Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-08-04

isn't that SOP" He darted ahead OF
captain Plum with a quick alert move
ment- VIII you please follow me.
sir?"
For an instant Captain Plum's i'm.
pulse was to hold back. In that in.
stant 1t suddenly occurred to him that
ne was lending himself to a rank i'm.
position. At the same time he was
nlled with a desire to go deeper into
the adventure, and his blood thrilled
with the thought Of what 1t might hold
for him.
Are you coming, SIR"
The little old man mad stopped a
dozen PAGES away and turned ex.
p~ectantly.
Il tell you again that you've got the
wrong man, dad"
! viii you follow me, sir!
well, II you'll have II s~o-damned
II ] WON'T" cried Captain Plum. He
felt that he had relieved his con
science, anyway. II things should de.
velop badly for him during the next
few hours no one could say that he
had lied. So he followed light-heart.
eddy after the old man, his eyes and
ears alert, and his right hand, by force
OF habit, reaching under his coat to
the butt of his pistol. His guide said
not another word until they had trav.
eled for half an hour along a twisting
path and stood at last or the bald sum
init of a knoll from which they could
o down upon a number OF lights
twinkling dimly a quarter of a mile
away. One of these lights cleaned
above all the others, like q beacon set
among fireiies.
That's st. James" said the old
man. His voice had changed. II
was low and soft, as though he feared
to speak above a whisper.
"St. James,"
The young man at his side gazed
down silently upon the scattered lights.
his heart throbbing in a sudden tn.
multi OF excitement. He had set out
that day with the idea of resting his
eyes on st. James. In its silent mys.
terry the town now lay at his feet.
And that light" spoke the old
man. He pointed a trembling arm to
ward the glare that shone more power.
fully than the others. THAT light
marks the sacred home of the king"
His voice had again changed. A me.
tallic hardness came into 1t, his words
were vibrant with a strange excite
ment which he strove hard to con.
ceal. 1t was still light enough for
Captain Plum to see that the old
mans black, beady eyes were startling.
~ alive with newly aroused emotion.
you mean"
"Strang!"
He started rapidly down the knoll
and there foated back to Captain
Plum the soft notes of his meaning.
less chuckle. A dozen rods farther on
his mysterious guide turned into a by.
path which led them to another knoll,
capped by a good-sized building made
of logs. There sounded the grating
OF a key In a lock, the shooting of a
bolt, and a door opened to admit them.
you will pardon me II ! don't light
up" apologized the old man as he led
the way in. "A candle will be sum.
Client. You know there must be
privacy In these matters-always. Ell?
Isn't that so?"
Captain Plum followed without re.
ply. He guessed that the cabin was
made up Of n large room, and that
at the present time, at least, 1t pos
sessed no other occupant than the
singular creature who had guided him
to 1t,
1T Is just as well, on this particular
night, that no light Ia seen at the
window" continued the old man as
he rummaged about a table for a
match and a candle. 81 have a little
corner back here that q candle will
brighten up nicely and no one In the
world will know It. Ho. no, hollow
nice 1t IL to have q quiet little corner
sometimes! Eth. Captain Plum"
At the sound Of his name Captain
Plum started as though an unexpected
hand had suddenly been laid upon him.
So he was expected, after all. and his
name was known! For a m his
surprise robbed him Of the power of
speech. The little old man had
l6utcu lie CdIuie anu, ginning DhCh
over his shoulder, passed through a
narrow cut in the wall that could hard
ly be called q door and planted his
light on o table that stood in the cen.
ter OF a small room. or closet. n
more than five feet square. Then he
coolly pulled Captain Plum'c old let.
ter from his pocket and smoothed It
ont In the dim upht