The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-12-06

that he kept bad con ;any-just now
worse than ever, for the two men With
him were as Misunderstanding fellows
| as l had ever seen. l followed them,
a new suspicion in my mind as they
were admitted to the very building |
have described. l took up watch and
ward over the sOmbre pile of masonry
| for several days. Twice l saw Webb
visit the place. Always his admission
was followed by the closing and lock,
ing of the outside door. Always the
door was kept carefully recloSed until
he had departed, after a brief stay. I
know not why, but somehow 1 aSsoci,
ated Webb with the pilferings at tho
engraving plant and the disappearance
of Meserve. 1 had an irrepresSible de
sire to explore the old rookery, and
now fate and circumstance had, ]
hoped, granted my wish for admission
to the apparently impregnable struc,
ture.
l got to my feet and proceeded to eX-
plore my surroundings. l came to an
opening like a doorway, traversed q
corridor which penetrated the cellar OF
the building and faced a pair of stairs
These l assembled, reached a vacant
room, crossed it, opened door, as
cended second flight of stairs and
charity felt my way along narrow
passage way. l accidentally blundered
against swinging door. landed in
lighted room, tried to draw back as !
discovered that it held an inmate, and
W&S rooted to the spot rs | recognized
in a woman standing staring at mt
agape-the wife of Acton Meserve!
All the bloom had last seen was de
were sunken and haunted with The
horror of confinement and fear
"Mr. Illsley!" she gasped, anu
reeled.
"You-you" 1 breathed inCOherent
ly, "What does this mean? Where ~
Meserve?'
"He is in there" she whispered, all
tremble, and she pointed to an 0p
pOsite door. "No-nO. You risk you;
lifew
But 1 had run at the door and
opened it and rushed towards a man at
bench bending over a leather plate
pad, a graver in his hand-Acton Ne
serve.
And then I understood the warning
just uttered. Two men, and one OF
them was Webb, sprang ut me. re'
ceived heavy blow on the head anC
knew no more. l awoke jolted about
in a cab and held UP by the best
friends l had in the world-Acton Me
serve and his wife. They We're bab'
bling with the maddest of joyfulnesA
like two children released from ter
rible captivity. Then the vehicle halt
ed in front of the engraving plant.
was still dazcd as | sat back il tine
chair in the office of the president A.
in a dream l caught the echo of tho
tones of Meserve, telling all the story
of his mysterious disappearance.
1t was Webb who had distracted tina
missing property of the plant. 1t wa.
Webb and accompliceS who had kid
mapped husband and wife, who had
threatened to kifl the latter If Meserye
did not engrave plate they forced
him to make. 1t was Just as | ap
peared that the plate was finished, all
except one corner, and this Meserre
refused to complete unless immediate
liberty was promised. The scoundrels
then abandoned the place with tho
plate, Meserye agreeing to wait AZ
hour later.
81 believe your story, Mr.. Meserve."
said the staid and dignitied president
"but do you not consider it very repre-
hensible to engage in such work under
any circumstances
Not as l worked it out" dissented
Meserve. Sir, when the law runs
down these miscreants, rs it must, you
will find the plate worthless
You mean-p
That the last rapid work | did was
to engrave in hair-line tracery, while
they were not looking. one word.
warning to all the world"
"And the word was-?"
Counterfeit =