Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1908-09-03
AL clothing will be spoiled.

II cl0fhlng Will De SpOlled.
mo DOUBT
"And most trunks that get free viii
be dashed to pieces"
"That is so. Roberts, however, was
strong cowhide trunk, he tells me,
and would stand lot of knocking
about"
Esther caught her breath sharply.
"Then you would recognize it" she
said, Sin case it were washed up by
the tide?"
"Oh, easily. His initials, r. W., are
burnt into the side His name is Rob-
ert Webster" and turning suddenly
round he walked away.
Esther stared after him for mo-
ment or two in silence. Then
Grayton said with laugh. You did
not make much Of him, Miss Mawgan."
mo, not much" she answered, alb
sently.
Hes singular character. I'm not
quite able to make him out"
Hell need watching"
"Watching?" he questioned, in =
tone of surprise
Hes up to no good He has de-
signs On something or somebody"
What makes you think so?"
Several things. Oh, wish Clement
were at home A woman is SO help
less in case of this kind"
They had begun to retrace their
steps toward the village, but Grayton
paused abruptly and looked at his
companion.
81 do not quite understand" he
said, hesitatingly rs there anything
can do for you? You have only to ex-
press a wish and | will do my best.
Let me--let me-take your brothers
place" 1t was in his heart to say a
great deal more, but he held himself
in check with a strong hand.
81 know can trust you," she said.
looking frankly into his face.
with your life," he answered, i'm
pulsively.
She colored slightly, and then began
to speak more rapidly. There is a
mystery behind that mans move
ments, I'm sure there Is, and it has to
do with Marion West Don't ask me
to explain. l don't profess to be log
ical, but am sure am right. That
man is here for the purpose of getting
possession Of Marion Vests box"
But why Miss Vests box?"
81 don't know. That's what we've
got to find out. He admits that he is
on the lookout for cowhide trunk
with the initials r. w. burnt on its
side. Do you think it likely there
will be two trunks of the same de-
scription and with the same initials?"
There's nothing unlikely in that,
surely?"
But do you think any man would
spend weeks and weeks watching the
coast merely for the sake of getting
possession Of an ordinary trunk that
belonged to relative?'
But Miss Vests was an ordinary
trunk
But it held a silver box which con-
tanned important papers"
She told you that?"
She did not know what the papers
were, but she presumed they were i'm
portant. She was strictly charged by
her dying father concerning the box"
But what can Nevins know about
it,"
She shook her head and a perplexed
look came into her eyes.
DO you think she has seen Nevins
and commissioned him to act for her?"
IF she has done so, why does he
say it's Robert Webster's box he's
looking for?"
She may not have wished her name
to be mentioned y
ooh, that is all nonsense. Marion
West is not that sort of girl If she
had seen this man and told him, he is
acting without her knowledge and for
some Interior purpose of his own"
But what would he be likely to
gain?"
81 don't know. I've not had time to
think the matter out yet. There's a
mystery somewhere The contents of
that silver box may be valuable to
other people Is they can get hold of
them. Marion may not be the unim-
portant waif she thinks she is"
ITO Be continued.)