Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-09-07
CHAPTER XII.

lnportant-read 1t once"
CHAPTER XII.
WORD FROM THE FUGITIVE.
L glanced at my watch; it wanted
SUN half an o of II o'clock.
Lets walk on together" 1 said;
this needs talking over. A special
delivery letter from New York, then,
causes Marcia Lawrence, a we'll poised,
SELF possessed. happy woman to fee
from the man h loves, to wreck her
NE, throw away her future l stop
ped in despair. Really, / felt for the
moment like tearing my hair.
1T seems incredible, doesn't it?"
asked Godfrey, smiling at my bewild-
cred co%untenanca.
"Incredible? Why. it's more than
that-it's-it's-1 don't know any word
strong enough to describe it. Godfrey.
what is this secret?'
Il know what it isn't"
Well, what isn't it, them
1T isn't about Curtiss. We've looked
into his life-I just got a report from
Delaney-and he's as straight as a
And the women?"
With the women 1t isn't so easy.
You see. they were in Europe for six
OF even years. and it's hard to follow
them: However,. we're on their track,
and / have hopes"
Hopes"
proving my theory the right one.
depend upon it, Lester, there's either a
lover or a husband in the background
somewhere"
But again 1 remember the photo
graph.
"A lover. perhaps" l admitted. but
not a husband, Godfrey. here's no
stain like that on her-there's no stain
at all. She's spotless-In stake my
soul upon IT,"
He was gazing at me curiously.
you seem mighty certain about it,"
he commented.
For an instant. l had an impuls. to
show him the photograph. But l
st1f1ed it,.
II am certain" l answered lamely.
Certain your theory's all wrong"
Well. I'm going to stick to 1t till 1
find a better one"
Are you going to make 1t public? ?"
NO. not till we've something more
to back 1t. We've wired our European
correspondents to look up the record
of the women while they were abroad.
Wen wait till we get reports from
them. which will be tomorrow or the
day after. Let's see il we can find out
which way Miss Lawrence went last
night"
We had reached the hotel. and, as
he spoke, Godfrey turned into it.
The ticket agent boards here" he
said. "and l took care to make friends
with him.. l thought perhaps he might
be able to help me. All. there he is
now. Wait a moment"
He hurried forward and Intercepted
a we'll dressed man who was just
leaving the office. / saw them stop for
a moments low-toned conversation;
then Godfrey turned back towards me.
No he said, mo luck. Miss Law
Nn n AnvpeYtt r~ 11.~ -
here last night. nor did either of the
Kingdoms. The agent was on duty
from 6 till midnight. But he suggests
a very simple way in which she could
have escaped notice, had she wished.
She had merely to enter the train
without buying a ticket and pay her
fare direct to the conductor. Tn in
clined to think that's what she did
providing, Of course, that she left town
at all.'
II think she's left" / said: land
that's no doubt the way she did it,
NOW, IN have to say goodbye" he
added. Il don't think / shall stay
here much longer-the case isn't worth
1t. When do you go back"
II don't know yet" 1 answered.
I've got to have something to AXE to
ed"
"I'll let you know II 1 hear anything
80 osN WI ACSROllucI here WIFI
be on h lookout for developments.
My sympathies are all with Curtiss.
want to help you"
THANK you," l said. "Good-bye."
I watched him for a moment, as he
hurried down the street; then 1 turned
back towards the Lawrence house. Yes,
Godfrey evidently wished to help me:
n yet. while he had given me a lot
OF what he called interesting informa-
ton" and had treated me to a no-less-
interesting theory, he had only made
the mystery more impenetrable thar
ever
beg pardon, SIR" said a voice. and
somebody ran into me.
l glanced up to see that 1t was a
FORTHCOMING boy, wearing a cap with
Nv. u" on the front. We were lust al
the Lawrence gate.
"All right" l said. NO harm DONE
n entered.
Not til! was half way up the walk
die 1t occur to me that the boy had
probably come out of the gate-that he
had brought a message--from whom
for whom:
l rang the bell, and a girl admitted
me; but it was not Lucy Kingdom
whom l had hoped to see. She showed
me into h library, and took my card
She must have met her mistress in the
hall. for it va only n m before
the rustic of approaching skirts an.
nounced her. AS she entered. 1 noticed
with a quick leap of the heart that she
held crushed in her hand a sheet OF
yellow paper.
Good morning. Mr.. Lester" she said
quite composedly, and it was eviden,
that she had entirely conquered tn,
agitation which had racked her tn,
evening before. "Sit down. please
and she herself sank into a chair
1--WE been thinking over what you sale