The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-08-03
CHAPTER III
TEN 1r1IIoN ROMANS RANSOM.

AT r. GRAY8EA1l on the morning
after the events already de-
V scrlbed waited long at the
breakfast table, and at last,
growing impatient, he sent to his
daughters room. It was empty! So
the servant reported
"EmptyH' Mr.. Grayman exclaimed
What do you mean2"
Miss Helen is not there and her
bed has not been occupied We can
ind no trace Of her or OF Susan"
Mr.. Grayman could rot believe his
ears. He was OF cholerie tempera-
ment. except in business
''You idiotw he said. brushing the
girl aside. 'Tn go myself and see"
he ascended to his daughters apart
ments.. In few minutes he had con-
WINGED himself of the truth OF the in
credible report Miss Grayman was
not to be found, and neither her bed
nor Susan's had been disturbed He
was absolutely stunned. His dauGh-
ter, although Of n romantic dfsposi-
ton, was most regular in her habits,
and she had seldom spent night out
Of the house when he was in It He
treasured her as the apple Of his eye
She formed the only bond between him
and the world OF sentiment. He new
er suffered her to be long out OF his
sight. In summer they went together
to one of his country places, or to the
mountains, or the seaside. or some
times to Europe Tint she should van
ish out of his own house. from under
his very eyes, was n thing beyond all
possibility of belief It simply could
not be so. And yet it was so.
After the first half paralyZlng shock
produced by this tremendous fact Mr..
Grayman became angry. He abused
the servants who fiocked, wondering,
around Miss Grayman's door. When
the nousekeeper appeared, bustlIng to
the rescue with an imaginary expia-
nation of the disappearance half ut
tered on her lips, he lost all patience
and chused her downstairs. Mr.. Cray
man. the great Millionaire, noted for
his GOODNESS and his nerve, had almost
gone mad. He had met his 1rst check
in thirty years and in a form that he
could not endure.
The occurrence was so unprecedent-
ed that he could not think connectedly
about It or about what TO do. The
butler was more clear headed than his
master.
81 think it will be necessary to send
for the police, sir" he suggested
THE policeW cried Mr.. Grayman.
what have they got to do with it7
What do the police know about my
daughter2"
''But-but, SIR" stammered the man.
"she rnay-she may have been carried
on"
Carried onl Who would carry her
OF, You fool2 Who could carry her
OF here2''
at don't know, sir. But she wouldn't
have gone of herself, would she, sir?'
At this one of the maids, in whose
hard, practical brain the buffers re-
mark had struck the spark OF an idea,
said in an undertone to companion:
could 1t have been that Lord Darn
ley? He was always hanging around
her"
Mr.. Graymnn's ear caught the words.
Now, this was something which might
have been expected to anger him-the
suggestion that his daughter would
elope. But instead it simply shocked
his mind back into n normal state. In
an instant he had become master OF
himself and of the situation.
go about your duties" he said quiet
IL in his ordinary tones. I'VE are max
ing trouble about nothing. / had real
" fOFGOCCeu WnuC my Na1Bu'SA S'S
me Inst night. have been SO over
pressed with business that It escaped
me. She has not disappeared. know
where she is. 1t was only my forget
fulness. Think no more about it
This was again the William Gray
man who knew how to make billions
In dash he had reached his decision.
IL his daughter had run away at tho
Jnst,r-n+Jon Of one of her sultors-a
thing he did not yet believe-it was
absolutely essential that the fact should
be suppressed, at least until he knew
alI the circumstance The idea OF
forcibIe abduction did not occur to
him. 1t would have appeared to his
mind too absurd to be entertained
sim. he felt that he needed the aid
of the police, as the butler had suggest
ed. but II must be secret aid 1t must
never be known-least, of nll to his
servants. He. of course. had the means
of securing secrecy, no least us far as