The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-04-01

With low. hooking bow the shr1v-
eled bag stood aside and motioned
for him to precede her into the howell.
Is hundred gavvos j. fortune moi
easily to be won" said the old dame
How can | be sure that you will pr,
me if you lose?'
1T is in my pocket. madam. If /
don't pay. You may instruct your *
cellr..T grandson to crack lie over lie
head He looks as though he'd du ii
for Il good deal less money, I'll say
$Aat for HIM."
He Is honeSt-as honest IS his
grandmother" cried the old woman
She bestowed u toOrhlesS grin upon
him. Nov, what is it you want to
doT
II want to 90 through that kitchen.
just to satisfy myself Of one or two
things" King was looking hard at
the crack In the kitchen door. Sud
denly he started us if shot.
The staring, burning eye was again
looking straight at him from the jag
ged crack in the door!
I'm get you this timer he shouted,
crossing the room in two eager leaps.
The door in his violent clutch swung
open with a bang.
The owner of that hooking. 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, hal" she croaked. You fool!
You fool! Search! Smell him out! All
the good it will do you! Ha, HAP
by CAD, will get at the bottom of
thisr shouted Tru1ton, stubborn rage
possessing him. There's some one
here, and I know it. Pm not such q
fool as to believe Say! What's that?
The ceiling! By the eternal, that scrap
ing noise explains it! There's where
the secret trapdoor is-in the ceiling!
Within arms reach. at that! Watch
me, old womanw
The bag was standing in the kitchen
door now, still grinning evilly. She
watched the eager young man pound
upon the low ceiling with a three leg
ged stool that he had seized from the
floor
He was pounding vigorously on the
roughly boarded ceiling when the
sharp voice Of the old woman. raised
in command. caused him to lower the
stool and turn upon her with cleaning,
triumphant eyes. The look he saw i'll
her face was sufficient to check his en-
terpriSe for the moment. He dropped
the stool and started toward her. bis
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
il sank to the floor. As he lifted her
bodily from her feet. intent upon car
rying her to the open air. her bony
fingers sank into his arm with the grip
of death, and-could he believe his
ears!-a low. hooking laugh came from
her lips.
Down where the pebbly house yard
merged into the messy banks Mr..
Hobbs sat tight. still staring with
gloomy eyes at the dark little hut up
the glen. A quarter of an hour had
passed since King disappeared through
the doorway. Mr.. Hobbs was getting
nervous
The shiftless. lanky goose herd came
forth in time and lazily drove his scat
tered flock off into the lower glen.
Presently Hobbs caught sight of
thin stream of smoke. rather black
than blue. arising from the little chin
ney at the rear of the cabin. His eyes