Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-11-13
CHAPTER XV,

for all I searched it over thoroughly, q looking in and under the boats and behind funuels aIiu Ventilators, put could discover no sign of any one. When I got back to the promenade a zlittle crowd had gathered, attracted by the noise of the falling spar, which dozen members of the crew were busy hoisting back into place.
 q do not see how those lashings could have worked loose" said the of ficer in charge.
 &ssI took a look at the lashings They had not been cut, as expected to find sthem, but had been united. Martigny had doubtless worked at them while we sat there talking. -.----- .--.. Well, luckily, there's no damage ' done" observed Mir Royce, with af- V fected lghtness, though it was close V shave. If Miss Kemball hadn't called x to us the spar would have struck us.' I Mrs. Kemball closed her eyes with a giddy little gesture at the vision the ! words called up, and the officer frown- \ ed in chagrin and perplexity. Just then \ the captain came up, and the two step . ped aside for consultation in voices V so low that only an excited word of A French was now and then audible. ' turned to Miss Kemball, who was lean- A ing against the rail with white face : and eyes large with terror.
 But it was not an accident, MT. E Lester" she whispered. T saw man { leaning over the spar"
 t nodded T don't doubt it in the 4 least. But don't tell your mother It q will only alarm her needlessly. We'll talk it over in the morning. - She said ~ood night and led her moth %er. away Sward their stateroom. I went at once in search of the ships doctor and met him at the foot of the &saloon staircase.
 "How is Martigny, doctor?" I asked. K "Worse, fear" he answered hur- Nriedly. He has just sent for me-"
 (Which room has he?" .......
 .aHe's in 375, an outside room on the Nupper deck.' ,. s-. I went forward to the smoking room x and looked over the colored plan of the Sship posted there. A moments inspec- Eltion of it showed me how easily Mar Etigny had eluded pursuit. He had only Sto walk twenty feet, open door and Rget into bed again.
 When I sat down next morning be- aside Miss Kemball she closed her book Rand turned to me with very deter mined air. ~-T " -r' "Of course, Mir Lester" she began, x-o,, thsnI. any harm oap nor1a from telling me, don't want you to say a s word, but really think I'm entitled | to an explanation"
 F "So do l." I agreed. You've proved ' yourself better guard than l. I'd for ! gotten all about Martigny. l was thinking-well, of something very diff ferent. I had no thought of danger"
 "Nor had l." she said quickly. But chanced to look up and see that dark ! figure bending over them, and l cried out, really, before had time to think. '
 "It was just that which saved them. " q "Yes; but, oh, I could t9ink after wardl I'd only to close my eyes last Z. night to see him there yet, peering z down at us, waiting his opportunity < And then, of course, puzzled more or less over the whole thing"
 You shan't puzzle any more," said. i Then laid the case before her, step by i step. She listened with clasped hands and intent face, not speaking till {, had finished. Then she leaned back in her chair with long sigh.
 "Why, it's horrible" she breathed. sBut you haven't given me your ex- plantation yet Mir. Lester"
 'T haven't any explanation" I said 4helplessly. five built up half dozen theories. but they've all been knocked I to pieces, one after the other. I don't know what to think. unless Miss Hol- laday is a victim of hypnotism or de mentia of some kind"
 "Sometimes she's nice and at other times she's horrid. IL recalls pr. Jekyil and Mir. Hyde doesn't itT' e.
 "Yes, it does Only, as say. such an explanation seems absurd"
 .There's one theory which might ex' plain it-part of it. Perhaps 1t wasn't Miss Holladay at all who returned from Washington square with the new maid. Perhaps it was the other won an. and the barred windows were real iy to keep Miss Holladay prisoner"
 "But she wasn't there!' I protested swe saw her when we gave her the money"
 'sYes. in a darkened room, with q bandage about her forehead, so hoarsC she could scarcely speak
 I stopped a moment to consider.
 aRemember. that would explain something which admits of no othel reasonable explanation" went on my eompanion-athe barred windows anf me behavior of the prisoner"
 at would explain that. certainly" admitted. though at first thought th' theory did not appeal to me You be Ileve. then. that Miss Holladay va fo~cibly abductedT
 aUndoubtedly. If her mind was go inx to give way at all it would hav' done 90 at once and not two weeks aft CT the tragedy"
 aBut if she had brOoded over It, objected
 .she wasn't brooding-at least SD hsd ceased to brood. You have Mi Rorce'r word and the buffers wor' that she was getting better. brighter quite ike her old self again Wh. should she relapsex