The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-08

went to-" He sighed without knowing
it. by Jove. Id like to do something,
TO show her I'm not the blooming
duffer she thinks am"
He could NOT find Baron Dangioss
that night nor early the next day.
Hobbs. after being stigmatized rs the
only British coward In the world.
changed his mind and made ready to
accompany King to the howell in GAN
look gap.
By noon the streets in the vicinity Of
the haza-were- flled- with strange.
rough looking men. undeniabiy iaborera
he sr--tf,rr gu demanded king.
There's strike on among the men
building the railroad" said Hobbs.
They'd better look out for these fel-
lows" said King. very soberly. II
don't like the appearance OF 'ein. They
look like cutthroats."
take my word for 1t. sir. they are.
They're the riffrafr of all Europe"
Il hope Baron Dangloss knows how
10 handle thcmT' In some anxiety.
In due time they rode into the SOM
Ter solitudes Of Ganlook gap and up
10 the witch's glen. Here Mr. Hobbs
balked He refused to adventure far
Their than the mouth of the stony ra-
vine, Truytcn approached the howell
alone. without the slightest trepida-
ton. The goose herd grandson was
driyiE. flock of geese across tha
green bowl below the cabin. The
/ American called out to him. and n mo-
ment later the youth. considerably exc
cited. drove lis geese up to the door.
While they were vainly haraEguing
each other the old woman appeared.
! Uttering shriIi EXPLANATIONS. she hur-
rIed Down to confront King with blaz-
ing eyes. Her horrid grin Of derisiou
/ brought flush 10 his cheek.
IN lay you hundred gavyos that
the kettle and smoke experiment In
/ fake of the worst sort he announced
/ Have IL your own way--have II
your own wny.' she cackied.
TELL you what Ill do-!f can't ex-
pose that trick In ten minutes III
make you a present of hundred CAV
| yos"
I She took him up like fash. .act
I which startled and Disconnected him
not a little Her very eaGerness au-
CURED III for his, proposition.
/ With a low. mocking bow the shrtv-
eled hag stood aside and motioned
for him TO precede her into the hovel.
I "A hundred gavvos Is a fortune not
easily to be won" said the old dame.
How can | be sure that yen will pay
me IL yeu lose +,
1T is In my pocket. madam II
don't pay. you may instruct your ex-
cellent grandson to crack me over tho
head. He looks as though he'd do 1t
/ for a good deal less money. I'll say
that fer him.
HE Is honest-as honest as hY
grandmother" cried the old womaf BIC
she bestowed a too:hless grin upd 70
him. Now, what Is 1t you want gle
do7"
II want to GO through that kitchen.
just to satisfy myself Of one or two
things" King was looking hard at
the crack Ia the kitchen door. Sud-
denly he started as IL shot.
The staring. burning eye was again
booking straight at him from the Jag
ged crack in the door.
IN get you this time" he shouted,
crossing the room In two eager leaps.
! The door in hts violent clutch swung
/ open with bang.
The owner of that knocking. phan-
tom eye was gone!
Like a frantic dog. Truxton dashed
about the little kitchen. looking In
every corner. every crack. for signs Of
the thing he chased The old woman
was standing in the middle of the
outer ROOM grinning at him with gen.
uine malevolence.
''Ha. ha.' she croaked. You fool!
You fool. Search! Smell him out! All
! the gold it viii do you. Ha. har'
by CAD, will get ut the bottom Of
this" shouted Tuxton. stubborn rage
i possessing him. There's some one
here. and l know 1t. I'm not such
! foot as TO believe Say! What's thHt7
The ceiling. BY the eternal. that scrap
ing noise explains it! There's where
the secret trapdoor is-in the ceilingl
Within arms reach. at that! Watch
me, old woman
The bag was standing In the kitchen
door now. still grinning evilly. She
watched the eager young man pound
upon the low ceiling with three leg
ged stool that he had seized from tho
! floor.
He was pounding vigorously on the
roughly boarded ceiling when the
4 sharp voice Of the old woman. raised
! in command, caused him ID lower the
stool and turn upon her with cleaning.
| triumphant eyes. The t,ok he saw IN
her face was sufficient to check his en-
terprise for the moment. He dropped
the stool and started toward her. his
arms extended to catch her swaying
| form. The look Of the dying was In
| her eyes. She seemed to be crumpling
before him.
/ He reached her In time. his strong
arms grasping the frail bent figure as
! it sank to the floor AZ he lifted her
bodily from her feet. intent upon car
i -Tyirg her to the open air. her bony
fingers sank into his arm with the grip
of death, and-could he believe bis
ears!-a low. mocking laugh came from
her Inns.
cTo be continued.) r
h ~. Il