The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-09-23

linen followed the repeated scratch
ing Of a wet match. d flame Of yellow
light, which was Immediately carried
to a short tallow candle, and in the
aura of it's sickly fame Stella Dono-
van saw the face of a man with long,
unkempt beard and feverish eyes that
stared at her as though she were an
apparition.
As her eyes became more accus-
toned to the light she saw that the
stranger was a man of approximately
thirty, of good robust health. His hair
was sandy of color and thin. and his
beard, which was Of the same hue, had
evidently gone untrimmed for days,
perhaps weeks; yet for all of his I'M
kempt appearance, for all the strange
ness of his presence there, he was a
gentleman, that was plain. And as
she scrutinized him Miss Donovan
thought she beheld a mild similarity in
the contour of the mans head, the
shape Of his face, the lines of his body,
to the man who several weeks be-
fore, she had seen lying dead upon the
floor of his rooms In the Waldron
apartments.
"My God /" he cried in a high voice,
Il thought l was seeing things. You
are really a woman-and alive?"
Miss Donovan hesitated O. moment
before she answered, wondering
whether to tell him of her narrow es-
cape. This she decided to do.
"Alive, but only by luck" she said
in. a friendly voice, and hen recounted
the insults of Cateras, her struggle
with him, and capture of his cartridge
belt and revolver, and how finally she
had left him bound and gagged in the
adjoining cell. The man listened at
t%entively, though his mind seemed
slow to grasp details.
But" he insisted, unable to clear
his brain, why are you here? Surely
you are not one of this gang of out
laws?"
II am a prisoner. That is true Of
you also, is it not?"
yes. II am a prisoner, although
| do not In the least know why. When
did you conner"
Not more than two hours ago. Two
men brought me across the desert from
Haskell"
II do not know how I came. / was
on the platform of an observation car
the last / remember" his utterance
slow, as though his mind struggled
with a vague memory, talking with a
gentleman whom / had met on the
train. There-there must have been
an accident, / think, for l never knew
anything more until / woke up here"
"Do you recall the name of the
man you were conversing with on the
observation cara"
He pressed his hand against his fore
head. a wrinkle appearing straight be-
tween his eyes.
"Tve tried to remember that" he
admitted regretfully, 'but 1t doesn't
quite come to me-"
"Was 1t Beaton?"
"Yes. Why, how strange OF course,
he was Edward Beaton of New York.
He told me he was a broker. Why,
how did you known"
IL - nOl 81 cllduEC, Shc Sulu NJ
last. "for your disappearance is indi-
rectly the occasion of my being here
also. / believe / can even call you by
name. You are Mr.. C%avendish?"
"Yes,' he admitted, his hands grip
ping the back of the bench ~nervously,
his eyes filled with amazement. But
but l do not know YOU"
~ IL - e L.
swered smilingly. advancing and ex-
tending her hand-"because we have
never met before. / am Stella Dono-
van, a newspaper woman. Your
strange disappearance about a month
ago aroused considerable interest, and
l CHANGED to be detailed on the case.
My Investigations led me to visit Has
kell, where unfortunately my mission
became known to those who were re-
sponsible for your Imprisonment here.
So, to keep me quiet. l was also alb.
Quoted and brought to this place."
"You-you mean 1t was not an acci-
dent-that / was brought here pur-
poselyT
Exactly /; you were trailed from
New York by a gang OF thieves having
confederates in this country. / am I'M
able to give you all the details; but
this man Beaton, whom you met on the
train, is a notorious gunman and
gambler. His being on the same train
with you was a part of a well-laid
plan. and 1 have no doubt but what he
deliberately slugged you while you
two were alone on the observation
platform"
"But-but."' he stammered. "what
was his object7 Why did those people
scheme.to get me?"
"As l told you, Mr.. Cavendish, I do
not know all the details, but l think
these men-one of whom is a lawyer
planned to gain possession of your for
tune. possibly by means of a forged
will and, In order to accomplish this,
1t vas necessary to get you out of the
way. II either Of us can escape from
this place we shall be In time to foil
them completely"
(TO BE C~ONTlNUED.)