Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-08-22
CHAPTER XII.


"You Have oyerplayed Your Hand"
Il am afraid that / have been indis-
Greet, Senior Stairway" Tore, with
his old smile charged now with some
thing of mockery and much of triumph,
held out little piece of white paper
to Stairway. who, key in hand, had
just come from Pedro on his way to
the masters room. pat / think that
1 can plead an altogether unusual po-
sition as my excuse. You will pardon
me. senorT"
Stairway took the paper, guessing
what it was. and read it swiftly:
Mi Querido Senior Billy:
To save papa grande. to save me
from all that is horrible, there is no
way but to do what Tore asks. In
mahogany bed, there is painting on
There is spot in the woodwork
northwest corner, where you must
press with your finger. 1t will disclose
the banco Give him the money--for
the sake of
Your Teresa.
"YOu viii pardon my having read
it?" again smilingly from Tore.
"Where did you get this thing?"
cried Stairway
Tore pointed to the window, whose
panes he had broken just before three
o'clock.
"There. On the floor. Some one
threw it in on the floor while you were
running so glddily across the border
You see this is very well planned,
senior. Is it not? Even my lieuten-
ants"
eff l do not do as she asl2s?" cut in
Stairway. his low-lidded eyes sharp up
on Torres.
Tore shrugged.
"Who knows? Perhaps they win
take the trouble to find priest to give
the senorita in holy matrimony to"
In sudden rage Stairway, his nerves
jangling, his rage reddening his face,
leaped at the man, and as he leaped
struck, struck hard-his hard, clenehed
fist smashing into the evil smile, cut
ting the lips so that the blood ran
from them, sending Tore Keeling
backward across the room.
"Shut upl' he cried hOarsely. 'You
mention the senorita once mere and"
His teeth closed with little omi-
nous click. Tore, wiping the blood
from his lips, glared at him with a
boundless, almost speechless, rage.
Coward p he sneered. "Since am
prisoner, with a half dozen men
ready to spring upon me, you attack
me-"
"Gaucho!" called Stairway.
ISL, senor!" Gaucho's brown face
Frightening, his eyes looking happier
than they had looked for two days.
"Do not interfere. Do not let your
men take hand. no matter what hap
pens" Then he swung about upon
Tore. do you want to finish 1t
now?" he said curtly.
But Tore was once more himself,
smiling, at ease, only a fierce hatred
in his eyes.
"Gracias, senorr' he returned. 81
shall merely make you pay for that
blow in my own way. And now ! ask
another ten thousand dollars as ram
som for the old man and the girl. Ten
thousand dollars for a blow, senior !
Do you care to strike againY
Stairway shrugged
"You have overplayed your hand,
Tore" he said quietly. This note
from the senorita makes me sure of
what / was beginning to suspect.
Gaucho, come with me-"
With no further word, leaving
Torres mystifed face looking after
him, he went out, Gaucho at his heels.
"Gaucho," he said. speaking swiftly
from beyond the closed door, II want
YOU to come to the masters room.
Bring some men with you-six, ten
ac,i't know how many we shall need.
Let two of them bring axes. Let all
carry side arms. Bring the picked
men. Gaucho; the hardest men on the
rancho. think that there is going to
be fighting this time.
"The masterY' cried Gaucho. The
senorita? You know
81 know nothing. But think
that they have never for a second left
the housel Hurry, GauchoF
And Gaucho hurried, his own race
as mystified as Torres. Stairway went
quickly to the bedroom.
Somewhere in these great mick
walls there is a passageway," he whls-
nered TO hi1 lself. 1T runs from this
room throughout the house ana 10 the
east wing where Teresa's rooms are.
somewhere, down below perhaps
there is a room, a dungeon i THINK
that it is Just under the drawing room;