The Marshall republican., 1910-12-23

1t wOLI1n 1CTp aTT : -c-c
killed, tool" l told her. Besides,
you'll catch cold. It's chilly down
here, and / want you to go back"
She caught the tone of authority In
my voice, a tone I seldom use toward
her, and fell to pleading with me.
20 Freddy, can't I stay?" she
begged. TITS 80 exciting! See! I've
brought you a pistol and here's an UNI.
brella for mel" She came close up t.
me as she spoke and the CLEAN Of
starlight from re hall windows fell
upon her supplicating face and the
old blunderbuss she had taken down
from some wall and carried in her
right hand, and the other weapon of
defense she had mentioned in the
other.
/ laughed, II me may be said to
laugh In a whisper, and Rugged her
for her spirit. armament and all. Then
we turned to the folding doors again,
Beneath them and through the crack
between a faint light showed.
Making himself pretty much at
home for a burglar to light the lamp
remember thinking. And / slowly
and cautiously widened the aforesaid
crack until a space of some two or
three inches wide was obtained, the
without any noise at all. Then We
looked in, my wife making it possible
for US to do this at one and the same
time by kneeling on the floor at my
side, and thus obtaining a chink to
hook through all to herself.
II was lucky she was so near the
floor, I thought a~fterward, or she
would certainly have fallen upon +
with surprise when she beheld the
thing our eyes asked of us to believe
For there at the far end of the draw.
ing room dimly distinguishable by TIL
light of q lamp on the table. turned
low. was Agatha First. We recog.
nized her ever in that light without
, fail. dressed as she had been that eve
ming for dinner, and standing with
his back toward us and his arm around
her was a man in an attitude unmis'
takably lover-like and possessive. And
LuIOuBu Tic hubu VI lldl ialC lpS'
the low murmur of their ABSORBED
voices penetrated the Utmost recess o,
our staggered consciousness. Agatha
First and a mar meeting in secret az
that hour!
What could II mean? Who could I,
be? The surprise of my discovery In
the woods the day of our trip to North.
bury was as nothing to this! But
alas! We knew only too well this
time who the man was, n without
requiring any further proof such as
we had had on the other occasion
when we had waited until the discov
cry of the checked coat before we felt
sure. In this instance we neither OF
us doubted for a moment the identity
of Miss Endicott's companion in her
e%quivocal position.
Freer had said good night and gone
on down to the village at ten O'Clock
when the party had broken up. II
could not be he. Then it must OF
necessity be Terhune. Indeed, what
other man would have the opportu
nifty for such a meeting? Who else
was staying at the castle?
The conclusion was obvious and we
fell away from our point of vantage
Al the door and looked at each Other
with scared and troubled faces. Oul
attempts to make a match for Agaths
Sixth and win Terhune a fortune were
certainly going wrong with a ven
geance.
!, But the worse was not yet. Before
we had time to more than breathe {
: new complication presented itself IL
the shape of the sudden appearance o
Agatha Sixth upon the scene.
We met her at the foot of the stairs
Just as we were going w. wrapper
clad and with long black braids hang
ing over her shoulders. I felt mysel
grown quite cat-like in regard to see
ing in the dark, and had perceived
: who she was and the vital necessit!
: Of keeping our discovery a secret fron
her, before my wife had time to NOR,
: than gasp a greeting.
us that you. Agatha Lawrencef'
: she inquired.
eyes. What is 1T" whispered bacl
Agatha Sixth. peering at US from tn
. stairs, and by Jove. I felt so sorry 70
: the poor girl II she should see wha
we had just seen that I rather los
] my head.
"Dogs.- I said. my voice quite hoars
{ with whispering. zone Of ems So
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