The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1915-02-19

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tity. She greeted them effusively and
| offered them chairs. For half an hour
| they sat there, chatting inanities, all
/ the while each mind busy with deeper
| concerns.
/ When the man in search of Flor
| ence eventually arrived and asked the
manager of the garden if he knew
! Miss EIargreave by sight the manager
pointed toward the box The man
wound his way in and out of the idlers
and by the time he reached the box
! Jim and Florence had made their de-
I parture. The man bowed, approached,
! and asked if she was Miss Hargreave.
! For moment the countess suspected
| trap. Then it appealed to her mind
| that ii there was no trap it might be
=" nnGn as Florence. if only Ic
handle of this strange door. Diligence
rewarded her, and she soon found
| herself in a large, musty, earth-smell-
ing cave. Loot was scattered about,
and there were boxes and chairs and
largo 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 1t was moving!
She was near the chest at that mo-
ment. The cave was not a 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 voluhly. 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 Hargreaye 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 lid
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 in 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 dimness Of
| the cave aided her. When she crouch
ed down again the magic paper was
hers.
1t 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, breathiSg
deeply. The paper she had purloined
was indeed blank, but Jones or Jim
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 womans shoeprint
outside. 1t pointed toward the cave,
freshly, and there was none coming
away. To reenter the chest would be
foolhardy. 1t would be the first place
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-
mened up the courage and let herself
down into the we'll, which proved to
be nothing more nor less than an I'M
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