The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-01-27

from the moan I had heard and the
still warm flesh. she had just died
While | stared the match went
out and I fan,icd that I heard
faint click I lighted another match.
hastily looking toward the door lead
ing to the shop. II was still closed,
and ! turned again to gaze at the
dead womal. who was old. illfa-
vorcd and ,mncntly plcbiau
AZ that II omcnt heard the buzz
OF the Ripller At once. in aston
ishment and alarm, sprang toward
the door Il was locked. and was
prisoner while I was still trying
To- gasp the astounding fact the drone
og my motor car died away I'm the
distance
Here indeed was an adventure,
less romantic than traRiCal vas
locked up IN the back room OF a
village shop IN company with the
corpse OF a dead woman. and some
thief had gone off with my motor
car Undoubtedly the person who
had stolen the Ripplcr was the one
who had locked the door. Indeed.
laid trap. for In the first a..
stance the door had been locked;
IT, the second IL had been open;
ana in the third it had been locked
again lut the individual who had
gone on with the car-as prcsum-
ably was the Casc-had not mrcd
IN, into the trap. since the moan
OF the now dead woman had led
me on to exploring the back prem.
i-cs. Hut the unknown might have
counted upon that II such was the
case. why, then--hcrc in the dark.
ness iumbling for the handle of the
locked door terrible thought flash.
ed into my mind, vague elusive
thought which | could not put into
words With sudden terror knock.
ing at my heart shook the doo~
and cried for help
Ill what's that" asked rough.
mculturcd voice in the shop what's
wrong wi yc, Mrs. Caldcrshaw?"
Open the door" | shook the
ilimsy boards again Open the
door
Their" was a grunt of astonishment
and | heard the key turn i'm tLy
lock. \ moment later and the door
opened, when at once flung out
past u burly man who was blocking
the way. He gripped me before /
could pass him. and I heard hard
breathing in the darkness. Not so
fast. said the man harshly. What
are you doing here in Mrs calder.
shaw's shop. and
Don't stop me- Don't. confound
you" | interrupted. and wrenching
away | ran 10 the door of the shop.
crying out explanations. Someone's
gone Off with my motor car. Theirs
dead woman in there. and"
This time II was the man who
interrupted and with something
more than words. As dashed into
the deserted road. looking up ana
down In the darkness for my Rip
pier, my liberator plunged after me
and gripped me again. Before could
say word or make "a movement ne
had borne me TO the ground by
sheer strength of muscle. and hold
Ing me down hard and fast. bel.
lowed at the pitch of his voice an
ominous word: Murder, Murder!
Murder" shouted the man with sur.
prising volume OF tone.
Again The fear Knocked at my
heart, for now the elusive thought
had been put into concrete form
by this yokcl. as ! took him 10 be
from his roughness and accent Anne
Caldershaw--I believed the body 70
w l'l Ndu bfsH IluIutIf1 DN IHt
assassin, who had escaped with my
motor ear. tie naturally thought
o' the assassin as a "he"-had wait
ed until J was bending over ths
corps. OF his victim, and then, lock.
ing me III, had made use of the
Ripplef. by this time he would BE-
beyond any chance OF recapture and
here was ! placed Unexpectedly in
compromising situation, with the
chancc-and upon very good circum.
stantial "vidcnCe--of being accused
Of the crime. And yet, as even then
thought Uontus.dly. there was moth.
irs 10 show that the woman had
really been !nuIdercd. as I had seen
neither wound nor blood
Let nae up | gasped, striving