Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1914-11-28 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

CHAPTER XI 11. A MT FYI ERI OVS VI Al TOR  Lying there in the darkness of that hare; unfurnished roout bound hand and foot and seettreiv gagged, Don wondered in a dazed . fashion as to the identity of the mysterious person who stood on the threshold—mysterious because he had neither sight. nor sound to furnish him with any due as to identification, if swirl) were possible. But he believed that it was one or other of his captors who had returned, either to nta-ke absolutely certain that his bonds were still secure, or —! _  The thought was a dreadful one—there in the darkness of the shuttered room—but he was forced to acknowledge its possibility and look it squarely in tht face. Perhaps, he had silently to admit, one of the men bad come back to 'murder him in cold blood, utterly helpless and silent as he now was, entirely beyond the reach of any aesieitanee from owside.  He closed his eyes, bravely waiting for that last stro.ke of Fate whit+ should end for ever the -life that had grown more than intolerable now that be bad lost Olive.  -Oh, Heaven! lie.ep her from harm—keep hr from harm,- he prayed, believing that it was with his last breath.  The next moment he received net (inily another, hut a series of kicks in the tide; vet whereas before he had believed the injury thus inflicted to be of malicious intent, he had a curious feeling that this last was more by aceicdent than design. There was a slight thud near him, and then a pair of bands were swiftly searching his body. He wondered why the unknown aid not. strike a light, and came to the conclusion that for certain reasons he had no wish that his identity should become known.  And still Don waited for what was to happen-wondoring, fearing, yet daring to hope even while ho forcd  The strange searching continued, and after moment there came a rustling of parker, as though soniething were being thnist into one of his pockets ; then there came a pause. Perhaps. Don thought, that pause wag for the taking of a breath before the fatal deed should done--for the consideration, it might be, of the best way to kill him so that it might seem that he had taken his own life; for a-bich reason, no doubt, there had been the hiding of the letter about his. person. Don felt that it could be nothing else but a letter, and supposed it to be an explanation for the police of this pretended suicide. While be still waited lie rot-Rived yet another surprise to catalogue with the many he had had that day. The hands that had searched him were busy now with the bonds which held his wrists event-€.47 fastened. There came a speedily discerned slsteltness in their painful restraint; the relief was almost beyond believing. He imagined that., after all, he was to be resealed ; hi ,s heart leapt with joy at the thought. and silently ho blessed this mysterious person who did goad deeds in very truth "by stealth.' But he wa.s destined to be disappointed. it would seem ; for, hi fi hands being freed from the cords. even while the slow. uncomfortable process (4 the return of impeded circulation was still in progress, Don heard the man scramble to his feet and steal cautiously frau the room.  He tried lo free ninmeif fxottt the evii-emelling. Aifling gag in order to call after this benefactor who did his work hy such unsatisfactory halrE.s, hut hie hands ware still numbed and ach;ng. an in comqueuce, very nearly uselet,s. Before he a-blet niqi th.fro efficiently the front door had ~!arrinlvci, once more echoing through the  drearily empty house, lending an added poig. nancy to the silence that followed. With all the speed it was possible for him t. make with his nerveless fingers Don first of all freed himself of the obnoxious gag. and then turned ,his attention. in the unrelieved darkneEs. to the card that held his feet as in a vice. This WAS a decidedly more difficult. matter, for the knots had been very securely tied, and to unrall them with no other direx.,tion than that of touph was far from easy. But he worked with patience, and was at lakst7 rewwled by feeling his bonds fall away from him. He was a free man once. more.  The next step; he decided, was to secure light of some kind in order to ascertain the .prectse nature of the contents of the envelope he now drew from his pocket, and which, he fancied, might possibly afford slyme clue either with tte gard to the reason for his present position. to the identity of his captors. Feeling in his pockets he found an almost empty box of matches, and stood eoneidering for a moment whether he should light the gas jet he had seen flaring above his head when he recovered consciousness, or open the shutters in order to assure himself whether or no there wa. any daylight left. He had come to the house shortly after noon; for all he knew it might be night now, or even the morning of the next day. He had no idea at all as to the length of time that had elapsed since his first encounter with Miss Montgomery ". and her friend. Striking one of the four matches which 'were all his box contained Don staggered over to the window. feeling sick and giddy from the effect of all he had endured as well as from lack of food. Just as he reached the window, however, the match`went out, and he Wati forced to use yet another of his scanty supply. In the feeble light afforded by this means of illumination he diecovered that the shuttele were not only barred. but fastened by serews in such a manner that it Would require hours of labour to open them. This task he had neither the time nor the inclination to undertake, so. returning once more to the corner in which he had lain bound and helpless, he reached up and set lieht to the gas Yet. "It seems that tbie wretched hole isn't always untenanted," be thought to himself. "Somebody evidently pays the gas bill or else the company woilld have taken care that the supply of light was cut off before this. Who (ec sarth lives la-re, I wonder?" •  _ There being no one to answer him he turn.d his attention th the square, not over dean envelope he had thrust once inure into his pockt. It bare neither name nor addre66, but in the top right-iband corner were printed by hand in in the wards: "