and yellow
cover!
My plan was soon made. | crossed
Broadway and turned into Cortandt
street, sauntering along it until the ele-
waited loomed ahead; l heard the roar
OF an approaching train and stopped
to purchase some fruit at the corner
stand. My pursuer was some distance
behind, closely inspecting the bric-a-
brac in peddler's cart. The train