Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-02-21

He trailed off helplessly. and she let
him lounder until his embarrassment
ceased to amuse her. Then she said
quietly:
How can be of any assistance to
you, Lord Beachcombe, in a private
family affair? That seems quite out
of my province"
Alas. 1 am but too we'll aware that
l have forfeited all right to ask favors
of you, ~Viscountess," he pleaded, but
l know your generous nature so we'll
that l am emboldened to cast myself
upon your mercy
You flatter mel" she cried, with her
dazzling smile. What can my gen.
crosby n mercy do for Lord Beach
cOmbe?"
Il scarcely know. IT'S but an idea;
a mere catching at a straw. Still. /
have been credibly informed that you
We're decoyed last night to the den of
Robin ~Freelnantle, the highway rob-
I Der. whence. with unparalleled courage.
you rescued the queens necklace
surely" she interrupted, with some
lmpatience. her majesty's necklace
can not be our private family af-
fair?"
He laughed explosively. us nothing
sacred to you, Lady Prudence? j only
wished to fe%licitate o Upon your most
remarkable adventure, and it's brilliant
result. and to implore you to tell me il
S->N NO0AAN cay SoPStS vi ~
the--the place where the necklace was
hidden"
WAS the necklace hidden any
where" she inquired. in a lone of sur
prise. Il did not find it; it was given
to me-
by Robin Freemantle-is it not SOP
ne eagerly interrupted.
Robin Freemantle! What could
make you imagine that he ave it to
me?" h cried, in an accent of in
tense astonishment.
My dear Viscountess, surely you are
aware that this rascal. disguised in my
mask and domino, followed you the
whole evening OF the masquerade
ball"
is it possible" cried Prue, with the
prettiest imaginable air of i%ncredulity.
La! what strange things happen at a
masquerade"
Possible? 'Tis a fact" replied
Beachcombe; and tits easy to under
stand that having fallen madly in love
with you
The outrageous monster" shrieked
Prue.
Ever monsters are human. dear
Niscountess, and who can wonder that
the beauty that has wrought such
havoc In my-in our-in all beholders
should have smitten this fellow, Who is
reported to have shadowed your foot
steps all Monday night. disguised in
~ ~ NOAAAAA civ az IldSN
and domino were mine, and he robbed
me or them in the same house by the
river side where you were taken last
night. A den Of thieves. V%iscountess.
from which your escape unframed was
hardly less than a miracle"
My, escape? Nobody attempted to
detain me. In fact l saw no one, and
the only danger l escaped was of be-
ing taken prisoner by the soldiers who
came to search for-rebels, j under
stood them to say"
Rebels! Ha! ha! tits true, this Jail
bird has the audacity to mix himself
up with Jacobite plots and claim that
he only steals purses on the chance
of their containing papers of value to
the ~pretender's cause! Speaking Of
papers brings me back to my own af-
fairs. When this villain stole my DOM
inc, he also robbed me OF a packet Of
papers. He returned h domino-after
putting 1T to the use you wot of--but
the papers,. of great value. he refused
to give up. Is 1t possible, dear Lady
Prudence. that while you were in this
robbers den. 0 saw such a packet? 2"
Prue shook her head "The SOL
diers took everything they could
find in the place." she said ref!ec-
lively. IF I were you. l would mako
inquiries Of them"
Il have done So" he said; but they
brought away no such packet"
Perhaps 1t was opened and they
have the contents"
IT have reason to think that unlike
ly," replied Beachcombe, biting his lips
and scowling.
mo. indeed; IL 1 could hope for
that"
What, hope for the destruction of
/ valuable private papers? It is not to
you. then, that they are valuable?''
she cried shrewdly.
TIA oto~<ol nna o.,@A ~. .,.-s~a~...
~ for a moment. ITO no one else" he
replied emphatically; but you can
surely understand, Lady Prudence,
that same family documents would be
better destroyed than in the hands Of
AN enemy
was Rob-Captain Freemantle-
your enemy?" she asked ingenuously.
1T seems to me that some one-who
can It have been?-said he was your
relative. He calls himself De Cliffe,
doesn't hop
Lord Beachcombe looked at her
have the impudence to call himself Dc
Cliffe. when he addressed you at tho
ball. viscountess? ?" he demanded.
La! no: and II he had-people can
say anything behind q mask. without
fear Of being believed" she retorted,
arbar Sweeting. when she told ua
OF the loss of the queens necklace
She told us how o had obtained his
pardon when condemned to b. hanged.
and afterward set the soldiers upon
him
Beachcombe bent his sullen glance
upon h carpet. tracing out its faded
pattern with his Malacca cane. Every
family has its painful secrets. Lady
Prudence" no began, land this packet
contains n of the De Cliffe family
secrets-a painful one. but not impor-
tant-oh-nOt at all important. Had
the soldiers found It. Il would have