The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1915-01-29

said he would be back.
She went into the library and picked
up the telephone. She was told that
Mr.. Norton was out on an assignment,
but that he would be notified the mo-
ment he returned She opened a draw
er in the desk. She touched the au-
tomato, but did not take it up. She
left the drawer open, however.
Earlier, at the newspaper Office that
night, Jim went into the managing ed
itor's office and laid a bulky manu-
script on that gentleman's desk.
is this it?"
1T is" said jim.
You have captured them?"
mo; but there is a net about them
from which not one shall escape.
There's the story Of my adventures, Of
the adventures of Miss Hargreave and
the butler, Jones. You'll find it ex-
citing enough. You might just as well
send it up to the composing room. At
midnight I'll telephone the introduc-
ton It's a scoop. Don't worry about
that"
The editor rifled the pages.
"A hundred and twelve pages, 300
words to the page; man it's a novel;
It'll read like one"
sit down for a moment and let me
skim through the first story"
At the end Of ten minutes the editor
laid down the copy. He opened a draw
er and took out two envelopes The
blue one he tore up and dropped into
the waste basket. Norton understood
and smiled They had meant to dis
charge him if he fell down. The otheI
envelope was a fat one.
open it," said the editor, smiling 9
little to himself.
This envelope contained a check fol
50, 800, two %round.trip irst-class tickets
to Liverpool, together with innumer
able continental tickets such as ar,
issued to tourists,
"Why two?" asked Jim, %innocently
Forget it, my boy, forget it. 70,
ought to know that in this office W
don't employ blind men. The who'll
staff is on. There you are, a fat chez.
and three months vacation. Go an
get married; and if you return befor
the three months are up I'll fire 20
myself on general principles"
Jim laughed happily and the tw
men shook hands. Then Jim wen
forth to complete the big assignment
Five minutes later Florence called hil
up to learn that he had gone.
What should she do? Jones ha
told her to stay in the house and ne
to leave it. But where was he? VIII
did he not come? What was the meal
ing of this desertion by the servants
She wandered about aimlessly, lookin
out of windows, imagining forms
the shadows. Her imagination ha
not deceived her; she had heard dooI
close softly.
Susan, Susan!" she murmured; b
Susan was in the hospital.
"Oliver Twist" What had possess'
her to start reading that old ia
again? She should have read som
thing Of a light and Joyous characte
After half an hours wandering abo
the lonely house she returned to Il
library, feeling that she would
safer where both telephone and 7
volver we're
And while she sat waiting for 81
knew not what, her swiftly beatiI
heart sending the blood into her thro
so that it almost suffocated her, a ms
turned into the street and walk
noiselessly toward the Hargrea,
place. He passed a man leanir
against a lamppost, but he new
turned to look at him.
This man, however, threw away h
cigar and hot-footed It to the neare
pay station. He knew in his soul tn
he had just seen the man for who
they had been hunting all these YEA
but strenuous weeks-Stanley Ha
creave in the flesh! Half an hol
after his telephone message the chi
Of the Black Hundred and many lessl
lights were on their way to the houi
of mystery. Had they but known!
Now, the man who had created tn
tremendous agitation went serene
on. He proceeded directly end fea
lessly to the front door, produced
latchkey and entered. He passC
through the hall and reception roo
to the library and paused on Il
threshold dramatically. Floren,
stepped back with a sharp cry
alarm. She had heard the hall dol
open and close and had taken 1t 4
granted that Jones had entered.
There was a tableau Of short dur
ton.
Don't you know me2" asked Il
stranger in a singularly pleasant voic
Florence haG been imposed upC
too many times. She shook her he.
deiantly, though her knees shook
that she was certain that the lea
touch would send her over.
Il am your father, child"
Florence slipped unsteadily behiI
the desk and seized the revolver whiC
lay in the drawer. The man by Il
curtains smiled sadly. It was a smi
that caused Florence to waver a b