The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-10-16
CHAPTER XVI.


heard the nearby cracking of flames
she saw the nearby glare Of flame.
Without the village fire gong changed
she heard the shouts Of volunteers
coming down the road.
She ran to Mrs. Hardin's room. The
door was locked; smoke was creeping
from underneath the door Mother
Mother Hardin" cried Annette. There
was no response. In a frenzy Annette
rushed back to her room. seized
chair and returned to the locked door.
With a sudden twist Of her 1.-THE body
she raised the chair above her shout
ders and brought 1t crashing against
the door. A volume of smoke poured
out. Regardless of it, Annette rushed
in, dragged Meals mother-uncon-
scious as she was-from the bed, out
Of the room and down the stairs.
Joey" gasped Annette, Joey
Welcher-hes in there. We must save
him, too
No" interposed distant neighbor
hes not in there. saw him in the
village. running for help"
During the confusion, three shadowy
figures, returning as from chase,
crept through the smoke and crouched
beneath bushes in the rear Of the
house, unnoticed and unseen.
One of these men turned to another.
(, "Ponto," cried Hernandez in a low
,, voice, what of the packet what OF
Lost Isle?-the fool Welcher! BY this
time we might have had it,
! Annette, seated on the ground, with
Mrs. Hardin's head in her lap, watched
the scene as in dream. Her glance
roved from the flames to the crowd Of
jostling people-and from them back to
the flames again. Then suddenly her
heart rose to her throat Peering at
her from the middle of dense mass
Of shrubbery, there was face-a face
with staring eyes, matted hair, and un-
kempt beard.
She had seen that race beforehand
on that very road-it had once strick-
en- terror to her heart. This time how
ever, It had far stranger effect upon
her. No sooner had she caught sight
of this uncanny countenance. than, un
accountably she remembered some
thing-the yellow packet.
my fathers fortune-my father
whereabouts" she cried. She sur
rendered her charge to a neighborl,
woman close at hand and struggled
to her feet She reached her room II
comparative safety, save for the chok
, iny In her throat. Once there sh'
seized . water pitcher and drenche'
, herself from head to foct-then witt
dripping hair and clothes she felt TO
: and found her hiding place. Sh
CROPPED for the packet. A tongue o
: fame swept the window. She shu
, It. and the glass cracked and re-
: tinkling to the ground below. The
she CROPPED again.
: 1--WE got it-got It," she cried
d exultation, and thrust the yellow pacl
!. ct safely In her breast. There was
J. sudden crash. She fiung open he
d room door The staircase, cate
e through with name as its top moo
e ings had fallen In. The hallway wa
8 alive with flame. She sprang to ne
e window-no thoroushfare-the Who'll
o side wall-the side Of her room--wa
now ablaze. Obeying some instin'
r. Annette threw herself face downwar
;" on the door. The air there was sing
y larly sweet and cool.
y Somebody will come" she told he
= self. somebody will come"
ID Without the word passed that Al
y nette had rushed into the house-wt
T. inside now. A huge figure leap'
IS into the crowd, parting 1t rig
Re and left and bounded into the doc
10 way OF the house. Whimpering wit
e. fear. the Brute ran hither, thithe
t. through the living room. and enter'
the hall-iinding the staircase ma
d. OF ruin. He leaped and clutched Il
I'd landing up above. Some instinct II
w. him to Annette's room. He saw al
it. found her-clutched her uncOnscio
IN form in his huge arms and leaped wi
w her to the floor beneath and, unsee
OF laid her unconscious form do'
Id at the feet of Mrs. Hardin. Tn
ed black. burned. and unrecognizable.
w sped away INTO tne niSut.
lis Hernandez grltted his teeth
p thought had that brute trained
* exclaimed wrathfully, as he realiz
ly that Annette and her treasure had
IN caped him. "and | thought he W
ad afraid OF fire In both | was mistake
ok We must take 1t cut of his hide, Pc
re- -:6xt tine he must make no m
* take
IN. tTo BE CoNTINUEDl
ed
A laggard in love and bastard
war was about, barring the unto
~ seen, to wed the fair Ellen of You
no Lochinvar
nd Put the latter was not to be caug
in asleep.
90 "Tll Just keep out of it till the ST
,,a has waited at the chancel with
~ best man, while the bridal pal
cd marches down the aisle to that sl
n thing of Wagners," quoth he, a
ra suiting the action to the word
,rd carried of the girl at last withC
having had to undergo the worst
the inconvenience. =.
ST.
.eo Would Hardly Call IL a Privilege