The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1910-03-24

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RED MOUSE
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A Mystery Romance
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By WILLIAM HAMILTON
OSBORNE
Copyright. 1909. by Dodd. Mead a Co.
CHAPTER V.
Copyright 1909. by Dodd. Mead a Co.
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red silk cushions in strange attitude
OF expectancy, these things had ceased
TO matter. for out of her life a living
presence had gone. leaving void more
harsh than death. For weeks now
she had patiently waited. her ear
strained at every sound. trying to as
sociute 1t somehow with her husbands
return The servants seemed to tread
OIL tiptoe as they went about their du
ties. The house was curiOusly hushed
as though listening. always listening.
"Oh. why doesn't he come she cried
al agony of despair in her voice. aud
began To pace the room In nervous agi-
tatiou.
AT that moment man nOiseleSsly
entered the room She did not hear
him until. suddenly looking round. she
saw stevens the butler. advancing re.
spectfully toward her
Stevens held the silver salver before
her. on which were several letters.
There were nine in all. the last Of
which she quickly tore open as the
sole missive fraught with possibility.
But she was doomed to disappOint.
ment. and. handing them back TO him.
she told him to put them on the desk.
stevens" she said falteringly. send
Foster to me at once"
Stevens turned on the instant and
found Foster In a passageway shud-
dering
What's the matter with your he
whispered. at the same time placing
his arm about her
What are you doing?" exclaimed
Foster. with Indignation. but made no
attempt to release herself from his
embrace. Don't you hear the news
boys? What are they sayingF she
went on. nesting closer to him.
"Listenr'
They did not have long TO wait, for
1ust then the hoarse. raucous voices OF
the newsboys calling early specials
reached their ears. Then like bolt
from the blue rang out the words.
"Challoner caught I'm Chicago
They've caught him. the maid al
most shripked. pushing Stevens vio-
lently away from her, and. starting In
obedience TO her mistress commands.
she added sympnthetically:
II hope she hasn't heard
And as fortune would have II Mrs.
Chaloner had not heard, but went on
10 inform the maid that she was going
TO her room to lie down.
on reaching her room. however. Mrs
Challoner abandoned her intention 10
lie down Apparently calm and col
lected. she took n seat near the light
and started mentally to place her house
once more in order Item after item
she checked of from her memora ndum
upon her household pad
There was an almost unheard tinkle
OF an altogether unseen bell. and be
fore it's sound died away Stevens had
gone to answer.
what is IT," asked Mrs. Challoner
when she summoned Foster. II don't
want to see anybody. can't see any
body. won't" she ended almost hys.
terically. and. gathering her trailing
skirts in her hands. she fed to her
room
But no sooner had she reached the
door than Shirley Bloodgood followed
on her heels.
II just simply couldn't stay away
from you any longer, Miriam" she de
Clared. ~ know you don't want me
here, but can't leave you"
Miriam Challoner sank weakly AT a
table. Finally she leaned toward her
visitor and asked. n world OF pathos In
the question;
"Is-is there any news outside"
Shirley hesitated imperceptibly
"None. IL haven't seen the papers
No, there's nothing new"
Mrs Challoner threw her arms about
I'VE girl
SHIRLEY, Shirley, I'd have gone mad,
! think, II you hadn't come!' she cried
and fell TO sobbing. but after a mo
ment she Strengthened up again. There
was a defiant look in her face now.
tremOr In the voice that said: II don't
care what he's done. | want Laurie to
come back. do you understand?
want him back-I want him"
Shirley Bloodgood bit her lips
81 know, | know, Miriam-I do un-
derstand"-
"Oh, but you can't understand" she
persisted. "You haven't a husband,
and you don't know"
"Yes, yes. Miriam, | know" were
the only words that rose TO the girls
lips to comfort her, for at that mo-
ment the faint sound Of the insistent
doorbel broke in upon them.
Mrs Challoner's slight frame shook
with sudden agitation as she excaim'
ed:
"That doorbell will drive me crazyp'
And. almost instantly recovering her
eomposure. she gasped:
'If II should be LaurieP'
The girl glanced at the smoldering
fire in the CRATE. where to her excited
fancy In all their hideousness rose be-
fore her the headlines she had read In
the evening papers. "Challoper Caught
In Chicagop
"How are we going TO break the
..o..,. 40 ha.oD oiohad ghirlav "a ahx