Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-12-13

move from TIE bed Tell me, Major,
what has become of my little girl?"
Il do not know" / confessed, gaz-
ing about in bewilderment. She came
up the stairs, | am sure. 1t was just
as the fight began, and | had scarce
fore We were at it 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 der
into marriage"
| Into marriage! With whom"
Captain Grant," | answered pas
s1onately. 1T was a 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 it, and told Lawrence SO
month ago. only hope he was killed
down below. But what can have be-
| come of Claire?"
She never passed along here" in
sisted Mortimer, "for | haven't taken
my eyes from thar door"
Then she is hiding somewhere in
those front rooms. Come on, Law
renee, and We'll search them"
We went out hurriedly, leaving the
wounded man lying helplessly on the
bed, and stepped carelessly across the
dead sentinel lying in the hallway.
The memory Of Peter REQUIRED to me.
He was not the kind to desert his mis-
tress at such time. Stopping Far
rell, stepped back to inquire. The
Colonel opened his eyes YEARLY at
sound Of my voice
He is not here" be explained SLOW
ly Both Peter and Tonepah were
sent away to find a surgeon, and have
not returned. We anticipated no dan
ger here with Captain Grant present"
| ground my teeth savagely togeth-
CT, 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. If 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 | stood in the Goor of the
deserted mushroom staring helpless
ly about, a sudden possibility occurred
to me. Ay! that mdst be the truth
the full explanation of her vanishing
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. l gripped Farrell's arm eagerly.
You know this house well-did you
ever hear of secret passages in it?"
Il have heard it whispered In COS
SIP" he answered. that such were
here in the old Indian days. Why?"
Because it is true The girl bid
ne 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 il works:
she made me turn my back while she
operated the mechanism"
He stopped down, and began search
along the fireplace, and | joined him.
Together our hands felt over every
inch of surface. There was no re-
Spouse, not even a crack to guide us.
| At last he glanced aside, ard our eyes
met.
Who knew of this beside Claire?"
he asked
Eric and the servant Swanson. She
| told me she and her brother discov-
cred it by accident through reading an
cid memoranda"
And the colonel is not aware of
its existence?"
Il understand not. Do you know If
| the boy lives?"
| He left the room, and | heard his
voice calling down the stairs, but did
not distinguish the words Of reply.
Vas still on my knees when he re-
turned.
He IS alive, but unconscious. Law
renee. DO you consider it impossible
for her to escape from here alc0e. pro-
tvi6ing she took refuge in this place."
! Il could find no opening, except un-
| derground. and that is blocked now.
/ | shucoered al the thought. Besides.
ees mast be in utter darkness. for
pSei al the candles"