Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-22

And Mrs. Bergen and sarah1"
| II don't know, sir"
| 49, Peter went TO the door and called
| Stryker,. and that bewildered person
appeared at the foot Of the steps with
MRS. Bergen and Sarah, who had been
locked In the cellar. Peter called them
up, and they all began screaming their
tale at once. But at last Peter got
at the facts. Hawk Kennedy had come
suddenly into the kitchen, where the
two women were, and, brandishing q re-
volver, commanded silence, threaten
Ing death IL they made sound. He
had surprised the valet in the lower
hall and had marched him back into the
Kitchen. where he had bound him. to
a chair with clothes-line and then
gagged him. :
Mcclure waved the trio out Of the
| room when their story was told, and
signaled to Peter to close the door
again. when he took up his interrupted
tale,
Nichols. didn't expect him for
cbuI,t cGbup,e uot,o Of weeks ,t. anyway; Ia Just
got the drop on me. Nichols. How he
ever got into the room without my
hearin' him! I must have been in a
trance His shoes were off. The first
thing l knew is a voice close at my
ear and gun in my ribs. ! turned
quick-but my gun was in the table
drawer. His face was close to mine
and / knew he meant business. II I'd
a moved he'd "a killed me. SO put
my hands up. There wasn't anything
else to do. I thought I'd play for
time, but he caught my glance toward
the door and only laughed.
to- t-t
Mike he says. It's Just you an
me-. asked him what he wanted, and
he grinned. You know he says. And
with his left hand he brought out
rope he had stuffed in his pocket. I'll
fix you first. Then we'll talk he says,
He was cool, like he always was. He
caught slip moose around my wrists
before I knew It. twisted the rope
around me and threw me over on the
floor, tell you that the man is the
what them"
"He made me give up the keys to the
drawers in the safe---it was open just
like 1t is now. I wouldn't speak at
first, but he kicked me and then put the
gun at my head. I still hoped some
one would come. I gave in at last. He
found it. Ny Cod" The old man
aroused himself with an effort and rose
to his feet. "But we've got to catch
him-just you and I. He can't have
gone far. We've got the right to shoot
him now-to shoot on sight"
"Yes-yes. I'm getting the Sheriff
at Mays Landing now"
1.-THE Sheriff !" The Irishman's small
eyes stared and then became alive in
sudden comprehension. 'Not the
Sheriff Nichols. l won't have him."
"You've got to--at once" And then
rapidly Peter gave an account Of what
had happened at the logging camp. But
it seemed to have no effect upon Nc
Guire, who listened with CLASSY eyes.
He was obsessed with the other-the
graver danger.
"Well keep this thing quiet IL you
like-the real meaning of this visit and
we've got to pick up his trail. But we
cant let those men at the camp have
the run of the place. They'll be loot
ing this house next" And then, as
Mcclure seemed to agree, Peter went
to the door and found Brierly still on
the phone. He was talking to the
Sheriff and had told the whole story.
thing about the Black Rock camp
trouble and would be ready to move in
an hour.
Tell him to move fast and to come
to NcGuire's first" said Peter. "And
you'll be here to show him the way"
Briefly nodded and finished the mes
sage. while Peter returned to Mcclure.
What else did Kennedy say?" Peter
asked him.
''IIe asked a lot of questions-about
you and Beth Cameron--about the
money-abCut what I'd promised you.
He's the very devil tell you. He
knows everything. He said he'd get
you and that he'd get Beth Cameron. "
Peter caught Mcclure fiercely by the
shoulder. "What did you say? Are
you surc|'
With all Of his other troubles Peter
bad forgotten Beth and now thought
guiltily of the possible danger to which
she might have been subjected.
How could Hawk have found out
about Beth Cameron?
"What told you," muttered Nc
Gulre wearily, "he said he'd get
hor-n
Sick with anxiety, Peter flung away
from his protesting employer and made
for the door, rushing past the aston
ishcd Briefly in the hail. down the
stairs and out at a run over the bridge
and through the village to the Bergen
house. The door was open and he
rushed in, calling Beth's name. There
was no response. Now desperate and
fearing the worst, he ran from room to
room, downstairs and up. There were
signs OF her-a towel on chair,
Lroom leaning against door upstairs,
~ bod h. 1t
chen, giving evidence of tho morning
stove, the fire Of which had burned
to cinders. She had not been here for
q long while-since early morning, pos
sibly. But where had she gone-where?
Hawk Kennedy would hardly have
dared to come hereto the village
hardly have succeeded in enticing her
away from this house, surrounded by
neighbors-still less have succeeded In |
carrying her off without their knowl- |
edge. He rushed out into the road and |
No one seemed to have seen |
her. The eagerness and suppressed |
anxiety of Peters manner quickly drew
crowd which felt the contagion Of his
excitement.
A man Joined the group. Yes. He
had seen Beth in the morning early. |
She was hurrying down the path which |
led into the pines. He had not seen
her since.
Peter glanced at him Just once moro
TO be sure that he was speaking the |
truth and then, without a thought as
to the impression he had created in the
minds of the villagers. set off running
through the path toward his cabin.
Fool that he had been! TO leave