San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-07
Begin Here Today.

Sallie Peck, employe of the Fair
Deal Five & Ten, quarrels with her
policeman sweetheart. Michael Cur
tbs. That night Sallies goes into the
back yard to take down washing
for Ma Brennan, with whom Sallie
lives. A crash shakes the earth and
something strikes Sallie blow on the
head.
When she regains consciousness,
the girl finds herself in strange sur
roundings, handsomely furnished. A
French maid named Theresa calls her
Alva Copeland and Madame Cope
land, a tall, richly gowned woman,
claims her as her step-daughter.
Sallie is taken to meet Cousin
Wheeler, who makes love to her.
Sallies resolves to solve the mystery.
She DISCOVERIES that she is being
doped and when the nurse gives her
a tablet to swallow Sallie holds it in
the palm of her hand without placing
it in her mouth. Then she feigns
sleep. Now go on with the story.
VERY good." the doctor muir
INJURED. "She will do nicely until
morning"
They went out. closing the door
softly, and Sallie fancied that she
heard key turn in the lock. After
an interval she arose and tip-toed
again to the window. DIR. Qualters'
car had turned and pulled up under
the shadows of the trees on the Op-
posite side of the avenue but another
was just drawing in at the curb. 1t
was huge roadster and tall gauut
figure emerged from it clad in an
ulster which tapped in the strong
night wind. The man turned for an
instant TO speak to the chauffeur and
in the rays of the lamp his ssarp
aquiline profile showed as clearly cut
as though on the Screen; then he
turned and started across the side
walk directly before the watching
girl and his car moved on slowly up
the avenue.
SaIlie turned and looked quickly
about her. The soft pink bathrobe
which Miss Tidmarsh had substituted
for her tea-gown lay over the foot of
the chaise Tongue with q pair of pink
mules beside it on the floor and
though it was conspicuously light for
her purpose Sallie wrapped it about
her and thrust her feet in the slip
pers.
The door was loclTed as she had an
ticipated, but not for nothing, had
Mike once shown her the uses 20
which a bent wire could be put, and
there were plenty of strong hairpins
in the drawer of the dressing table.
Five minutes of patient, cautious
twisting in the lock brought a reas-
surfing click to her ears as the key
turned back and in another moment
she was in the hall with the door
closed behind her.
Rich, subdued lights glowed from
side brackets and up from the we'll
of the staircase but the house was
silent.
Wrapping her robe more tightly
about her she went to the rail and
peered upward and then below but
no one was visible and while she
paused a deep-toned clock from some
where in the house doomed out twelve
solemn strokes.
Sallie plunged forward and descend
ed like silent little pink streak to
the floor below. Here the hall wild
ened and several closed doors faced
her but although she listened at each
no sound came from behind them.
The second flight was broader and
curved outward, the huge bronze
lamp on the newell post sent warm
rays into every corner Of the spacious
entrance hall and as the girl crept
downward she heard at last the sub
dued rumble of masculine voices from
behind the middle door of three on
the opposite side of the house.
Sallie advanced toward it step by
step and bent to peer through the
keyhole. The stranger with the sharp,
aquiline features was seated at a
huge table almost facing her with
some papers spread out before him.
Bookcases lowered against the wall
back of his chair and Mrs. Copeland's
gray sleeve and heavily ringed han1
came within the girls range of vision
beside him. while the back Of DIR.
Qualters' sleek head was before her
and a shadow which moved restlessly
up and down indicated that Wheeler
Sloat was pacing the floor.
The rumble of voices went on but
not a distinct word reached her ears
and in evaporation Sallie straight
ened and made for the next door to-
ward the rear. The knob turned be-