Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-01-24

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what has become of my little grip"
i do not know" / confessed, gaz.
ing about in bewilderment. She came
UP the stairs, am sure. It was Just
as the fight began, and | had scarce
ly moment to observe anything be
fore We were at it fiercely 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 marriage! With whom ?"
Captain Grant" answered pas
sionately 1T 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. ave
known it, 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, Tor haven't taken
| my eyes from THAI door"
Then she is Hiding somewhere in
those front rooms. Come on, Law
renee. and Wen 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.
lie was not the kind to desert his mis-
tress at such 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-
err, recalling the treachery of the lat
ter, his insults 10 Claire. his deceiY-
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 If not.
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 stood in the Coor of the
deserted mushroom staring helpless.
ly about. sudden possibility occurred
10 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 10
her father, or escaped BY way Of the
hall Where then coule she have
gone? The secret staircase, down
which she had hurried me, and which
was known only to herself, Eric and
Peter. ] gripped Farrell's arm eagerly.
You know this house well--did YOU
ever hear of secret passages in it?"
Il have heard it whispered in COS
SIP" he answered. that such were
here in the old Indian days. Why?"
Because it is true. The girl bid
me here from Grant And that IL
where we will find her The op4nii. z
is there by the false chin ney, hu, |
have no conception of how /, works:
she made me turn my back willie 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-
Spouse. not even a crack to guide us.
AT last he glanced aside. ard our eyes
met
Who knew of this beside Claire p"
he asked
Eric and the servant Swanson. She
told me she aud her brother discov-
cred it by accident through reading an
old memoranda"
And the colonel is not aware OF
its existence?"
| understand not Do you know II
the boy lives?"
He left the room. and ! heard his
voice calling down the stairs. but did
not distinguish the words OF reply. I
was still on my knees when he re-
turned.
He is alive. but unconscious. Law
renee Do you consider it impossible
for her to escape from here alc1e. pro-
vtdlng she took refuge in this place ?"
could find no opening. except un-
dergrcund, and that is blocked now. .
| shuddered at the thought Besides.
she must be in utter darkness for |
fused all the candles"