The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-01-14

| fUl hands closed about her wrists. wheI
from below came !. shout that told sll
| b. been disco erred -
Wiz :in oath ti!e captain rankt-I he
| ~ tie roof, Jerk eG her there So violent
| Is 81, tori,l"d and fei against him
Strengthened and caught his arm t.
support herself
| From beneath them came sounds o.
pursuit, hurrying footsteps upon stairs
loud voices. Lucille seemed to hav.
all the initiative now. She graspet
the mans arm and hurried him to
ward the closest chimney just as sky
light door flung open where they hal
stood.
He drew a revolver and held it stead
lily pointing toward the place. A chiI
Of plaster cracked at their feet Lu
ellie looked down at fattened lead
| bullet. Yet there had been no shot
| fired. She stared incredulously at the
| man.
"a silencer-Maxim silencer," he
| whispered.
She nodded understanding. Together
| they crept in the shadow Of the chin
ney toward the thin brick dividing
| wall, the sanded roof scratching their
hands terribly. Again that f1utter OF
chips. The captain turned and fairly
hurled q shot from his revolver at the
| figures so cautiously approaching. A
| try OF pain followed the report and in
the confusion, the pair made short
rush.
The pursuit grew bold now. Rose the
voice Of Loubeque, cold, steady, terri
BILE.
Don't waste shots Get the man
with lead. Catch the girl
The captains grip frightened reas-
suringly Oh her wrist.
IF they get me- he said quietly,
take the gun and make them work."
In the excitement he became separ-
! ated from Lucille. She looked about,
then uttered cry Of warning. He
took step backward. then Instructive
Is lifted his elbow as though to avert
a bullet. The movement overbalanced
him and he disappeared over the edge.
a cropping. tumbling thing.
From every direction came the pur-
suit Lucille suddenly noticed there
was no attempt made to close in upon
her. but that she was being driven In a
certain direction. A bullet dashed a
spray OF sand into her face, and she
darted aside-darted into yawnins
blackness.
When she opened her eyes she was
surprised to find that there had been
no fall worth mentioning, that she had
merely been driven toward a trap door
and caught as she toppled down. Lou
belue was watching her, curiously
twisted smile playing about the corners
OF his mouth.
You have too many friends, Lucille -
he said
YES" he murmured, after q mo-
ment's silence, you are altogether too
too slippery. too nerve racking pris-
oner. l think. while the search for
the packet IS going on it would save
wear and tear on our constitutions to
move you to my ranch-my ranch In
Mexico. A beautiful spot" he smiled.
II trust you will enjoy it as much as
I have
Lucille looked at him steadily. In
the eyes Of both glowed an indomita
Bile purpose, hard resolve, q mutual
admiration. Loubeque smiled once
more. this time grimly.
"Honors have been too even till now.
l fancy the ranch will settle the rub
Der satisfactorily--at any rate, satisfac-
torily to me-
AS Thompson, the butler-thief. swift
~ descended to the ground floor and
out Into the court and knelt over the
body Of the man who had fallen from
the roof top. his hands futtered over
the man like tiny. white birds.
Through the pockets he went, rifling
them completely and replacing those
things which would be Of no value to
him. He stopped as he unwrapped the
note Lucille had written on the SCRAP
OF paper and bound about the ruby.
Incredulity, avarice and puzzled de-
light fought for mastery upon his face,
In his eyes. Secreting the ruby in his
pocket, he carefully lifted his burden
and carried it to the basement OF the
house. Then he took one last, loving
look at his find and started In search
OF his master. Already a plan had en-
tered his cunning brain to gain the res.
or the necklace, plan whereby Lou
beQue was to be no gamer.