Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-11-26
RICHMOND TIMEs-DIsPATcH: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2e, 1916

Oh -rash!oncd st~onc-curbcd we'll
Dan seized y the roue from when
the bucket was suspended. stepped over
the coping aud slid down into the dark
ness below. 4 second man followed
nm ana then the third sailor climbed
over In tuin.
Just az that moment Clinton HARDING
GANG up the road to The Dane cottage.
lie picked up his gun and turncd to
go. Then the crcai of Il windlass came
I" him throush the silence. lie looked
about him alcrtly, suspiciousIy. The
sound came from the rear Of the cot
taSc.
quietly Harding took Il step or two III
mat direction; ana he saw II mans head
disappearing over tho stone coping OF
tho well. lie stool still II moment re-
viewing tho situation. and after that he
moved quietly toward the we'll. There
lie hcSitas:d for Il moment. and thea.
dropping his gun in the grass. he seized
upon tn. rope and descended fcarlcssly
TO whatcvc. waited him in the unknown
blackDcss.
Half way down he chung FOR Il mo-
ment with one hsi.i while lie flashed
the light OF his electric torch into tho
darkness. y few inces above water
level he saw q door cut into the stone
Of the wall. Through this he felt GER
tain the man h. had seen disappearing
over te side OF the we'll must have gone.
Tere was no more hesitaucy on Hard
inSs part. lie continued going down
the rope hand oTer hand. found the
opening in the stone wall and went
through il. Directly his feet touched
tthc ground lie drew a pistol from his
hip pocket. and holding IL I'm one hand
and an electric torch In another he sent
aiinger of light across the passage
way.
He follo we'd the light and came Il n
wide ca.t wh!t, opened at one end on
the passarcway to the well. and. as he
Immediately suspected. out under the
cliffs upon the shore al the further
end.
Harding flashed his LIGHT across the
cave and stood rcaUv.
In the meantime ~ boat, manned by
ihct wo sailors who had answered
Danes hclioEro phi signal that afternoon.
WAS rowing III from the sailing schoon-
CT. III IL were a number of packing
cases guarded by tho captain OF the
schooner. WHO stood anNiousiy in the
stern. gazing out over the ocean re-
cedinG behind them.
The boat pulled up at the foot of the
elm and from tue bushes which guard
ed the entrance OF the cave Donald
Dane, followed by his TWO men, came
out To greet the captain. suddenly the
two men with Dane exclaimed anxious
iy that they had heard Il sound In the
cave. They hurried back TO investi-
Satc. WIlic Dane AM ne captain super
intended tn" UNLOADING OF the packing
cases and their cmoval to the cave.
In the Inner CHAMBER OF the cave the
smuGglers saw the figure of Il man
whose business there must portcnd
danger. One OF them lifted an arm in
which he held 4 heavy club. aud with
L he str"ck. Harding fell face down
wards. an incr, figure. helpless and
powe"lcss to bc;ra% what he had seen.
The smugSlcrs studied him ior 4 no
meui dispn Ssionatcly and then returned
to their work.
And So two DAYS passed. aud Dorothy
Dane waited in VAIN Tor the return OF
the man who had kissed and left her.
Hourly she grew more restless and un-
happy. Was !; true ,hat Il man like
Harding tired Of Il yi"l directly he felt
sure Of her: That was what he. read
ing OF sentimental novels had tauEi;
Dorothy. But some instinct Of real de-
votion made he: forge her own pride
and yield 10 AZ instinct OF feur-fear
10" the man she loved.
And so she wrote to me Perhaps size
hardly believed that | would answe:
the letter, but She was helpless. there
was no one else 10 advise her-no one
10 whom she could turn 70: counsel.
followed Jimmy's suggestion,
packed Il litti. handbag and hurried
down In Smith Harbor. Directly ar
rived there. ] took II room at the hotel.
and then went TO visit the girl whose
cry for aid had brought me TO her
little fishing village.
/ found the girl ! had come to visit
sitting ON the doorstep OF : tiny cot.
taGc. She looked patheticaIIy forlorn
and unhappy. hu; as soon AS | came she
inbu!ucncd herself to me with a de
ntii'!ent air some women have: that
Of unloading their troubles OIL your
shoulders md ccasinS in the process
t" feel thu they ha, any longer an,
troubles.
Such confidence is touching. but Like
iy 10 be Il little annoying too. for no
one likes ihc responsibility OF helping
amy one who Is utterly unablc to help
herself.
Presently. TO the cottage where we
were sitting. there came = peddi-r-a
wHiskercd N ot aH oriental race.
lie VAS an exotic iiSir, in the u,iet
streets OF that listlc n.ihi.ic village. A..
he c;.me stumbling along with his pack
on ms back, the country girl showed
the interest the inI.abi, ants OF rural
districts often betray III anything I'M
toward or MISUNDERSTANDING which
breaks into The monotonY of tbcir
colorlcss, uncveuttul life.
The man seemed to l., Jgnize ana AN.
pfcc;aie the rcspon:-r attitude OF III.
ilttle country girl. AT once he put,
i"wh his pack, and wi l. Il nice under
Stih"''i% OF what wouli appeal to her.
ne got out Il case of wrist watches. II
took Little persuasion to make Dorothy
'ut uac on. She clasped il, about the
SKIN or her smooth. creamy forearm
ana forgot all other interests in her
'aainlintion Of the s phist.cated bnubIe
aDoNc her wrist.
ma" not the heart to interrupt; th,
Instinct which probably began when
M"'her Eve selected the smoothcs;,
freshest fig leaf she could find ~.
mn i~hterruption did occur In Il moment
i"r "h elderly man of Tic scafaIin.
'EPc came up and roughly asked what
was gong on. Immediately the ped
'lier neSan displaying his wares and
'hgratiaiinglH whincd: "I'appa buv II
wrist watch"
re TOOK what appeared TO be 3. wrist
watch from hiss ease ana even while
INC man whom Dorothy had addressed
Il" thclc was protesting, the pcddini
c'hsp"d ii tightly on Danes wrist.
Iic watch" had Il peculiar dial with