Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-04-18

zMEzze a. aMN0 Nsl|
EM1AMe1AIGA GINaER i |D
o fmind now that she has disappeared
without word?"
HAS she sent you no secret mes
sage of her safety?" Max asked SER
iously.
mot a word
"And you do not know then, if she
has met with foul play?"
81 don't. That's just it! Sometimes
-" And he rose from his chair and
paced the room in an agony of mind.
"Sometimes-I-If feel as if shall go
mad. love her-just as you love Mar
ion! Sometimes 1 feel assured of her
safety-that she and her father have
been compelled to disappear for po-
litical or other reasons-and then at
others a horrible idea haunts me that
my love may be dead-the victim of
some, vile, treacherous plot to take
from me all that has made my life
worth living!"
Stop" cried Max, starting to his
feet and facing him. "You love her
eh?"
"Better-ah' better than my own
life!" he cried in deep earnestness,
his troubled face being an index to
| his mind
"Then-then upon her honor-the
honor of the woman you love-swear
to me that you have spoken the
| truth"
He looked into his friends eyes for
moment. Then he answered.
81 swear, Max! l swear by my love
for Maud that have spoken the
truth"
| And Barclay stood silent-so puz-
zled as to be unable to utter word
CHAPTER XVI.
/ Which Puts ShreWd Question.
At last Max spoke slowly and with
great deliberation. . 1-
"And you declare yourself as ignor-
ant as am myself of their where.
abouts?" "sk
81 do" was Rolfe's response Then
after a seconds hesitation he added
in a changed voice: 81 really think,
Max, that you are, scarcely treating
me fairly in this matter. Surely it il
to my interests to discover the
Whereabouts of Maud! I have done
my best"
"Well?"
"And I've failed TO discover any
clue whatever-except-o ne-that-''
And he broke off without finishing
his sentence.
What have you discovered? Tell
me- Be frank with me-"
II have not yet established wheth.
err it is real clue, or whether a
mere false surmise. When l have,
will tell you
But cannot we join forces in en-.
I.deavoring to solve the problem
Max suggested, his suspicion of his
friend now removed.
"That is exactly what l would
wish. But how shall we begin. Where
shall we commence?" asked Rolfe
"The truth that it was not you
whom l saw leaving the house in
Cromwell Road adds fresh mystery
to the already astounding circum
stances" Max declared. 1.-THE man
who so closely resembled you was
purposely made up to be mistaken
for you. There was some strong mo
!
could be?"
ITO implicate me! But in what?"
The thought of that blood-stained
bodice ever haunted Max. 1t was or
/ the tip of his tongue to reveal his
discovery to his friend, yet on second
thoughts he resolved to at present re
tain his secret. He had withheld il
from the police. therefore he was
perfectly justified in Withholding il
from Charlie.
The fiat denial of the latter regard
ing his visit TO Cromwell Road caused
him deep reflection. He watched his
friends attitude and vase ompelleG
to admit within himself that now, al
any rate, he was speaking the truth
"The only reason for the visit o.
the man whom l must have mistaken
for yourself, Charlie" he said, mus
have been to open that SAFE"
Probably So"
Then Max explained in detail, the
position of the safe, and how he hat
discovered it being open, and its
contents distracted.
"On your first visit, then, the safe
was hidden?"
Eyes But when I went in the
morning it stood revealed, the doc
blown open by some explosive"
by an enemy of the Doctors
Max did not reply. The doctors
words regarding his friend on thu
last occasion they had sat togethe
. REQUIRED to him at that moment will
queer significance. The doctor Ger
tainly did not like Rolfe For wha
reason? he wondered. Why had h
taken such sudden dislike to him?
Hitherto they had been quit,
friendly, ever since the well-remem