The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1915-01-15

indie Of this strange door. Diligence
.eWarded ner ana she soon found
herself in a large, musty, earth-smell-
lg cave Loot was scattered about,
and there we're boxes and chairs and
a large chest Men evidently met
here, possibly after some desperate
adventure against society. She found
nothing to reward her h%ardihood, and
as she was in the act of moving to-
ward the caves door she beheld with
terror that it was moving!
She was heal the chest at that mo-
ment The W. 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 volubly. 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 Hargreave had this paper we
might all be put on the defensive. To
an outsider it is a 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 deftly 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 a aided her. When she crouch.
ed down again the magic paper was
hers.
It 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, breathing
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 it's hinges. The men we're re
turning. Why?
They were returning because they
had discovered a woman's %shoeprini
outside, 1t pointed toward the cave
freshly, and there was none coming
away. To Renter the chest would be
~foolhardy. It would be the first place
the men would look. She glanced
about desperately. She saw but one
chance, the we'll And even while the
door was swinging inward. letting the
brilliant sunshine enter, she sum
moned up the courage and let herself
down into the we'll, which proved to
be nothing more o less than an un
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
his head. Their search was thorough
but they found no one, And at length
they began to reason that perhaps 9
woman had got as far as the door and
then turned away, walking on the
turf.
Meantime Florence wal borne along
by the swift current Of the river, which
gained in swiftness every moment
From time to time she bumped along
the rocky walls, but she chung to life
~valiantly. In ten minutes she was
swept to the other side Of the hill, in.
to the rapids; but the blue sky was
overhead, she was out in the familiar