The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-12

that he kept bad COMPANY just now
worse than ever, for the two men with !
him were as villanouS-l locking fellows |
as | had ever seen. followed them, |
4 new suspicion III my mind as they |
were admitted to the very building ! !
have described. | took up watch and |
ward over the sOmbre pile of masonry |
for several days. Twice | 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 TecloSed until
he had departed, after Il brief stay i
know not why. but somehow | asSoci
ated Webb With the offerings at the
engraving plant and the Disappearance
Of MeSerye. / had an irrcprcSSible de-
sire to explore the old roOkery, and
now fate and circumstance had. |
hoped, granted my wish for admission
IA the apparently impresnable struc-
turc.
| got to my feet and proceeded to eX-
plore by surroundings. [ came to an
opening like a doorway, .traverSed 4
corridor which penetrated the cellar of
the building and faced a pair Of stairs.
These / assembled, reached a vacant
room, crossed it. opened door, us
cended a second flight of stairs and
charity felt my way along Il narrow
passage way. | accidentally hlundcrcd
against Il swinging door. | landed in 4
lighted room, tried to draw back as
discovered that ii held an inmate, and
W&S rooted to the spot rs | recognized
IN Il woman standing staring nj me
acape-thc wife Of Acton Meserve.
All the bloom had last seen was de
parted from that sweet face, the eyes
were sunken and haunted With the
horror Of confinement and fear
Mr.. Insley!" she gasped, and
rrclcd ,i;sr7t
"Nou-you." l breathed incoherent-
Iy. What does this mean? Where is
Mescrvc:"
lie is in there" she whispered, al
trembIe, and she pointed 10 an op-
po~itc door "No-no, You risk your
ifc.7
1
opened it ana rushed towards man 1T
/ Il bench bending over leather plate
/ pad, Il gravcr in his h.nd-Acton Me-
/ serve.
| And then | understood the warning
! Just uttered Two men, and one Of
them was Webb, Sprang ut me- re-
! ccived a heavy blow on the head and
/ knew no more. | aWokc. iplted about
/ in cab and held up by the best
/ friends had in the World-Acton Me
serve and his Wife. They were bab-
bling with the maddest Of joyfulncSs,
like two children released from i ter
rible captivity. Then the vehicle halt
cd III front Of the engraving plant.
| WAS still daZed as | sal back IL the
chair in the office of the president. ~
in Il dream | caught the echo Of the
tones of AIeScrye, telling MI the story
of his mysterious disappearance.
Ii was Webb Who had distracted the
| missing property of the plant Ii was
Webb and accomplices who had kid
mapped husband >nndn Mite W]aa had
threatened TO kill the latter if McSeryC
4 did not engravc plate they forced
him to make. It was Just lis | ap
peared that the plate was finished. al
except one corner, and this MeSerSt
refused TO complete unless immediat,
liberty WAS promised. The scoundrel
then abandoned the place with thu
plate. MeServe agreeing to wait al
hour later.
II believe your story Mr.. McServe,
said the staid and dignitcd president
but 10 YOU not consider ii very repre-
hcuSible 10 engage in such work undeI
amy circumstances"
Not as / worked il out" diSSentcC
MeScrve. Sir. when the law run
down these miscreantS. as it must, yol
win find the plate worthless"
You mean"
That the last rapid work did WA
To engrave in hair-line tracery, Will
they we're not looking. one word,
warning 10 all the world"
And The word was-?'
F." Counterfeit = =