The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-06-12

what has become OF my little girl?"
Il do not know" / confessed, gag
ing about In bewilderment. "She came
up the stairs, / am sure. 1t was just
as the fight began, and I had scarce
ly a moment to observe anything be.
fore we were at 1t iercely. 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 her
into marriage"
Into marriagei With whom? 2"
Captain Grant" | answered pas
~sionately. 1T was q 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 v G 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 Claire?"
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 required 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 YEARLY 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.
! 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 l hoped he
had already paid the penalty. II not
! vowed the man should never escape
But the thought of the missing Cir
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 beer
there. AS l stood in the Goor OF the
deserted mushroom staring helpless
ly about, a sudden possibility occurred
to me. Ay! that must be the truth
the full explanation OF her vanishing
She had come flying up the stairs
frightened, desperate-so far as she
knew, alone against Fagin's unscrupu
lous band. She had not returned e
her father. or escaped by way Of tns
hall. Where then could she have
gone? The secret staircase, dowr
which she had hurried me, and which
was known only to herself. Eric ant
Peter. | gripped Farrell's arm eagerly
"You know this house weil-did yot
ever hear Of secret passages in it?"
II have heard It whispered In COS
SIP" he answered. shat such wer,
here In the old Indian days. why?'
Because 1t Is true. The girl hid
me here from Grant. And that Il
where we will find her. The opening
Is there by the false chimney. but
have no conception OF how 1t works
she made me turn my back while sht
operated the mechanism"
He stopped down. and began search
along the fireplace, and l joined him
Together our hands felt over ever,
inch OF surface. There was no re
Spouse. not even a crack to guide us
At last he glanced aside. and our eye,
met.
Who knew OF this beside Claire,'
he asked.
Eric and the servant Swanson. Sh,
told me she and her brother discov
cred 1t by acciden. through reading al
old memoranda"
"And the colonel is not aware O
its existencef"
4 understand not. Do you know /
the bt,y lives?"
He left the room. and + heard hi
voice calling down the stairs, but dis
not distinguish the words Of reply.
was still on ny knees when he re
turned.
He IL alive. but unconscious. Law
renee. DO you consider II impossible,
for her 10 escape from here alone. pro
riding sss tSSSsscssc-s..tht s s!sces
y could ind no opening except un
~derground. and that 10 blocked now
shuddered at the Thought Besides
she must BE- IN utter darkness. Cor
nnad III me candida