San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-23
Begin Here Today.

Colonel HOLES, soldier and adven-
turer, returns to England, his ma
tive land, when war with Holland is
declared. His Grace of Buckingham
hires HOLES to abduct the actress,
Sylvia Farquharson. 1t is dark when
the colonel carries her off and. when
he arrives at the house Buckingham
has rented, HOLES is horror struck
when he sees that Sylvia is an old
sweetheart.
Buckingham and HOLES engage in
a duel. The servants of the duke come
upon the scene and knock the colonel
Unconscious. When the duke attempts
to embrace Sylvia her dress falls from
her throat, revealing a purple blotch,
token of the plague, which is spread
ing rapidly in London. The duke and
his servants flee. The colonel stays
with Sylvia. The girl pleads with
the man to save himself. Now 60 on
with the story.
1Why do you stay?" she asked him
at length in a dull voice. go 4.
90 your ways, sir, and leave me to
die. 1t is. 1 think, all that remains
/ shall Sn die die the easier without your
company"
He stepped back as il she had
struck him. He made as if to an
swer her; then his parted lips came
together again, his chin sank until It
touched his breast. He turned, and
with dragging feet walked slowly out
of the room. softly closing the door.
She lay there invaded suddenly by
a great fear. She strained her ears
to catch the sound of his footsteps in
the passage, until finally the slam
ming of the door leading to the street
announced to her. that, taking her at
her word he was gone. indeed.
And now she flung herself prone
upon the daybed, and sobbed aloud
until the soaring pain in her breast
conquered even her self-pity, and
stretched her writing in agony as
if upon a rack. At last a merciful
Inconsistencies supervened.
And meanwhile HOLES was moving
mechanically and instinctively at
speed up Sermon Lane in the direc-
ton of Paul's.
Without hat or cloak, his empty
scabbard dangling like limp tail
about his legs, he sped onward. a
man half-dstracted. with but a vague
notion of his object and none of the
direction in which its fulfillment
would be likeliest. As he was ap-
preaching Carter Lane, lantern came
dancing like a will-o'-the-wisp round
the corner to meet him, and present
ly the dark outline of the man who
carried it grew visible. This mail
walked with the assistance of a staff
which at closer quarters the lanterns
rays revealed to be red in color. With
gasp of relief, HOLES flung for
ward toward him.
keep your distance, sir! Keep
your distance" a voice warned him
out of the gloom. "'Ware of infec-
ton" TO-
But Holes went recklessly on I'M
til the long red wand was raised and
pointed toward him to arrest his adj
vance.
"Are you mad. sir?" the man cried
sharply. HOLES could make ont now
the palliI outline of his face. which
the broad brim of his steeple-hat had
hitherto kept almost entirely in
shadow. Il am an examiner of in
fected houses"
at is as l hoped" painted HOLES
/ need n doctor. man. quick
~. for one who is taken with the
plague"
The examiners manner became
brisk at once.
"Where?" he demanded.
"Close at hand here in Knight
Ryder street"
"Why. then, DR.. Beamish. there at
the corner, is your man. Gomez
And thus. it happened that from
the sleeD which had succeeded the
swoon that so mercifully whelmed
her senses, Nancy was aroused by a
sound of steps and voices. Where
she lay she faced the door of the
room. And, as through pillows of
mist that now rolled before her eyes.
she saw the tall figure of Colonel Hoi-
les enter followed by two strangers.
One of these was little birdlike man
of middle age; the other was young
and of a broad frame and full
countenancc. Both were dressed in
black. and each carried a rod wand
which the law prescribed.
The younger man, who was the ex-
aminer met by HOLES in Sermon