Eastern Colorado times., 1912-12-13

"Not here!" cried. aroused by the
admission. did she mot return to
you?"
mo; they came for her to go down
stairs-a tall man with a black beard,
and two others. They took her away
an hour ago. and have seen nothing
Of her since. l-heard the shots. the
sound Of fierce fighting, but could not
move from the bed. Tell me. Major.
what has become Of my little girlf" :
Il do not know" confessed. gag
ing about in bewilderment. "She came
up the stairs. l am sure. 1t was Just
as the fight began. and had scarce.
ly moment to observe anything be-
fore we were at 1t fiercely. She shot
Fagin down. and then ran"
Shot Fagin! Claire!"
"Yes; she was justified. Had she
not acted SO Quickly would have
done so myself. He was forcing her
into marriage"
Into marriage! With whom?"
Captain Grant," I answered pas.
sionately. 1T was deliberate plot.
although he pretended to be innocent.
and helpless prisoner. Later the
man fought with the outlaws against
US; after Jones was killed he even as
sumed command"
"He has been hand and glove with
those fellows from the first. Colonel"
chimed in Farrell hoarsely. 1--WE
known 1t. and told Lawrence SO q
month ago. l only hope he was killed
down below. But what can have be-
come of Claire?"
She never passed along here" in
sisted Mortimer. FOR l haven't taken
my eyes from that door,"
Then she is hiding somewhere in
those front rooms. Come on, Law
renee. and We'll seorch them"
We went out hurrledly, leaving the
wounded man lying helplessly on the
bed. and stepped carelessly across the
dead sentinel lying in the hallway
The memory Of Peter recurred to me.
He was not the kind to desert his mis-
tress at such a time. Stopping Far
rell. l stepped back to inquire. The
Colonel opened his eyes YEARLY at
sound OF my voice.
He Is not here" he explained SLOW
ly. Both Peter and Tonepah were
sent away to find surgeon, and have
not returned. We anticipated no dan
ger here with Captain Grant present"
l ground my teeth savagely togeth-
er. recalling the treachery Of the lat
ter. his insults to Claire, his deceiv-
Ing Of Eric, his stealing Of papers,
hoping thus to ruin his own Colonel,
his alliance with Fagin, his selling Of
British secrets. Here was a villain
through and through and hoped he
had already paid the penalty. II not,
vowed the man should never escape
But the thought Of the missing girl
came back, driving all else from my
mind. She was in none Of those rooms
we searched, nor did we discover the
slightest evidence Of her having been
there. AS l stood in the Coor Of the
deserted music-room staring helpless
ly about, sudden possibility occurred
to me. Ay! that must be the truth,
the full explanation Of her vanishing.
She had come flying up the stairs,
frightened. desperate-so far as she
knew, alone against Fagin's unscrupu.
lous band. She had not returned to
her father, or escaped by way Of the
hall. Where then could she have
gone? The secret staircase, down
which she had hurried me, and which
was known only to herself, Eric and
Peter gripped Farrell's arm eagerly.
you know this house well-did you
ever hear of secret passages in it,"
II have heard 1t whispered in gos-
SIP" he answered, that such were
here in the old Indian days. Why"
Because 1t is true. The girl hid
me here from Grant. And that is
where we will find her. The opening
is there by the false chimney, but l
have no conception OF how 1t works;
she made me turn my back while she
operated the mechanism"
He stopped down. and began search
along the fireplace, and l joined him.
Together our hands felt over every
inch Of surface. There was no re-
sponse, not even crack to guide US.
At last he glanced aside, and our eyes
met
who knew Of this beside Claire? ?"
he asked.
told me she and her brother discov-
cred it by accident through reading an
old memoranda
And the colonel is not aware Of
its existence"
II understand not Do you know If
the boy liyes?"