Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-02-21


that he kept bad comjany--just now
worse than ever, for the two men with
him were as Misunderstanding fellows
as / rad ever seen. / followed them
q new suspicion In 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 reclosed until
he had departed. after brief stay.
know not why, but somehow | associ-
ated Webb with the offerings at the
engraving plant and the disappearance
of Maserve. l had an irrepressible DC
sire to explore the old rookery, and
now fate and circumstance had,
hoped, granted my wish for admission
to the apparently inpregnable struc-
ture.
got to my feet and proceeded to eX-
plore my surroundings. ! came to an
opening like doorway, traversed
corridor which penetrated the cellar of
the building and faced a pair of stairs.
These ! assembled, reached vacant
room. crossed 1t, opened door, as
cended second flight of stairs and
charity felt my way along narrow
passage way. | accidentally Numbered
against a swinging door. | landed In Il
lighted room, tried to draw back as
discovered that il held an inmate, and
was rooted to the spot az | recognized
in woman standing staring at Inc
agape-the 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. Illsleyl" she gasped, and
reeled.
"You--you !" | breathed incoherent-
~. "What does this mean? Where is
Meserve?"
He is in there" she whispered, all
tremble, and she pointed to an OPP
poslte door. "No-no! You risk your
lifel"
But | had run at the door and
opened it and rushed towards a man ut
a bench bending over leather plate
pad, graver in his hand-Acton Me
serve
And then l understood the warning
them was Webb sprang at me. I re-
ceived n heavy blow on the head and
knew no more | awoke, jolted about
in a cab and held up by the best
friends ! had in the world-Acton Ne
serve and his wife. They were bah
bling with the maddest Of joyfulness,
like two children released from a 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 dream 1 caught the echo Of the
tones of Meserve, telling all the story
of his mysterious disappearance.
1t was Webb who had distracted the
missing property Of the plant. 1t was
Webb and accomplices who had kid
mapped husband and wife, who had
threatened to kill the latter if Meserve
did not engrave a plate they forced
him to make. 1t was just as l APP
peared that the plate was finished, all
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 wait an
hour later.
81 believe your story, Mr.. Meserve,"
said the staid and dignifed president,
but do you not consider 1t very repre-
hensible to engage in such work under
any circumstances?
Not as ] worked it out" dissented
Meserve. Sir, when the law runs
down these miscreants, as it must, you
will find the plate worthless"
you mean"
That the last rapid work l did was
TO engraye in hair-line tracery, while
they were not looking, one word, a
warning to all the world"
"And the word was-?"
Counterfeit