The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1913-08-21

- Usaaa - Q hasay ~ asrvarl.
80 s0sot 49, tAs ssstaia, thrustins
esr Aaal Dast - vhsrs - eouid gain
. vSsw ooAs&0a Haafia peeased her
eAA6 ~ eos AaaA. planting himself
ssnarsay bseors tie visiov. Che met
10 eges spitesully.
vas mistaken tAAs tns.s she ae-
knsvIedss6 driving svsy, but I'd
like to know Why yos we're 10 anxious
to prevent my looking out DO you
know whom thought you had there!"
As yos please rejoicing that the
Eirl had escaped noticsL
That little snip Of q Molly. You
made q hit With her all right. and she
certainly don't Ike ne. Well, delight
fui - It u to meet yoa again. l must
be going" She turned away. and then
paused to add over her shoulder:
Don't you think It would be Just as
safe for you to attend to your own
business. Sergeant Hanhaf-
And let you alonsf"
Exactly: and let ~ alone, am
hardly the sort q woman II h safe to
play with. 1t will - worth your while
to remember that"
He waited. motionlses, Until assured
that she had passed down the hall a.
far a. the door of the dining. room.
The sound Of shuming chairs evi.
denced the breaking up of the party.
In preparation 70 return 70 the ball
room. II Miss NcDonald's absence
wers to escape observation, she would
have to slip out now and rejoin the
others ~ they left the house. He again
turned down the light. and held back
the curtain.
The way 10 clear now. Miss Molly"
There was NO response, no move
ment. He stepped outside, thinking
the girl must have failed to hear him
Tho porch was empty. He stepped
from one end to the other, making
sure she was not crouchinG in the
darkness. scarcely able to grasp the
fact of her actual disappearance. This,
then. was why Mrs. Dupont had failed
to see any one when she glanced out
But where could the girl have gone!
How gotten awayf He had heard no
sound behind him: not even the rustic
OF skirt to betray movement II
was not far to the ground, i've or six
feet. perhaps: 1t would be perfectly
safe for one to lower the body over
the rail and drop. Tho matted prairie
grass under foot would render the act
noiseless. No doubt that was exactly
the way the escape had been accom-
plished. Alarmed by the presence of
those others. suspecting that the WON.
an within would insist on learning
whom Hamlin was attempting to con.
ceal. possibly overhearing enough of
their conversation to become fright
ened at the final outcome. Miss Nc.
Donald. in sudden desperation; had
surmounted the rail. and dropped to
the ground. The rest would be easy
to hasten around the side of the house,
and slip In through the front door.
| Assured that this must be the full
explanation. the sergeant's cheerful
ness returned. The company of ON.
GERS and guests had already fled out
through the hall; he could hear voices
laughing and talking in the street, and
the band tuning up their instruments
across in the dance hall. He would 20
over and make certain Of her pres
ence. then his mind would be at ease.
He passed out through the desert
hallway. and glanced in at the din
ing-room. where number Of men were
gathering up the dishes. Beyond this
the barroom was crowded, a ritfraff
lined up before the sloppy bar, among
these q number In uniform-unat-
tached Officers who had loitered BE-
hind to quench their thirst. Hamlin
drank little, Tut fingered a moment
just inside the doorway. to observe
who was present. Unconsciously he
was searching for Dupont, half in.
clined to pick quarrel deliberately
with the fellow or with Connors, deter.
mined II he found the little rat alone
to frighten whatever knowledge he
possessed out Of him. But neither
worthy appeared. Having assured him.
self Of their absence, Hamlin turned
to depart. but found himself facing a
little man with long hair, roughly
dressed. who occupied the doorway
| Ahc uOOhcO -uOoc, anu DrlRnC eyes,
peering forth from a mass of un.
trimmed gray whiskers, were familiar
You keep the junk shop down by
the express office, don't you?"
Yep" briskly. scenting business in
the question. "I'm Kaplan; vot could
do for you-hey?"
Answer a question II you will,
friend. Do you recall selling a harer.
sack to traveller on the last stage out
for Santa Fe IN June?"
vel, do no; vas he big fellow.
Maybe de Won vat vas killed-hey?"
Yes; his name was Moylan. post
sutler at Fort Marcy"
Maybe dot vos It Why YOU want
to know-hey?'
mo harm to you, Kaplan," the Ser
geant explained. only I picked IT
up out there after Moylan was killed
and discovered by some writing on the
|