The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1918-01-30

1 serve.
There was n dense mystery sur
rounding the abstraction uf the prop
! erty of the company and the ineXplica-
! Bile vanishmeni of AIescrNe and his
| wife. | started to solve the enigma,
firm in my faith In my tried and true
comrade.
found his relatives and friends anx-
ious and grlevcd over his absence.
None of them had seen or heard from
him since the day they had seen him
started ON his wedding journey.
went over his presumable honeymoon
trip, to lose all trace of hill. utterly. |
returned to the city, more in the dark
than ever, gloOmily disappointed, al
most hopeless.
One day struck n clew, or fancied
| had. 1t was when. for the first time
in many month";, l saw walking ahead
of me on the street man named
BARLEY Webb. This person had been
printer at the engraving plant who
had left work about a week before Me-
serve had started on his vacation. We
had never liked him and had noticed
that he Se.N. IA ccmJany-just now
worse than ever. for the two men with
him were as Misunderstanding fellows
as | had ever seen. | followed them.
new suspicion la 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, utter II brief stay. |
know not why. but somehow l associ-
ated Webb with the pilferings at the
engraving plant and the disappearance
of Meserye. 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.
got to my feet and proceeded to ex-
plore my surroundings. l came to an
opening like II doorway, traversed
corridor which penetrated the cellar of
the building and faced II pair of stairs.
These l assembled. reached vacant
ioohs NioSstu II, oltntu u uODT, rs
cended Il second flight of stairs and
charity felt my way along IL narrow
passage way. i accidentally Numbered
against swinging door. | landed In u
lighted room. tried to draw back as
discovered that II held an Inmate. and
was rooted to the spot as ! recognized
in woman stumbling staring at me
agnpe-the wife of Acton Meservel
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.
MIR. Illsley." she gasped, and
reeled
"You-you." l breuthed incoherent-
ly. "What does this meanr Where is
Meservef"
"He is In there" she whispered, all
u tremble. and she pointed 40 an OPP
posite door. "No-noi You risk your
lifer'
But / had run at the door and
opened II and rushed towards man at
a bench bending over Il leather plate
pad, n graver In his hand-Acton Me- |
serve.
And then ] understood the warning
just uttered. Two men. and one of |
them WINS Webb, sprang at me. re-
celved heavy blow ON the head and |
knew no more. awoke. tolted 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 joyfulness, |
like two children released from ter
rible captivity. Then the vehicle halt
ed In front Of the engraving plant.
was still dazed as | sat back In the
chair In the office of the president. As
In II dream | caught the echo of the
tones OF Meserve. telling all the story
Of his mysterious disappearance.
II was Webb who had distracted the
missing property of the plant. 1t was
Webb and nccompllces who had kid
mapped husband and wife, who had
to kill the latter IL Meserve
lid not engrave II plate they forced
him to make. 1t was Just as I APP
peared that the plate was finished, ali
except one corner. and this Meserve
refused to complete unless immediate
liberty was promised. The scoundrels
then abandoned the place with the
plate. Meserve agreeing to walt an
hour later.
81 believe your story. Mr.. Meserve."