The Arizona copper camp., 1919-07-19
CHAPTER XIV.
A Flight, a Stone-Cutter's Shed, and a
Voice Outside.

NOISC OulSiOCs
"Why have you come up herew She
came swiftly to his side.
'Thank the Lord, made it," he
whispered, breathlessly. 81 came up
because there was nowhere else to go.
/ thought / heard voices-a man and
a woman speaking. They seemed to
be quite close to me. Don't be
alarmed, Miss Cameron. I am conf
dent that can"
"And now that you are here, trapped
as am, what do you purpose to do?
You cannot escape. Go back before it
is too late"
"Is Sprouse-where is he?"
''He is somewhere in the house.
was to wait until he-Oh, Mr.. Barnes,
I'll am terrified You will never know
the"
"Trust him." he said. "He is mar
vel. Wen be safely out of here In a
little while, and then it will all look
simple to you. You are ready to go?
Good! Sit down, do! If he doesn't
return in a minute or two, I'll take a
look about the house myself. 1 don't
intend to desert him. know this floor
pretty well, and the lower one. The
stairs are"
''But the stairway is closed at the
bottom by a solid steel curtain. 1t is
made to look like panel in the wall.
You are not to venture outside this
room, Mr.. Barnes. ] forbid it. You"
"How did Sprouse get out? You said
your door was locked"
"He had key / do not know
where he obtained"
skeleton key, such as burglars use.
By Jove, what a wonderful burglar he
would make! Courage, Miss Cameron
He will be here soon. Then comes the
real adventure-my part of it. didn't
come here tonight to get any flashy old
crown jewels. I came to take you out
Of"
"You-you know about the crown
jewels?" she murmured. Her body
seemed to stiffen. "Then you know
who 1 am?"
''No. You will tell me tomorrow"
"Yes, yes-tomorrow," she whis-
pered.
For some time there, was silence.
Both were listening intently for sounds
in the hall. She leaned closer to whis-
per in his ear. Their shoulders
touched. He wondered if she expert
enced the same delightful thrill that
ran through his body. She told him of
the man who watched cross the hall
from the room supposed to be occupied
by Loeb the secretary, and Of
Sprouse's incomprehensible daring.
q "Where is Mr. Curtis?' he asked.
Her breath famed his cheek, her
lips were close to his ear. ''There is
no Mr.. Curtis here. He died four
months ago in Florida"
tI suspected as much" He did not
press her for further revelations.
"Sprouse should be here by this time.
I must go out there and see if he re-
quires any"
She clutched his arm frantically.
''You shall do nothing Of the kind. You
shall not"
"Sh! What do you take me for,
Miss Cameron? He may be sorely in
need of help. Do you think that
would leave him to God knows what
sort Of fate?"
"But he said positively that was to
go in case he did not return in-in fif-
teen minutes" she begged "He may
have been cut off and was compelled
to escape from another
Gust the same, I've got ito see what
has become Of"
"No! MOI" She arose with him.
dragging at his arm. do not be fool
hardy. You are not skilled at
"There is only one way to stop me,
Miss Cameron. If you wiz come with
me now"
"But I must know whether he Sc
cured the
''Then let me go. I will find out
whether he has succeeded
He was rougher than hf7 realized in
wrenching his arm free. She uttered a
low moan and covered her face with
her hands. Undeterred, he crossed to
the door. His hand was. on the knob
when door slammed violently some
where in a distant part of the house.
A hoarse shout of alarm rang out,
and then the rush of heavy feet over
thickly carpeted floors.
Barnes acted with lightning swift
ness. He sprang to the open window,
half-carrying, half-draggfng the girl
with him.
"Now for it!' he whispered. "Not a