The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1912-03-01
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 hastened 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 1t 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 like
a trip-hammer with apprehension. a
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
preposterous, 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 baffied-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 couId
be true, and yet Keith grasped at If
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 | know" retorted the
olher' lnolHerently. Cant for the
life of me tell those two females anart
One 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 II
must have been her-anything
wrong?"
I'm rot sure yet" shortly. Who
was this other person."
old fellow with white hair and
whiskers-swore like a pirate-had
the sheriff along with him"
1t came to Keith In fash-it was
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 to
rap once at the closed door before he
pressed it open. The sight within
held him silent. waiting opportunity
to 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
ing a brown beard, closely trimmed.
You'd better acknowledge it,"
Waite snapped out, with a quick
glance at the newcomer TT will make
it all the easier for you. | tell you
this is the sheriff, and we've got you
both dead to rights"
But" she urged, why should be
arrested? | have done nothing"
You're an adventuress-a damn
adventuress-Hawley mistress, prob
ab!y-a-"
Nov, see here, Waite" and Fair
balm swung himself forward. you
drop that. Miss Maclaire Is my friend.