The Virginia enterprise., 1908-08-21
THE CHIEF RELAY
Copyright, by W. g. Chapman.)

Sau 0opASu tuc S11Sut 1OFm Oh a young
girl kneeling by the bed and appar-
emily engaged in prayer.
M. Claude broke off a portion of
bark from the tree and tossed it
through the window AS it fell upon
the floor the girl arose with a faint
cry of alarm and ran to the easement.
Il am friend of M. Ratcliffe," he
said, "and desirous of helping you,
Mile. Thurber."
A tinge of rose color crept into the
girls pale face and she clasped her
small hands convulsively.
"You are welcome, monsieur" she
said, "but fear it is too late. He is
in deadly peril
"So!" said the chief, dryly. IN.
Maynard is still in the land of the liv-
ing. For whom then was the magnifl-
cent coffin intended, Of which gossip
Quentin, host of the inn, spoke?"
For the man l love, Captain Rat
cliffe," responded Alice Thurber,- with
trembling lips. "He was seized this
morning by NJ. Raymond and his men
when he entered the grounds in, the
endeavor to mark where my room
was.
"Obey me, mademoiselle, and we
may yet save your lover" he said,
curtly. Il will lower you to the
ground and you must make haste to
the inn Of the village, known as the
Golden Grape. The road lies due
south for about half mile and then
turns east. When you reach the inn
inquire for NJ. Blauvert. He is an in
spector of police and will know what
to do"
But you" began the girl M.
| Claude interrupted her sharply. II
am armed and can take care of my
self. Go now and good fortune be
with you, mademoiselle"
He looped one end of the improvised
rope under the girls arms and assist
ing her across the window sill lowered
her gently to the ground. When the
cessation Of the strain on the rope
warned him that she was in safety
he leaned out of the window and
obtained a momentary glimpse of a
slender figure fitting swiftly under
the shadow of the trees. Then he ap.
preached the door and turned the han.
| die. AS he expected it was fast, but
smiling grimly he produced a bunch
of skeleton keps and inserted one in
the lock-
The bolt shot back in response to
the pressure and the door swung open
He stole softly along the dark cor
ridor and had almost reached the land
ing where a lamp burnt dimly, when
the sound of heavy footstep mount
ing the stairs caused him to halt alb
rurtly. The figure of a big, burly
man came into view, a man with 8
thick crop of bright red hair.
IN. Maynard, lately deceased and
miraculously restored to life," NUT
tered the chief, and retreating to the
room he had just left he entered il
and closed the door behind him.
The tread of the newcomers feet
echoed through the corridor and
ceased at the door of the room where
M. Claude had taken refuge. Then
| followed the rattle of a key in the
lock and gruff oath of surprise from
| Maynard at the discovery that the
door was not fastened
He pushed it open and, entering
stood staring stupidity at the disar
ranged bed clothes and open window
| At that instant M. Claude crept from
behind the door and brought the mas
sive butt of pistol down upon the
| visitors unguarded head with terrific
force
The luckless Maynard's knees bent
under him and he collapsed in a liml
heap on the floor and lay motionless
with a thin stream of blood ebbine
from the cash in his skull NJ Claude
took the counterpart from the bed
and tearing it into strips tied the
ankles of his senseless victim togeth
er and bound his hands tightly behind
his back. That done, he again ven
tured forth into the corridor and de
scended the stairs without encounter
ing anyone.
Reaching the main hall he stood
still and listened intently. A murmu,
of voices came through the half open
door of a room adjoining the entrance
and thither the chief stole softly
Through the crack of the door he was
able to obtain view of the occupants
of the apartment. NJ. Raymond, tall
man in the early forties, Slightly bald
with a strongly marked face and cyni
cal mouth full of white, eager teeth
that flashed as he spoke, was the first
to attract the observers attention
Beside him stood robust woman of g
coarse blonde type, smiling at some
remark made by a small, wiry mar
with iron-gray hair who faced her
At the far corner of the room lay 6
large coffin, the lid of which stood or
end against the wall. M. Claude saw
that it contained white shrouded
form, and cold shiver ran through
his stalwart frame as he realized who
the occupant must be. At the souni
of Raymond's voice he bent forward
to listen.
| AAO" oIIOu6 was lAoI AdSl OOSS u
the drug, Lupin?" he inquired of thu
little man.
'He is due to awaken In the course
of the next 20 minutes" replied thu
latter, in a sharp, vibrant voice, thu
curious tones Of which struck familiar
ly upon the chiefs ear. Il could re
store him now II 1t were necessary
The next administration of my goot
medicine will keep him slumberinf
for ten hours, If such be your will.
1T may be that that Internally oh
stinate wench may yield when w