The Carlisle independent., 1917-08-09

porch and raced after the fleeing crook.
 It WAS much lighter. The rising moon illuminated the land. Rayengar saw his quarry distinctly. racing along the wagon road that led toward the mining ground.
 Ravengar felt that he was gaining
 In front of them the railroad line ran at right angle to the wagon road. Just where they intersected was the crawling mountain stream. which now ragged. torrent. under the high bridge that lay before them. Beneath the bridge the railroad ran along the em- bankment cut beside the river.
 It was q leap of forty feet to the raging torrent below. Red looking back. saw that his pursuer was close upon him.
 He thrust the paper into his pocket and turned at bay The two men closed. Ravengar sent the crook reel ing.
 Red" lodged and recovere him. self. He sprang at Ravengar like panther 4 chance blow caught Ravengar under the ear. Rayengar stumbled and fell.
 Before he had recovered his footing Red spurred to frenzy. had sprung to the parapet of the bridge and leaped into the stream.
 As he struck the icy water lie was all but unconscious. He felt 1t close over his head The shock revived him. He flung his hands upward, choking, until he reached the surface The bridge already lay in the dis tance behind him. The force of the current was carrying him swiftly away. He could not battle with it. He was drifting helplessly in the boiling eddies-
 Suddenly he felt the ground beneath his feet.
 In moment he was scrambling up the bank and he flung himself, exhaust ed and shaking with cold, among the rushes.
 Presently, feeling the return of cir culation, he got up and thrust his drip ping. palsied hand into his pocket. He 1 drew out the envelope and. opening if, took the paper from it. In the rays of the moon he read:
 T wish 10 confess my part in the conspiracy which ruined Jerry Car son
 He read it 10 the end as best he could. A spasm of disgust crossed his face.
 He crumpled it and made to throw it away. On second thought, however, he changed his mind and thrust it into his packet. Then he started deggedly along the road.
 When Red leaped, Rayengar fol i lowed him without hesitation.
 He swan with all his strength. reached the bank, and pulled himself ashore. Then he looked up and down along the river Red" had disap peared.
 He was, as a matter of fact, hidden by a little rise of ground. too slight to be perceptihle from where Ravengar stood. Ravengar strode furieusly up and down the bank
 The fellow must have perished in stantly in the water, he concluded. Feeling that his search was hopeless, he crossed the bridge and returned to the village. i By this time the stunning effects of 1 the earthquake had begun to subside The inhabitants were running hither and thither. helping the injured As Rayengar reached the hotel he saw ' that nearly all the inmates had already been rescued. Leontine still stood on 1 the broken porch, where he had left her
 He leaped into the stream he said. | ''I plunged after him, but the current had already swept him under l am I afraid there is no chance of recover ing your paper, unless the body is cast ashore"
 Tt doesn't natter answered Leon l tine.
 You intrusted it to me I nave proved faithless.
 No, you have done your best Ravengar looked at her earnestly. Tt may be-" he said, that all will come out right in the end" There was a subtle significance in his words which went straight to her heart. He knew. then. of the unhap- piness Of her life. But he did not know about Jerry.
 Mdryeling, she looked into his eyes. At that moment Sebastian hobbsed up and stood beside them, looking from one to the other maliciously Leon tines eyes reluctantly met those of her husband, and Sebastian's fell. What did she know? he wondered tT0 BE CONTINUED