The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-11-16
Continued

Had Miss Virginny any jewelry OF
herr" asked Joe.
"A watch and a necklace"
What value?"
Seven or eight hundred dollars"
Huh said November reflectively
And what did you do after finding he,
hat"
I'VE trailed the two villains until
they got on to some rocky ground. II
was 100 dark then TO do more, so We
returned. Five thousand dollars II you
lay hands on them" be said
BY the river the traces were so plain
that any one could read them-the
slender feet OF the victim and the
larger footprints OF the two men. The
fishing rod. snapped off toward the ton
of the middle joint had been left
where 1t had fallen. 1t seemed as II
the girl had tried to defend herself
with it. Next We went to the lake.
November literally nosed his way
along The moccasiped tracks of the
two men showed family here and there
on the softer parts of the ground.
Looks as If they was toting some
thing" said Joe. They must a car.
ried her. Stop! They set her down
here for a spell"
Another moment brought us over the
rise and in sight of Mooseshank lake
l halted involuntarily The place seem.
ed created for the scene of a tragedy.
November had pushed on to the spo:
where footprints and other signs show
ed where the men had entered the ca
noe. The deep slide of a moccasined
foot In the mud seemed to tell of the
e1ort 1t required to get the girl en-
haTked
They took her ont on the lake and
murdered her. groaned Plank. Drag
slhE! Ihere'S 10 Use dragging. thai
water goes plumb down to the root OF
The world
AFTER that We went around to the
other side of the lake and saw the
beached canoe. The two sets of moe
casined tracks showed clearly on the
strip Of mud by the water. but were
soon lost in the tumbled debris of
two-year-old stony landslip over which
trailing appeared quite impossible. No
vember was busy about this landing
place for longer time than | expect
ed then he crossed the landslide at
right angles and disappeared from our
view. Soon he came hurryinc TO.
ward us.
"she isn't dead"
What"
Anyways, she wasn't when she
passed here. have proof here that
you will think mighty good" He drew
out little leather case had given
him and extracted from ii long hair
or beautiful red gold color. "Look
at that. | found it in the spruces
above there"
Plank took 1t gently in his rreaI
fingers. he was visibly much moved
For few seconds he held it without
speaking. then, That grew ON Vir.
g1nia's head, sure enough Joe. Is it
fOSiS'S 10y Siii ~ o4iN
She is. sure! Don't he afeared
You'll soon have news Of her, can
promise you that, Mr. Plank. This
wasn't no case OF murder. It's lust
an abduction. They'd never be such
fools as 10 kill her. They're cutter
than that. Isn't she your daughter?
They'll hold her to big ransom. That's
their game"
An ugly look came into Planx's ewes
That's their game, is it? I'm not
man that it is easy to milk dollars
FROM" said be.
BY this time it was growing too
dark for Joe to work any longer. We
crossed the lake with PLANK. and that
night Joe and camped near the end
OF Mooseshank lake. where stream
flowed from 1t.
At dawn, while we were having
breakfast, Joe stood up and stared
into the trees that grew thick behind
us. As he called out | looked back
and saw the indistinct figure of man
In their shadow watching us. He
beckoned. and we approached him. T.
saw lie was young, with pale face
and rather shabby town made clothes.
Don't you remember Walter Cal.
vey. November?" be said. holding out
his hand, 81 was with you and Mr..
Plank and-and-her last year in the
woods
Huh. yes. and what are you doing
here. Mr.. Calvey:' asked Joe, shaking
hands.
Il heard about Virginia. How could
| keep away after that?" exclaimed
Calvey.
You've no cause to fret yet" said
Joe.
What? When they've killed her.
III 60 with you and If we can find
those
Huh! She's not dead! Take my
word for it~ Joe's gray eyes gave me
roguish hook, why. I've got a thing
here In my pocketbook you'd give me
$lO0 for. He held the red gold hair
up to the light of the rising sun.
Calvey shook from hend to foot.
"Virginia's! You couldn't dnd its