The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1910-03-10

= The +
RED MOUSE
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A Mystery Romance
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By WILLIAM HAMILTON
OSBORNE
CHAPTER Ill.
Copyright. 1909. by Dodd. Mead n Co.

u ii reused all the deviltry aud cum
Mug that had ouzpd from him the mo
ment before. SpiZing the receiver, he
thrust II silently against his ear
Hello" began the voice at the other
end.
Challoner did not answer.
is that you. Lefty the voice went
on.
Still Challoner did not answer.
Then. MS the woman stepped forward,
he handed the receiver to her, at the
same time placing his left hand over
the outhpiece. and said
"It's Hargraves. Tell him to come
mp. will youT'
She shook her head.
Again the voice at the other end Of
the wire sounded. hut she could not
answer. for the thickness of Challo
ner's hand lay between her and com
municatiUn.
The suspense was becoming un.
arable-getting on her nerves. There
was nothing to do but to comply with
his wish, and upon her eyes suddenly
yielding to his he released the mouth
piece. standing ON guard the while she
obeyed him.
Then Challoner drove her-literaily
drove her-into a far corner OF the
room.
"Now let him come! Wen see," be
exclaimed. holding revolver I'm his
right hand. and as he stood there
watching her as a tiger does a tigress
Il was with a certain sense OF graft
flcation that he noted written across
her face the altogether new sensation
OF fear. terror and therefore respect
for him.
And he rejoiced in the knowledge
that the hand that could no longer
count out banknotes to her or sign
checks was hand that held life and
death within Its grasp. Lefty Love
realized this, too az she stood there
.cowed, trembling. listening, watching
the door. Suddenly there flashed
through her mind way out Of the
situation. and, smiling she said lightly:
"Ob. pshaw. Lawrence, the heavy Is
not your line Come! Suppose we
have something to drink"
, And, without waiting for him to an
swcr, she crossed the room and press
ed the button there Somewhat sheep
ishly Chaloner slipped the revolver
back into bis pocket and dropped Into
n chair while she ordered the maid
20 fetch some Bengal-a cordial, dis
titled delight that had come down to
her from q period so remote that the
memory Of man runneth not to the
contrary.
In his merry lifetime Hiram Ed
gar Love had possessed gallons Of II.
IL had come TO him In the night from
the mysterious east. In the teeth OF
the revenue guns. Lefty took her place
beside r small table. and presently
silver topped. cut glass decanter was
IN her hand.
Challoner drank-drank. He forgot
Hargraves forgot everything but the
face OF Lefty Love, kiss that he
wanted. but that somehow he could
not get. an utterance in thick voice.
a momentary hand TO hand struggle
not with Hargraves. but with her,
then somehow she eluded him. and he
was left alone-alone In the darkness
that the Bengal had cast upon him.
Rut In all this there was no Har
graves.
A few hours later when he awoke he
was still sitting at the table, but he
was alone. He rose hastily. even stead
fly, and secured the other rooms. There
was no one there. He looked for the
Bengal, but that too, had disappeared
All Of a sudden the jewels that were
on her dressing table-jewels that he
had given her-caught his attention.
and for the moment the temptation
was strong to take them for the mon
ey that was In them. But even his duh
wits soon recognized the folly Of such
a proceeding, since II was for her that
he needed the money. and somewhat
reluctantly he put them back in their
cnse muttering to himself as he left
the house:
Lefty must believe in me. Things
are bound soon TO come my way"
Soon he was back at Cradlebaugh's
wandering about looking for Pemmi
can. Finally he saw him coming out
of one OF the rooms and hailed hin
with:
''Hargraves showed up yetT'
The unwholesome looking factotun
shook his head. At the same time h
noted that Challoner was In a differ
ent mood than when he had talke'
with him earlier in the evening. Penn
mican wondered as he turned away
but. then, II was not given to him Z
know that Challoners experience tina
.ight had served immeasurably t
strengthen desperate purpose. True
that the Joy that had been Challoner'
This by rights" as he told himself
had been wrested away from him. 10
he was satisfied that Hargraves' al
sence from Cradlebaugh's meant tina
he was with Lefty Love. But little b
little the agony Of jealousy was b.
coming a pleasurable sensation, pal
sion that obsessed him. He would wa
-