The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-09-06

he leyelled It at us.
"Who are your Quick, nowl" he
quayered. 'IVe shot one, and I'm good
for more"
"You know me, Colonel and Far
rell stepped inside. 81 am Bull Far
rell; this Is Major Lawrence" He
looked at us with dun eyes, his hand
falling weakly.
Farrell -Farrell-surely, tho black
smith. What Lawrenee7 The-tho Of
icer Claire knows3"
"Yes; he's a rough-looking object l
admit, but there has been a fight
down below, sir, In which he had a
share. We've just cleaned out Red Fa-
gins gang. We came up here TO tell
the good news to you and your daugh-
ter"
The Colonel's head sank back upon
the mussed pillow.
MY daughter-Claire- is not
here"
Not herei" I cried, aroused by the
admission. did she not return to
your"
mo; they came for her to go down
stairs-a tall man with black beard,
and two others. They took her away
an hour ago, and have seen nothing
Of her since. heard the shots, the
sound Of fierce fighting, but could not
move from the bed. Tell me, Major,
what has become of my little girl2"
Il do not know" confessed. gaz-
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!"
Eyes; she was justified. Had she
not acted so quickly l would have
done so myself. He was forcing her
into marriage"
Into marriagel With whomT
Captain Grant," l answered pas
slonately. ut was deliberate plot,
although he pretended to be innocent.
and a 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. I've
known 1t, and told Lawrence so a
month ago. only hope he was killed
down below. But what can have be-
come OF Claire7"
"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 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 recurred to me.
He was not the kind to desert his mis-
tress at such a time. Stopping Far
rell, stepped back to inquire. The
Colonel opened his eyes wearily at
sound Of my voice.
HE is not here" he 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"
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,
l 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 door 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,
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. I gripDed Farrell's arm eagerly.
"You know this house well-did you
ever hear of secret passages in it?"
81 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 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.
Eric and the servant Swanson. She
told me she and her brother discov-
cred it by accident through reading an |
old memoranda"
"And, the colonel is not aware Of |
Its exlstence?"
II understand not. Do you know If
the boy lives?"