The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-04-28
CHAPTER XVII.

Meta and Benoni made ready the re-
past. Betty and Larry and Johnny
traded experiences
Think Betty. think hard" urged
Larry. what was it that stole you
that night, or who. and why?"
Tell me the whole story again."
unused the perplexed Betty. My brain
has slipped a revolution"
So the boys recounted 70 her the
night in the Directory Hotel. AS they
face paled. and in her eagerness she
paced the floor excitedly.
"Oh. yes. yes. remember now" she
said Il went into her room-what do
you say her name is-Mrs.' Harcourt?
Yes, We'll. went in there and 1 pre-
tended l was ILL., And then she tele-
phoned to the clerk and begged him to
send up and get me, and then 1 ran,
ran as fast as could, and az the cor
ner-and then-well. 1 bumped into
something soft and furry. and-and-
don't laugh, but 1t smelt and felt the
same as that horrid. horrid beast-the
Man Aperilla, you know, And ! don't
know any more except being Sick as
1 told you, and waking up On board
that yacht. and getting here."
Now. who could that lie Malheu-
reux have been?" asked Larry. and
why did they want to steal you?"
Maybe It was Benoni," suggested
Johnny. He took us to her, maybe he
brought her here"
"Oh, Benoni!" called Larry, did yoa
, steal this girl?"
Benoni clinched his hands at the
suggestion. Il steal herr" he ragged.
And l with a wife,"
Nonsense" said Betty 'He does
not talk IKE lie Malheureux. and-well
Il don't feel the repulsion for him
had for lie MaImeureux. / don't know
what it was. 1 can't explain it. 1 shiv-
er still"
Perhaps 1t was Aperilla who
stole you. Betty" volunteered Johnny
You remember you went out to the
park for the Inquirer with q photo
srapher to get the brute's picture.
Have you forgotten? Perhaps he fell
in love with your charms. and stole
YOU TO make you his bride. like Larry
here is going TO do"
He might have stolen me-" admit
ted Betty. but, Johnny, don't be non
sensical!"
About what?" asked johnny.
About Larry marrying your A man
doesn't risk his fool neck like Larry's
done for you If he isn't going to marry
the woman at the end Of the risk"
We'll. but you DID it," retorted Bet
t..
Il know, but I had wife to start
out with. and felt I ought to get Larry
| tied up, too. Besides. 1 think 1t will
be joke to assist at the wedding. Oh.
! know Larry hasn't asked you yet but
then he's afraid to. He's planning 10
Just carry you Off"
I'm going to draw the line at be-
ing abducted twice, till 1 get prodi-
gals return on the strength OF the
first kidnapping" laughed Betty. DO
you suppose that the Man Aperilla
could have stolen NE? And IL so, why =?
I'd like to find lie Malheureux, perhaps
he'd tell me. The why Of things as
they are is troubling me-"
| We're going to find lie MalheureuX
right now" said Meta. "If we don't
well never find ourselves again. We
must make haste out of here, Miss
Lancey."
| "Oh. call me Bettista. like you have
done" begged Betty. mimicking the
name Meta had given her In the days
of their broken dialect. 81 like it bet
ter"
| Anything, only make haste" eau
| toned Benoni. I'VE cannot take you
women where we men have gone.
| Time is life just now"
Meta aided Betty to don some heavy
wraps of panther skin. brought her
| stockings and the dancing slippers, 20
! economically used because they weF1