The Ordway new era., 1908-10-02

was quietly arranged that we should
all proceed in the morning by a spe.
cial stage in charge Of Hughes to
MammOuth station at the northern
end OF the park there TO make report
TO the cavalry colonel in command.
This plan admitted Of few hours
sleep of which we hastened to take ad.
vantage.
And now, Lady Snively," began
Clarke. when we were comfortably
slowed away in the stage the next
morning. perhaps you can tell IFS
your story and we can advise you as
TO the future"
Please do not call me Lady Snive-
ly." answered the brave little woman,
That name was my undoing and
henccrorth | am content to be plain
Alice Hathaway. The story is brief
and If II would only prove warning
TO all foolish American girls | would
feel that | have not lived IL In vain
My father died when | was IS. He
was one of the organizers of the Uni
ted States Zinc Corporation, but be.
fore his death he had converted all OF
his stock into bonds. | was an only
child and suddenly found myself in
the possession of the bonds which
you have now. That was two years
ago. | was young and foolish and my
ideas of life had been gained from
reading fiction. not the best, be-
lieve. When real lord In the person
of Lord Sniyely met me and asked my
hand in marriage | was innocent
enough to believe | was making
great match.
We went first 10 London. The
world and the future looked lovely for
time, but the dream was soon dis
PEELED. Suspicion began to gnaw upon
my happiness when, instead of pro-
ceeding at once to his ancestral castle
in Surrey as he had promised. we sud
denly packed in an hour and made a
hurried return to the United States.
On the passage home ] found in his
luggage newspaper clipping that set
me thinking all the harder. 1t was
the story of some villain In England
who. under various names. was sus.
pected of marrying a number of won.
en-, securing possession of their
wealth and then numbering them
u. Frederick Bannister was 1t not?"
interrupted Clarke. DO you know.
Sexton, rather suspected from the
first It was him. He was n sort OF
English Johann Hoch and went under
n number of aliases"
Yes. Bannister was one OF the
names used and the description In the
i'm, hat
struggle as | might against the awful
thought | could not get 1t out OF my
mind. He knew OF my wealth and
knew the safe deposit company with
which II was kept. | determined to
draw 1t out secretly and place 1t else.
where. | had secured the papers when.
with the suddenness that marked all
his movements. he told me we were
going to the Yellowstone. had no
opportunity 10 place the bonds any
where, so closely did he watch me. |
am now convinced he knew had
them on my person for our journey
was a constant series of quarrels over
the question of my placing all my for
tune in his hands that he might re-
deem from mortgage his ancestral es-
tates.
During one of these quarrels. about
the time we reached Chicago, |
charged him directly with the clipping
| had found in his luggage. His first
look of terror and anger told me the
shaft had struck and then he became
the same inscrutable oily villain as
before. But | knew the truth and |
knew that upon my wits alone rested
the safety of my fortune and my life.
When you gentlemen entered the
train | studied you closely. Then |
learned Mr.. Clarke's name and it was
at once familiar to me because Mrs.
Richard King. whom I know quite
well, had told me Of your wonderful
work and how you had rescued her
and her husband from the wiles of
worker of black magic. l knew l could
trust you.
you received the note slipped
through the crack in the wall, Mr..
Clarke, directing the disposition Of my
fortune in case of my death?"
Yes, l received it all right" an
swered Clarke. But now l have the
it's rightful owner living
We found the commandant at NAM
mouth a most reasonable man. He
was fully satisfied with our story, ex-
acting only the promise. readily given.
| assure you, that we would keep him
advised of our whereabouts in case
powers above him should wish to in
uuire more closely into the matter.
The stage company also treated us
with marked consideration in insisting
that we should resume our interrupted
tour as their honored guests. Lady
Snively, or Miss Hathaway, as we now
called her, we saw safely on the train
at Granger bound for the east, her fel-
low passengers no doubt little suspect
ing that she carried with her almost a