The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-12-16

handle Of this strange door. Diligence
rewarded her, and she soon found
herself in large, musty, earth-snel-
ing cave. Loot was scattered ABOUT,
and there were boxes and chairs and
large chest. Men evidently met
here, possibly after some desperate
adventure against society. She found
nothing to reward her hardihood, and
as she was in the act Of moving to-
ward the caves door she beheld with
terror that it was moving!
She was near the chest at that mo-
nent The cave was not deep one.
There was no tunnel, only a wall.
Resolutely she raised the lid of the
chest, stepped inside, and drew the
lid down. She was just in time. The
door opened and three men entered,
talking. volubly. They felt perfectly
secure in talking as loudly as they
pleased. To Florence it seemed al
most impossible that they did not
hear the thunder Of her heart? Strain
her ears as she might, she could gath
er but little Of what they said, except:
"If Hargreave had this paper we
might all be put on the defensive. To
an outsider it is blank paper. But
the boss will be able to read it. -
The speaker moved away from the
vicinity Of the chest and she heard
no more.
Very deity Florence raised the Id
just enough to peep out. The man
who had been talking was putting the
note in his hip pocket. AS he turned
toward the chest he sat down on the
soapbox Immediately il front Of the
chest. An inspiration came to the girl
an exceedingly daring one. She took
her liberty in her hands as she ex-
ecuted the deed. But the dimress Of
the cave aided her. When she crouch
ed down again the magic paper was
hers.
It seemed hours to her before the
men left the cave as she heard the
hidden door jar in closing she raised
the lid and stepped out, breathing
deeply. The paper she had puTlcined
was indeed blank, but Jones or JlIa
would know what to do with it. And
wouldn't they be surprised when she
told them what she had accomplished
all alone? Her exultation was Of short
duration. She heard the whine Of the
door on its hinges. The men were re-
turning. Why?
They were returning because they
had discovered woman's shoeprint
outside. It pointed toward the cave,
freshly, and there was none coming
away. To reenter the chest would be
foolhardy. 1t would be the first placs
the men would look. She glanced
about desperately. She saw but one
chance, the well. And even while the
door was swinging inward, letting the
brilliant sunshine enter, she sum-
moned up the courage and let herself
down into the well, which proved to
be nothing more nor less than an un-
derground river!
The men came in with a rush. They
upset boxes, looked into the chest, and
the man who was evidently in COM
mand gazed down the well, shaking
his head. Their search was thorough,
but they found no one. And at length
they began to reason that perhaps a
woman had got as far as the door and
then turned away, walking on the
turf.
Meantime Florence was borne along
by the swift current Of the river, which
gained in swiftness every moment
From time to time she bumped along
the rocky walls, but she clung to life
yaliant1y. In ten minutes she was
swept to the other side Of the hill, in
to the rapids; but the blue sky was
overhead, she was out in the familiar