Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-03-04

For a moment before he turned to
attempt the forlorn hope, Jack La
Thorn caught the slender, girlish figure
again in his arms, and held her close
to his heart with an infinite passion
of tenderness. Win or lose, this must
inevitably be a long parting for him
and for her. After tonight, when
would he again touch her hand or
hear her voice? For moment he
looked into her face; their lips met.
Then he freed himself gently from the
arms that still chung to him, and with
a face set and resolute walked to the
door. The footsteps outside were very
close now.
Hilda stood motionless, looking aft
er her lover, no color in her face, the
light drowned in her eyes, as if
turned to stone.
Come, Miss Ruthen; we mustn't
be in sight when the door opens!"
whispered Thornton, urgently.
He drew her into the diningroom
and shut the door. Just within the
room Hilda stood, a pathetic figure of
mute despair, her hands hanging
rigidly by her side, listening feverish-
ly, dreading the worst.
Stephen Ruthen had opened the hall
door. Almost in spite of himself he
was committed to this scheme, and,
little as he liked it, it had to be gone
through with; he had given his prom
RI do hic
best would be a betrayal. Yet he felt
the plan, this ruse OF deception, was
hopeless, foredoomed to failure.
"Well, good night, Mr.. Grale. Be
careful; there's step here" he said,
loudly, as he opened the door.
Outside stood two men, who had
been on the point of knocking. One
of them was man in plain clothes,
an inspector Of police from Fells-
garth; the other was a local consta-
BILE.
Floyd" the rector exclaimed to
the latter, as if in surprise at seeing
the two men. ''You want to see me?
I won't keep you moment"
Stephen felt his heart beating fast
er; he wondered tina he could keep
the excitement out of his voice His
companions stick went tap-tap with
I the measured regularity of a blind
man. The sound of it somehow
| brought back to Stephen Ruthen's
mind the memory of that winters
night from which all this trouble had
c nf hot
entered upon, had to be traversed far
Their and farther to ends undreamed
of at the beginning-w as he and
a woman stood over a dead man in
, the white roadway, that sound had
come nearer, nearer, intruding on the
tragedy.
You can find your way now, Mr..
Grale?" went on Ruthen, feeling as
he acted the lie that nothing could
| save them from discovery, that even
/ the attempt was absurd, the decep-
| ton would so soon be laid bare.
Eyes, thank you, parson. Good
night came the muffled voice from
under the white wrap with it's LONG,
dangling end, to the accompaniment
! of the tapping of the metal ferrule.
Peeping cautiously through the Win
dow of the diningroom Freddy saw
the police inspector turn and whis-
per to his subordinate; then the con-
stable went quickly up to the man
tapping his way down the path.
How are you tonight, Mr.. Grale %
Freddy, suddenly sick with apprehen-
sion and suspicion, heard the consta-
BILE say-saw him peer at close quar-
/ tiers into the pseudo-blind mans face
in the light streaming out through
the hall doorway. And Thornton held
his breath. The forlorn hope had
failed. In that sharp scrutiny the
man, evidently suspicious, could not
fail to see that it was Lathom. Then,
to his immense surprise, the consta-
BILE said, Good night, Mr.. Grale!" and
came back to the inspector and spoke
| to him.
What the constable whispered to
his superior, who, having his suspi-
cions, had told Floyd to make sure
that the figure in the dim light was
not the man they wanted, was this ::
II was suspicious, too, for a mo-
ment, sir. But it's Mr.. Grale, the or
ganist, right enough
And though he could not catch the
words, the solution of the apparently
inexplicable thing dawned on Freddy.
Good old Floyd" he exclaimed to
himself, in an ecstacy of joy. Next
time I see him alone I'll give him a
flyer! He's a sportsman is Floyd!
Spotted the ruse-and deliberately
misled his superior officer to give
Jack his chance!"
He crossed tn Groom quickly to
where Hilda still stood motionless.
Hes through! l believe he'll get
through he whispered, excitedly.
They could hear the measured tap
ping along the garden path to the
gate Outside the gate in the road
the police car that had chased Fred
dy's was waiting, and another police
man standing by it. But the latter
had seen the figure with the stick
pass the challenge of his superior of
ficer in the light from the open door
way; he scarcely glanced at him, as
the muffled-up man passed.
Out into the road, along the almost
deserted highway. Tap-tap-tap.
Meanwhile, at the door the inspect
or was putting a question to the rec
tor, who could scarcely believe that
Lathom was safely through the dan
ger zone. The inspector had no sus-