Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-12-05
CHAPTER xIv-contInued.

iCoc anu DOtut hWuy OH Inc WaLCd. LA0
Adventursr rescued me about daylight
the next morning, and was no sooner
on board than ! was told how the keel
boat had been run down below on the
river during the night and that your
party had all been saved-two white
men and two negress slaves. OF course,
l knew you must be one of them"
'Then-then we were actually to-
gether, on the same boat, all the way
up herer'
Yes; tried hard to find where you
were concealed on board. but failed.
Kirby guarded you with great care
from all observation. Do you know
whyr
"Yes." she answered, as though fore
ing herself to speak. Il do know now.
l thought knew then, but was mis-
taken. l supposed It might be because
looked SO little like a negress, but
now / realize It was his own con-
science. He knew was a white wom-
an; he had become convinced that l
was Eloise Beaucaire. Did you know
that, alsoT
II learned the truth on the boat.
from the same source where Kirby OBJ
tained his information. Elsie Clark
told me-"
"Elsie Clarkl Who is she7 How
did she known
"a free negress, who had been en-
ployed by Amos Shrunk. She was the
other prisoner on the keelboat when
you we're captured, kept locked below
in the cabin"
How could she know who I WASP
"She did not. Only she was positive
that you could not be Rene Beaucaire,
because she knew that Rene, In COM
pany with her mother, had departed
from Shrunk's cabin before those raid
ers came. The two had already started
for Beardstown."
She sat upright, all lassitude gone
from her body, leaning eagerly toward
me. her eyes alight with interest.
"Gonel Rene escaped them" she
exclaimed, her voice choking. "Oh, tell
me that again. Was the girl surer
Quite sure. She saw and spoke
with both the women before they left
in wagon. They were on the Under
ground. bound for Canada, and safety
Il am SO glad-so glad" she said
simply. 'Now am strong enough to
hear the rest, Lieutenant Knox. You
must tell me-"
There is not SO much to tell, that
am cock-sure about" l began slowly
Kirby had you securely hidden away
somewhere on the second deck, while
this Clark girl had been locked into 8
stateroom above. possessed such {
growth Of beard and was altogether 81
disreputable looking as to be mistaken
for roustabout by the boats officers
who set me at work to earn my pass
age In this way / managed to tall
with Elsie, but failed to locate you
quarters The only glimpse / gained
of you was when you we're being taker
ashore Then I followed, and a littl,
Later succeeded in getting you out o
Kirby's hands, That Is about ALL"
"Oh, no, 1t Is not-you-you cam,
too late.D
TOO latei Perhaps 1 may know
what you mean"
do your Surely not to blame me
Fl wish to tell you, Lieutenant Knox
but-but I scarcely know how. 1t i
all 50 dim, indistinct In my own min,
and yet 1 remember. Have 1 beel
druggedT
H.
riding all night and you were strappe
to your horse. Probably you have n
recollection Of this?"
She shook her head in bewilderment
mo; the last remember 1 was wit
Kirby and another man. He-he wa
dressed like a minister, but-but b
was half drunk, and once he swore q
me. The place where we were was
little shack in the side of a hill, wit
stone walls. Kirby took me ther
from the steamer, together with a ma
he called Rale-Jack Rale. The
locked me In and left me alone afte
dark Then this other man, wh
dressed like minister, came bac
with Kirby. They had food and som,
thing to drink with them, and lit
lamp so that we could see. It ws
awfully dismal and dark in there
She pressed her hands to her hea
despairingly. Il can remember n
this. but later 1t is not so clear:
fades out, like a dream"
Try to tell me all you can" urge
They fed your
Yes. 1 managed to eat a LITTLE h,
would not drink They both heco y
angry then and frightened me. b,
they did compel me to swallow SON
OF the stuff. Then / became daze
and partially helpless. had no wi
Of my own. no power of resistance
You were married to Kirby"
-Oh. God was 1? wondered.
did not really know; truly I did y
know. seem to remember that
stood mp. and then signed some mans
but nothing had any meaning to m
Is that true? Do you know that IT
trueT
grasped her hand and held II clos
~ within my own.
Il am afraid It is true" 7 ans1yore
Il know very little law, and II M
be that such ceremony is not leg
Yet Imagine those men were certa
as to what they could do. Kirbv n
planned TO marry you from the vo
|. first, as I explained to you before !
: told me that on the Warrior the MIC
your father died"
> Yes. you said so; but I did r
= quite understandable planned then
. whyT
n Because he had heard of VI
beauty and that you were rich. W.
Y these not reasons enough7 But. af
he had mistaken you for Rene.
70 only possible way In which he co,
hope to gain you was by force. Ja
~ Rale suggested that to him and h
& n 1t could be done. The other man "
a friend Of Rale's. a renegade preo,
= er named Gaskins; he is dead"
Deadi Kfllsd
r. Yes; we brought you away afte,
Il. light with those fellows. We left R
e. bound and Kirby unconscious"