The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1911-02-10
CHAPTER Mi.-consinued.

You will stay-eh, Nat?" he cried,
ibobhing his head. Yes. you will stay.
and you will give me back the pack
age for d day or two" He retreated
TO the trap and slid down it as quick
nv az q rat. pheasant dreams to you,
Nat. and-O, wait a minutc!" Cap.
tain Plrms could hear him ~pattering
quickly over the floor below. In a
moment he was back. thrusting his
white grimacing face through the
trap and tossed something upon the
bed. ~She left them last night, Nat.
Pleasant dreams, pleasant Dreams"
land he was gone.
Nathaniel turned to the bed and
picked up q faded bunch of lilacs.
Then he sat down. loaded his pipe,
and smoked until he could hardly see
the walls Of his little room. From the
moment Of his landing on the island
he turned the events OF the day over
in his mind. Yet when he arrived at
1.-THE end of them he wal no less mys-
titled than when he began. Who was
Obadiah Prfce3 Who was the girl
that fate had 80 mysteriously ASSOC
ciated with his movements thus far?
What was the plot In which he had
accidentally become involved? with
ltireless tenacity he hung to these
Questions for hours. That there was
- plot Of some kind be had not the
ileaot doubt,f The councillors strange
actions, the OATH the package. and
above all the scene In the kings house
convinced him OF that. And he was
isuE0 that Obadiah's night visitor-the
girl with the lilacs-was playing a
vital part In 1t.
He plucked at the withered flowers
which the old man had thrown him.
He could detect their sweet scent
above the pungent fumes of tobacco
and as Obadiah's triumphant chuckle
)rectfred to him, the gloating joy in
his eyes. the passionate tremble OF his
voice. q grim smile passed over his
face. The mystery was easy OF solu-
ti0nx II he was willing to reason along
ccrtSin lines. But he was not willing.
He had formed his own picture OF
Str1pg's wife and 1t pleased him to
keen It. At moments he half con-
ceded himself q fool, but that did not
trouble him. The longer he smoked
the more his old confidence and his
old 4~ecklessness returned 10 him. He
had aenjoyed his adventure. The next
day he would end 1t. He would 60
opeHly Into st. James and have done
hin business with Strang. Then he
would teturn to his ship. What had
he CAPTAIN Plum. to do with Strang's
Wifi? y
HSt even after he had determined
on hese things his brain refused to
ITea& He paced back and forth
lacpona the narrOw room, thinking OF
ithasman4Mhom he was to meet to-
lm0frow-of Strung. the one-time
'schoolmAster and temperance lecturer
who had made himself q king. who
flor seven years hid de6ed the state
and nation. and who had made OF his
island stronghold q h0t-hed Of polyg-
AMY. o. li~centiousness. Of dissolute
power. His blood grew hot as he
th61nght aagnan lot the. beautiful girl
wko had appealed to him. Obadiah
had said that SHE was the kings wife.
StfEI-
Thoughts mashed into his head
.whlch for a@time made him forget his
mission on tie island. In spite OF his
regDlattc1 e. keep to his own scheme
hosfound himaelf. after ! little, think
l1nt only 81 the Mormon king. and the
lloxely lace he had seen through the