River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-01-25
CHAPTER Xxx.
In christie's Room.


Keith swept his glance up and down
the street without results. Surely
Hawley and his companion could not
have disappeared so suddenly. They
had turned to the right, he was GER
tain as to that, and he pushed through
the crowd of men around the theater
entrance, and fastened to overtake
them. He found nothing to overtake
nowhere along that stretch of street.
illumined by window lights, was there
any sign of a man and woman walking
together. He stopped, bewildered
staring blindly about, failing utterly to
comprehend this mysterious vanishing.
What could it mean? What had hap
pened? How could they have disap-
peared so completely during that sin
gle moment he had waited to speak to
Fairbain? The mans heart beat AXE
a trip-hammer with apprehension, u
sudden fear for Hope taking posses
sion of him. Surely the girl would
never consent to enter any of those
dens along the way, and Hawley
would not dare resort to force in the
open street. The very thought seemed
r"eposterous, and yet, with no other
supposition possible, he entered these
one after the other in hasty search,
questioning the inmates sharply, only
to find himself totally baff1ed-Hawley
and Hope had vanished as though
swallowed by the earth. He explored
dark passage-ways between the scat
tered buildings, rummaging about
recklessly, but came back to the street
again without reward
Could they have gone down the 9TH
er side. in the deeper shadows. and
thus reached the hotel more quickly
than it seemed to him possible? There
was barely a chance that this could
be true. and yet Keith grasped at it
desperately, cursing himself for hav-
ing wasted time. Five minutes later
breathless, almost speeches. with
anxiety, he startled the clerk.
Has Miss Waite come in? Miss
Hope Waite?"
Blamed if l know" retorted the
other, indifferently. Cant for the
life of me tell those two females apart
Cae of them passed through bout ten
minutes ago; Doc Fairbain was with
her. Another party just went m
stairs hunting Miss Maclaire. and as
they haven't come down. reckon it
must have been her-anything
wrong?"
I'm not sure vet" shortly. WHO
was this other persona"
old fellow with white hair and
whiskers-swore like a pirate-had
the sheriff along with him"
1t came to Keith in a fiash-it vas
Waite. Perhaps Christie knew. Per.
haps the General knew. Certainly
something of Importance was crystal
liZing in the actress room which
might help to explain all else. He
rushed up the stairs, barely waiting tn
rap once at the closed door before he
pressed it open. The sight within
held him silent. waiting opportunity
20 blurt out his news. Here, also.
was tragedy, intense. compelling,
which for the instant seemed to even
overshadow the fate of the girl he
loved There were three men pres
ent, and the woman. She stood clutch
ing the back of a chair, white-faced
and open-eyed. with Fairbain slightly
behind her, one hand grasping her
arm, the other clinched, his jaw set
pugnaciously Facing these two was
Waite, and a heavily built man wear
ms brown beard, closely trimmed.
You'd better acknowledge it"
Waite snapped out. with a quick
glance at the newcomer. 1T will make
it all the easier for you l tell you
this is the sheriff, and we've got you
both dead to rights"
But" she urged. why shopid l be
arrested? have done nothing"
You're an adventuress-a damn
adventures awley's mistress. prob
ably-a"
Now, see here, Waite" and Fair
balm swung himself forward, you
drop that Miss Maclaire is my frienf