The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-01

coming from the room beyond which
Rosenstein entered, leaving the big
doors very slightly aJar
She had nScurious feeling OF disap-
pointment Mt the delay in meeting
Merridew. She had braced her nerves
for the ordeal: and the further sus-
pense tried her.
The room was meagerly furnished.
Just n few plain wooden chairs against
the walls, a square deal table With no
cloth In the centre, and some pipes and
tobacco on the bare mantel. A single
gas jet, half turned on. served to add
to the gloom rather than to relieve II.
All these details Olive took In at a
glance as she sat down on one OF the
stiff, Uncomfortable. wooden chairs.
Karl took a seat beside her. You
must not be nervous. Rosa" he whis-
pered. II shall see that no harm
comes of this meddler's foolery! !.
She smiled. II am not nervous,
she said. confidently. 1T has been
trying to be treated as a prisoner: put
1T will soon be past and done with"
81 will make him pay for 1t oil. He
has always been my friend; but nave
finished with him after this" he
growled angrily.
u won't bio a cause of quarrehng be-
tween you, any more than between you
and Anna. But hadn't you better near
what he Is saying in there?'
II don't care what he says He Is
liar want to make 1t all up with
you. We have not been alone together
for all these days" -.
at is all over between us, kari
mol" he cried. with an oath. IN ms
apprehension of losing her. anna
shall not part us. You must not heed
what she said
IT could never forget it. Karl. Never
forget this day!as long as i've" saio
Olive, earnestly. She meant every syl-
liable of the statement. too. aitnoush
not perhaps in the sense he UNDER
stood It.
How cold You are to me. Rosa. How
can you. be? And after we nave oeen
parted"
ut has never been my way to say all
feel. Karl. Never. And now I can
think of nothing but this miserable
business, What are they doing In
there?"
He threw up his hands with Sio-
lent gesture, as he answered: AND
can think of nothing but your!
She made no reply. and sat listen
ing intently, seeking to catch the pur-
port of the proceedings in the room
beyond.
She could hear very little. Just the
murmured voices of Rosenstein. Mer-
ridew and another voice, which she
thought she recognized as that OF
Franks. But 1t was abundantly plain
that Merridew was not only the leader
of them all, but that they stood In fear
Of him.
Then, all suddenly. the murmur OF
the voices was Interrupted by cries
and shouts and great noises from some
distant part of the house. Below
stairs. as 1t seemed to Olive.
what is that?" sho asked.
"That white-llvered French frog,
Perigord. probably: the pig. They
have him down below. He has been
caught blabbing and will be dealt with
tonight"
Olive recalled that part of Merri-
dew's message about a similar case to
hers What has he done?"
Tried to give us away to the police,
the dirty dog. A raid was made on
one Of our houses three nights ago.
but we learned of it In time. They
found nothing" and he laughed an
grily.
Olive caught at the hope his words
reused, but, with a pretense OF rear,
asked: "Then they may come here"
ooh, no; don't be frightened. He
knew very little, and nothing of any
Importance. Nothing of this house.
We do not bungle like that, Rosa"
81 am not frightened of the police.
she replied.
"He has only been with US very
little while. doing what we call rough
work. There are two or three others
like him We use them and pay them,
but we do not trust them. Nor do we
let them betray u.s.. His face hard
ened as he said this. and tho ugly
light in his eyes BODIED III to tho man
he spoke of.
A minute afterward Franks came in
from the room beyond; and as he
large place. a sort of disused work
shop and unfurnished save for table
and some chairs. Merrldew was sit
ting at the head OF the table and -four
other men We're there with him.
'"rhe boss wants you, Hartmann. We
are going to deal with Perigord."
Except for side glance in her di-
rection he took no notice OF Olive; and
she Interpreted this to mean thai
Rosenstein had already prejudiced
him against her.
NdIl lelI IfeT III ,OlISc. L id''ho i"i'
lowed him, and again the door was left
so that she could hear something OF
what passed. She guessed that this
was done Intentionally, either to make
sure that she made no attempt to ge'
away or else that she might be alarmed
at the proceedings In regard to the
treacherous Frenchman
She had. however, abandoned al
thought Of attempting to escape. 1
| she was to get out of the mess !
| would not be by flight. They had made
that impossible. Nor was she goint
to allow herself to be frightened BY
anything she might hear. She had re
| signed herself to the inevitable. Tht
| thing had to be faced now and hers
was one of those brave natures which
respond readily in proportion to thu
| demands made upon them.
| Soon afterward she heard the sount
| Of a struggle on the stairs. the ours
| ing of men in rage, the scuilling
| feet. heavy blows, followed by mar
| ticulate, smothered means. Then TIL
man was forcedlinto the other room
| and a pause followed
| Merfidew broke the silence.
Nov, Perigord, the gag Will BIO tax
| EN- off; but if you attempt to cry on
as you did Just now below. you'll b.