The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-09-03

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distinguish his white. hard face in
the faint light, for 1t was now late,
and the big electric lamps had been
turned out and we were in semidark.
ness.
THAT fellow shall never marry Mu-
riel," he declared in fierce. hoarse
voice. What you have just told me
reveals the truth. Did you meet
Chater?"
He appeared suddenly at Rannoch.
and the Leithcourts fed precipitately
and have not since been heard Of"
"Ah, no wonder!" he remarked with
q dry laugh. mo wonder! But look
here, Gordon, I'm not going to stand
by and let that scoundrel Woodroffe
marry Muriel."
You love her. perhaps?" l haz-
arded.
Yes, l do love her." he admitted.
And, by heaven!" he cried, 81 will
tell the truth and crush the whole of
their ingenious plot. Have you met
Elma Heath?" he asked.
Yes" ! said in quick anxiety.
Then listen," he said in low, ear.
nest voice. Listen. and I'll tell you
something"
There is a greater mystery sur.
rounding that yacht, the Lola, than
you have ever imagined, my dear old
chap" declared Jack Durnford, look
ing me straight in the face. when
you told me about it on the quarter
deck that day outside Leghorn | was
half mind to tell you what knew.
Only one fact prevented me-my dis
inclination to reveal my own secrets.
| loved Muriel Leithcourt, yet, afloat
as l was, l could never see her-I
could not obtain from her own lips the
explanation / desired. Yet l would
not prejudice her-no, and I won't
now!" he added with fierce resolu-
ton.
II love her." he went on, land she
reciprocates my love. Ours Is secret
engagement, made in Malta two years
ago, and yet you tell me that she has
pledged herself to that fellow Wood
roffe-the man known here In Lon
don as Dick Archer. l can't believe
it, really can't, old fellow. She
could never write to me as she has
done, urging patience and secrecy un.
til my return"
"Woodroffe Is at the present mo-
ment In Petersburg" said. 1--WE Just
come back from there"
I'm st. Petersburg!" he gasped, sur
| hn ic mi
famous official, Baron Oberg, the gov
ernor general of Finland"
mo; Oberg is living shut up in his
palace at Helsingfors, fearing to go
out lest he shall be assassinated," was
my answer.
And Elma? What has become of
herr"
"She is in hiding in Petersburg.
awaiting such time as l can get her
safely out of Russia" and then, con-
| tinuing, / explained how she had been
| manned and rendered deaf and dumb.
What" he cried fiercely. Have
they actually done that to the poor
girl? Then they feared that she
would reveal the nature of their plot,
for she had seen and heard"
81 intend to rescue and to marry
her." l said quite frankly. But
from whom do you expect l can OBJ
tain the facts concerning her, and the
reason of the baron's desire to keep
her silent?"
"Ah!" he said, twisting his mus
tache thoughtfully. That's Just the
question. She may be the victim Of
that blackleg Woodroffe, who is one
of the most expert swindlers in Lon
don, and who has already done two
terms Of penal servitude."
But he is on extremely friendly
terms with Elma. 1t was he who sue
ceeded In finding her in Finland. and
taking her beyond Oberg's sphere Of
influence to Petersburg"
Then it is certainly only an af.
fected friendship, with some sinister
motive underlying It,"
"She wrote letter from her island
prison to an old schoolfellow named
Lydia Moreton, asking her to see
woodroffe at his rooms in Cork street,
and tell him that through all she was
suffering she had kept her promise to
him, and that the secret was still safe.
Exactly. And now the fellow fears
that as you are so actively searching
out the truth, she may yield to your
demands and explain. He therefore
intends TO silence her."
what! to kill her, you mean"
gasped, in quick apprehension.
"Well, he might do so, in order to
save himself. you see," Jack replied.
tried to get from him all that he
knew concerning Elma, but he seemed,
for some reason, disinclined to tell.
All could gather was that Leithcourt
was in league with Chatter and Wood
roffe, and that Muriel had acted as
an entirely innocent agent.
I'VE must find Muriel." he declared,
when pressed him to tell me every
thing he knew. There are facts you
have told me which negative my own