Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-04-17

Not another house within six miles a
us and the village two miles beyond
that. I declare, feel shivery some
times when I think Of it,"
What! Are you really nsrvous?" h<
asked in sympathetic surprise.
II don't know. I never have been
but solitude may have brought out
latent tendencies. hope not, I'm sure
for I've always prided myself upon moi
being normal woman with mysteries
and jumpy nerves and such interest
ing things as that. But why do you
ask?" !5
Because l wanted to reassure you
by telling you that the house is very
we'll protected. I've inquired and
found that there are six men working
on the place-good strong country fell
lows-besides Fleming, hts son and we
four men guests. That makes a gar.
rison Of twelve able.bodied men. sufa.
cient to Withstand considerable of an
onslaught, is it not? Then all hotels
have their private detectives-sort OF
plain clothes men, you know-who cir.
culate among the guests and keep tabs
on things in general. And probably
Fleming has at least one."
She sat up eagerly.
Goodness! Do you really think that
there is real live detectives "plain
clothes man''-here in our hotel? How
terribly interesting! Which one of the
men is he? I'd just love to know!"
He smiled at her girlish eagerness.
I'm not sure myself, but suspect it,
Watson
watson! It can't be possible. Why,
he's too-too elegant for that kind of
work. How awfully funny to imagine
him in that capacity! Why, I actually
danced with him three times last
evening! Fancy! Dancing with de.
tective! don't know whether to feel
honored or insulted."
They stepped out as the canoe glided
to the landing and then sauntered
slowly toward the brilliantly lighted
hotel The girl glanced up at the
building as they approached it.
"See," she said with laugh, there
is your magnetized divinity's room to
the right on the second story. It's
fairly ablaze with light. She probably
grew tired with waiting for you at the
landing and so, to guide you home in
safety, has hung all Of her jewels on
the chandeliers"
''Is that Mrs. Van Pelt's room?" he
exclaimed in great surprise. "Why,
thought it was yours! I've looked
up at it a thousand times within these
| last few weeks and all but sung to my
guitar under it only last evening""
what a joke if you had. She'd not
only have thrown out her diamonds to
you but herself as well. But the fact
is it was my room until last night.
Mrs. Van Pelt couldn't endure the
throbbing Of. the electric machinery
and as can sleep like baby any
where I offered to exchange with
her"
He was staring up at the window
that had once been hers with an in.
tent gaze.
cts like your generosity" he said
tenderly, but abstractedly. "You are
such an unselfsh-Alice!" he ex-
claimed in amazement, for as he had
turned to speak to her he found that
she had slipped away.
1t was late that night, or early in
the morning. she could not tell which,
that she awoke with a strange con-
seriousness Of some one or something
In her room. A curious, creeping sen.
sation OF fear stole over her from head
to foot and before she was fully able
to drag herself out of the mental con.
fusion in which her mind struggled
under the shock she felt touch upon
her head. then heard smothered cry
and something sliding to the floor be-.
side her bed.
For an instant she lay inert under
the horror of her fright, her heart
beating with slow, heavy pulsations;
then, without sound, she cautiously
reached out her hand to the electric
button and switched on the light. A
space of time that was an eternity. in
which she seemed to pass from youth
to old age, and then she saw the fig
ure of man crouching or kneeling
at her bedside, his face buried in the
| Nod r1~ IL