Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1917-09-19
CHAPTER XI-continued.

she learQ MIN call ner IN voice III
stinct with mortal terror.
Startled, she turned and ran into the
adjoining room, pulling up with a cry
ut sight of her father. His face,
stricken mask, notified, CHASTITY: sweat
stood out upon his forehead, his lips
trembled, his eyes sick with fear. The
hinges of his knees loosened, he
gwayed.
In one quivering hand he held play
ing card-a knave of diamonds.
He enunciated with difficulty, "Wha
what" With half frantic gesture
he tore at his collar. "Where did that
come fromT he cried hoarsely. "How
how did it get in that d. box2"
He made a strangled sound, reeled,
and fell back heavily into chair, the
card futtering from his grasp to rest
face upward at his feet.
Daddy, what can do? What's the
matter? If only you'd speak to mel"
Kneeling at her fathers side in a pas
sion of anxiety, she fondIed a hand
inert and frightfully cold.
His position unchanged, Craven wore
every indication Of complete physical
collapse. A hand-his left-clutched
at his coat, above the heart.
But as Lydia moved to rise and tele-
phone for the hotel physician the man
stirred. His lips quivered. She bent
near to catch their whisper:
'sBrandyr
''pn order it at once"
But his fingers, knitted with hers, re-
strained her with singular strength and
insistence. "No-flask on my bureau"
"Yes, dearest. Let me go and get it,
won't yOu?"
''NO-Iet me-all right now"
He managed to lift head and Shout
ders from the chair; then again col
lapsed, his fingers relaxing.
The bureau top in his bedchamber
was Uttered with a confusion of ar
ticles turned out haphazard from Cra-
ven's dressing case. For moment
Lydia searched the disarray, at loss
to single out anything resembling a
flask. Then low cry of stupefaction
escaped her: in a clear space to one
side the puzzle box lay open.
In its shallow oblong drawer, upon
a layer of cotton wool, blazed the pearl
and diamond collar stolen from Mrs.
Merrilees-or the limitation?
But Immediately the mystery and the
wonder of this was lost in her solicit
tude, and, another glance discovering
small leather-bound flask, she seized it
and ran back to the other room.
Craven's eyes were open and, she
fancied, informed with a look of al
most frightened inquiry as she unstop-
pered the flask, dashed a generous
amount of brandy into a glass, and
turned toward a silver water pitcher.
But his husky whisper stayed her
hand.
"NO-straight-"
She put the glass to his lips, invert-
ing it slowly while he gulped and splut-
tered.
''More!" he demanded with his first
free breath. "a little water"
After this second draft, which he
drank unaided, he seemed more him.
self. For the first time he ceased to
clutch his side; little color crept back
into his face. He remained silent, how
ever, his gaze bent upon the knave of
diamonds at his feet, his countenance
darkly perplexed.
At length Lydia ventured anew,
What is it, daddy? Can't you tell
me?'
Heart" he muttered San old affec
don. Nothing to worry about; but that
card knnlp6 mo Ouor-ra RI ~
But what-what does it meanT'
You wouldn't understand. It's some
Thing secret, a code signal to me to-
wasn't expecting it in the box"
That thought he left unfinished,
mumbling something indistinguishable.
But his eyes flashed toward his daugh-
ters face, then were quickly averted.
I'm the box with the necklace, you
mean?" Lydia prompted evenly.
He wouldn't reply directly. "Gave
ne devil of shock!" After moment
u silence he cried out in accents OF ex-
aSperation, but how in the name OF
God did it ever get there?"
knock checked Lydia's reply. With
start Craven pulled himself together
aud rose.
Mustn't let the waiter see me like
olS. You let him in-will your
de managed a slow but unwaverlng
return to his room. When he was out
Oh sight Lydia turned to the door, adj
hitting the waiter with his heavy tray,
Ngned for the meal, and tipped and dis
missed the man.
CHAPTER XII.