Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Trhc A cught I did. It's all/a jumble to me. But beware of the man who bought you here. He is the head of adl our troubles; and if he. knew I was on board he'd kill m'e out of hand. He'd have to. Braine offered .Bannock $1,000 to turn- back aa far as Boston; and as znnock had all the time in the world, c:rrying no pershable 'goods, he con sented. But he never could quite un derstand what followed. He had put Florence and Braine in the boat and Linded them; but when he went down to see if Braine had left anything be -hIndghe found that individual bound and gagsed-in his bunk. CHAPTER XI. When Jones received the telegram thatFlorence was safe, the iron nerveI of the man broke down. The suspense bad been so keenlyterrible that the t.den reaction left him almost hys terically weak. Three weeks of wait ig, waiting. Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had bn the princi -eeIthe abduction bad iee und. Fronta-great ship tn midocean ad disappeared. - Ddutbless they - lhdden- among the 'immigrants, "o; for little money would have efcled all the. ofcers on board. There - -.6 doubt In Jones' mind that the r'-b d landedsafely at Madrid. Is for-Suann she did have hystew -s Sheent-about the room, wailing Z,.i!ing and.wringing her hands. S d'ul have- thought by her actions iorcice had just died The sight Ii -stirred tie saturinine lips of the r into 'a smile. - But he -did not -?nstrate with her. In fact, he 3 - _r envied her freedom In emotion. "cannot let go In that fashion; it sign of weakness; and he dared ieven Susan see any of e-eakness in him. ; the reporter had fouid her, And Ehe wns ie-and sound and on her "to> NOVMYot iowing' by. thisf tz ometIngofthe reporter's cour as eager to learn how the at bad come about. .When he had ~u-~ not bad a telephone message from "An. 48 hours, he bad, decded the Black Hundred. had aiy i getting hold of him. It a somethig f a blow; for 7 'looked with disfavor upon sfrank regard 4for bib c ize appreciated the fact thatI a a-stiff to lean on, and had dh nalkthepower of the -press' v ~itnefudedthe privilegeof going 7h&8evn 'if one could not -AF efele the telegram and p4t tohispoe he observed the. ithe . lasses oyer the S Hebrugged. WeMl, let him 113. tlhs yes drope out-ofhs sad~ hedronI see only that which , s K'va" ntended fordbhh -yes.: Still, it ~~ frksonxito feelnthat, no i'atten -~he or wherdyou' moived, watching ~~ea olserved and chronicled thiese eigdevoid of aa ~~iene~otdry- humor, Jones tepped ~~ -to4he telephone and- called up ra ~ehighielse the-Princess Perlgoff. -was forced to adt however i~ltanlythat the woman had -a 3etois sponn ngvoice H'rgreave's butler, dina ' K Qt .-You have news of Florence?" 7esN 'I will be an embarrassing' fi~ or humanity when some, one In a phtgahcaprtsb dhtwo -persons at-the two ends of - ~etelephone .may- observe the facial eresosof each -ether. ~---Whiat is it? Te1um'e quickly." S-a'lrence has been found, and she ~aaher way back to New York. She s .fandeby Mr. ptn'.h eat I amso adlSan Icome upat nini nd have you tell me the whole SIt. would be useless, madam, for I eR$now nothin except what I learned Surrounded by Strange and Ominous Faces. from a telegram I have just received. But no doubt some time this evening you might risk a call." -- "Ring up the Instant she returns. - Did she say what train?" - "No, madam," lied Jones, smiling. He hung up the receiver and stared -at the telephone as -if he would force his gaze in and through It to the woman at the other end. Flesh and blood! Well, greed was stronger than that. Treacherous cat! Let her play; Subscribe ni Mystery." Times. Get is paid up, C Mill let her weave her 7 , C~ I=r pits. The day would ccme, and it was not far distant, when the would find that the mild eyed mongoose was just as deadly as the cobra, and far more cunning. The heads of the Black Hundred must be destroyed. Those were the crders. What good to denounce them, to send them to a prison from which, with the aid of money and a tremen dous secret political pull, they might readily find their way out? They must be exterminated, as one kills off the poisonous plagus rats of the Orient. A woman? ' In the law of reprisal there was no sex. Shortly after the telephone episode (which rather puzzled the princess) she received a wire from Braine, which announced the fact that Florence and five had escaped and were coming to New York on train No. ;5, and ad vised her to meet the train en route. She bad to fZ about to do It. - When Captain Bannock released Braine, he 'had been in no enviable frame of mind. Tricked, fooled by the girl, whose mind was as unclouded as his own! She had succeeded in bribing V.. Fell into a a cc.l stoker, and had taken him un awares. The man had donned the dis guise she had laid ont for shore ap pr.h .ad ... blockhea. Bannock had never suspected. He bad not ree ogiized .Norton at all. It was only when Bannock explained the history of the shanghaied stoker that-he -real ied hia real-4nger. Norton! He munst be .pushed off the board. After this episode he could no longer keep up the pretense of being friendly. Nor ton, by a rare stroke of luck, bad forced him out into the open. So be it. Self-preservation is in no wise loked upon as criminal. The law may have 'its idees about it, but the in dividual recolzes no law but its own. It was Braine whom he loved and ad mired, or Norton whom bre bated as a dog with rabies hates water. With. Norton free, he would never. again dare return to New York openly. This meddling reportei- aimed at his ease and elegance. He left the freighter as soon as a boat could carry him ashore. The fugitives wculd ma~ke directly for the railroad, and thither he went at top speed, to arrive ten minutes too late. "Free!" said .Florence, as the train began to-increase its, speed. Norton reached over and patted her hand. Then he sat back with' a sudden shock of dismay. He daved a hand into a pocket, into another and another. 'The price of the telegram he had sent to Jones was all he had had in the world; and be had bort'owed that from a friendly stoker. In the excitement he had forgotten all about such a contingency as the absolute need o'f money. "Florence; l'm afraid we're going to have trouble with the conductor when he comes." "Why?" He pulled out his pockets sugges tively. "Not a postage stamp. They'll put us off at the next station. And," with a glance in the little mirror be tween the two windows, "I shouldn't blame them a bit." He was unshaven, he was wearing the suit substituted for his own; and Florence, sartorially, was not much better off. She smiled, blusheid, stood up, and turned her back to him. Then she sat down again. In her hand she held a small dilapidated roll of banknots. "I had them with me when they abducted uze," she said. "'Besides, this ring ie worth something." "Thaz'- the Lord! ", he exclaimed, relievedly. - So there was nothing more to do but be happy; and happy they werd. They were quite oblivious to the pecu liar interest they aroused among tbe other -passengers. This unshaven young man, in his ragged coat arnd soied jersey; this beautiful young girl, in a wrinkled homespun, her gcrious blonde hairy awry: and the way they icoked at each other during those lulls in conversation peculiar o lavers the world over. impressed the otiher passengers with the idea ow to The Tinm Remember TI in the game a r you migrht b )ollar KEK-LOOK FOR NEXT ISSUE "ll give you twenty dc-1ars for the use of that rig of yours." "Can't do it mitter." "But it's a cWe of humanity, sir?" ,Indignantly. ' ou z:. refusing to aid the unfOainate." the farmer thought It over for a mo ment. "All right. You can have 'the buggy for twenty dcllars. When you get to the village take the nag to Doc Sanders' livery. He'll know what to do:' "Thank ycu. Help me In with her." Vrcon drove away without the least intention of going toward the village. I As a result, when Florence came to her scnses she found herself sur rounded by strange and ominous faces. At fir-Qt she thought that they hid taken her from the wreck,out of kind pess; byt when she saw tfie cold, impas:sie face of the man Vroon the closed her eyes and lay back in the chair. Well, ill and weak as she was, they should find that she was not without a certain strength. In the meatime Norton revived and looked about in vain for Florence. He searched among the crowd of terrified passengers, the hurt and the un harmed, but she was not to be found. He ran back to the princess and helped her out of the broken car.. "Where is Florence?" she asked dazedly. "God knpws! Here, come over and sit down' by the fence till I see If there Is a field telegraph." They had already erectpd one, and his message went off with a batch of others. This time he was determined not to trust to chance. The shock may have brought back-Florence's re cent mental disorder, and she may \have wandered pff without knowing what she was doing. On the other hand, she may have been carried off. And against such a contingency he must be fortified... Money! -The curse of'God was upon it; it was the trail of the serpent, spreading poison ih fits wake. .By and by the princess was' able to walk;' and, supporting her, he led her to the road, along which they walked slowly for at least an .hour. They might very well haie waited- for the relief train. But he could not stand the thought of Inactivity. The princess had her choice of staying be hind or going with him. He hatea the woman, but he could not. refuse her aid. She had a cut on the side of her head, and she limped besides. They stopped at.the first farmhouse, explained what had happened, and the mistress urged them to enter. She, she had seen no one, and certainly not a yotng woman. She must have wan dered off in -another direction. She ran into the kitchen for a basin and towel and proseeded - to patch the princess' hurts. She was -extremely uneasy. That she should be under obligation to Nor ton galled her. There .was a spark of cons'lence left in her .soul. She had tried to destroy him, and he had "been kind, to her. Was he a fool or was he deep, playing a game as shrewd as her own? She could not tell. Where was Vroon? Had he carried F16rence off? An hour later a man came in. "Hullo! More folks from the wreck?" ~"Where's the horse and buggy, I Jake?" his wife asked.' "Rented it to a man whose daughtert was hurt. He went to the village." "Will you describe the daughter?" asked Norton. . _The princess twisted her fingers. ~The farmer rudely described Flor ence. "Have you another horse and a saddle?" "What's youi- hurry?" "nil tell you later. What I want now is the horse." "What Is to become ofi me?" asked the princess. "You will be in good hands," he answered briefly. "I am going to find 4,.. k~t * ~..t "They Tied Him to the Track." . out what has become of Florence. Is there a deserted farm-house here abouts?" he asked of the farmer. c "Not that I recollect." "Why yes, there is, Jake. There's that old hut about two miles up the fork," volunteered the wife. "Where the Swede died last winter." "By jingo! rm going into the vil-. lage and see If that man brought In the rig." "But get my horse first My name Is James Norton, and I am on the Star in New York. Which way do I go?" "First turn to the left. Come on; 'I'll get the horse for you." Once the horse was saddled, Norton set off at a run. He was unarmed; I e forgot all about this fact. His one > wonderful sto . show each cht 10,000. Be sUJ midst of the st 10n (CONTINUED7FROM LAST W] e something very unusual nzd hap ixcd to these two. The Pullman conductor was not cs pecially polite; but money was money, and the stoekholders, waiting for their dividends, made it impossible for him to reject it. The reguiar conductor paid thEm no more attention than to grumble over changing a $20 bill. So, while these two were'hurrying cn to New York, the plotters were hurrying east to meet them. The two trains met and stopped at the same station about eighty, miles from New York. The princess, accompanied by Vroon, who kept well in the back ground, entered the car occupied by the two castaways. In the mirror at the rear of the car Norton happened to cast an idle glance, and he saw the princess. Vroon, however, escaped his eye. "Be careful, Florene," he said. "The princess is in the car. The game be gins again. Pretend that you suspect -nothing. Pretty quick work on their part. - And that's all the more reason why we should play the comedy well. Here she comes. She will recognize you. throw her arms around you, and 'M A7 :M KilK n Ambush. show all manner of effasiven'ess. Just. keep your head and play the game." .She lied about you to me." "No matter." "0!" cried th5 grincess. She seized Florence in a wild embrace. She was an inimitable actress, and Norton could not help admiring her. "Your butler telephoned me'' I ran to the first train out. And here you are, back safe and sound! It is wonderfuL. Tell me all about it. What an adven ture! And, 'good heavens, Mr. Nor t~cn, where did you get those clothes? Did you find her and rescue her? What a newspaper story you'll be able t make out of It all! Now, tell me just what happened." She 'sat down on the arm of Yiorence's chair. The girl had steeled I her nerves against the touch of her. And yet dhe was beauti ful! Bow could any one so beautiful be wicked? "Well, It began like this," said Flor ence; and she described her adven tures, omitting, to be sure, Braine's part in It. She had reached that part where they had been rescued by Captain Ban nock when a thundering, grinding crash struck the words from her lips. The three of them were flung violent ly to one side of the ear amid splinter ing wood,tinkling glass, and the shriek of steel against steeL. A low wall of horror rose and died away as the car careened over on Its side. The three were rendered unconscious and were huddled together on the floor, unde? the uprooted chairs. Vroon had escaped with only a slig'it cut on the hand from flying glass. lHe clirrbed over the chairs and passen gers with a single object in view. rAo sar that all three he was interested in were insensible. He quickly exam' ined them and saw that they had not received serious injuries. He had but little time. The princess and Norton would have to take their chrece 'with the other passengers. Resolutely he stooped and lifted Florence in his arms and crawled out of the car with her. It was a difficult task, but he managed it. Outside, in the confusion, no one paid any attention to him. So he threw the unconscious girl over his shoulder and staggered on toward the road. It. was fortunate that the accident had occurred where it did. Five miles bcyond was the station marked for the arrcst of Norton as an abductor and the taking in charge of Florence as a rebellious girl who had run away from her parents. If he could reach the Swede's hut, where his confederates were in waiting, the game was his. After struggling along for half an hour a carriage was spied by Vroon, and he hailed' it when it reached his side. "What's the trouble, mister?" asked the farmer. "A wreck on the railroad. My daugh ter is badly hurt. I must take her to the nearest vi,llage. How far is it?" "About three miles," es, and get th( e Pastime will nd win the $ e cut off in the Myst hought was to find the woman he oved. He was not afraid of meeting L dozen men, not while his present ury lasted. And he fell into an ambush within. t hundred yards of his goal. They Iragged him off the horse and buffeted md mishandled him into the hut. "Both of them!" said Vroon, rubbing is hands. "I know you, you Russian rat!" ried Norton. "And If I ever get out >f this ru kill you out of handl Dami. rou!" "0, yes;- talk, talk; but it never murts any one," jeered VroQn. "You'll ever have the chance to kill me out >f hand, as you say. Besides, do you en w my face?" 'do. The mask doesn't matter. -M~ Be* S~lent,' on're .the man 'who' had me shang taed. The voice is enough." "Very good. - That's what I wished o know. That's your death warrant. Ve'll do it like they used to do It at he old Academy; tie you to the- rail ad track. We shall not hurt, you t all. If some engine runs over you Leaven is witness we did not guide he engine. Rememxber the story of hie boy and.the cat?" with sinister amni bility.. "Thle boy said be wasn't pul ing the cat's tall, he was only holding t; the cat did the pulling. Bring him long men. Tinie-is precious, -end we ave a good deal to do before night ettles down. Come on-with him. Th'e rack is only a short distance." "Jim, Jim!" cried Florence In an "lNever you mind, girl; they're only ~lufing. They won't dare." "You think so?" said Vroon. "Walt nd see." He turned upon Florence. He Is your lover. Do you wish him "No, no!" "We promise to give him his free lo twelve hours from now on condi ion that you tell w,1ere that money "Florence!" warned Norton. Vroon struck him on the mouth, 'Be silent, you scum!" "It Is in the chest Jones, the butler, brew into the sound," she said brave y. And so It might be, for all she ~new. Vroon laughed. "We know about rhere that Is." "Florence, say nothing on my ac ount. They are not the kInd of men ~ho keep their-word." "Ehi?" snarled Vroon. "We'll see bout that." He glanced at his watch. 'In half an hour the freight comes long. It may become stalled at the reck. But it will serve." Norton knew very ,well that If need aid must they would not hesitate to 'zecute a melod]ramatic plan of this haracter. It was the way of the Slav; hey had to make crime abnormal in rder to enjoy it. They could very well have knocked him on the head hen and there and have done with im. But the time u:,cd in conveying ui to th~e railroad~ might prove his alvaton. Nearly ~four hours had asse~d since the sending of thie tele grame to Jones. They bound Florence and left her eated in the chair. As soon as they were gone she rolled to the floor. She w'as able to right herself to her knees, und after a torturcus five minutes -eached the fireplace. She burnt her uands and wrists, 1;ut teblazes~was ry, "The Mil pter as it app Sthat your i ory. er y., thOe cnly knife cbta::..'.. . was fr-e. * * 0 * 0 0A Jones arrived with half a dozen Npocemen. Vroon alone escaped. - The butlrr caught Florence in his arms and nearly crushed the breath out of her. And she was so glad to see him that she kissed him half a dozen times. What if he was her father's butler? He was brave and loyal and kind. "They tied him to the track," she cried. "Look at my wrists!" The but ler did so, and kissed them tenderly. "And I sa7ed him." - Jones stretched out a band over Florence's shoulder. "When the time comes," he said; "when the right time comes and my master's enemies are ou Scum " confounded. But always the rooks, never the hawks;' do we catch. God bless you Norton! I don't know what I should have done ithout you." "When a chap's in love," began Nor-. ton, embarrassedly. "I know, I know," interrupted Jones. "The second relief train Is waiting. Let us hurry back. I sha'n't feel se cure till we are once more 'in the house." * So, arm in arm, the three of them went down the tracks to the hand car which had brought the police. And now for the iron bound chest at the bottom of the sea. - CHAPTER XII. 'A dipsy-chanty, if you please; of sailormen In jerseys and tarry caps, of rolling 'gaits, strong tobacco and Adi verse profanity; of cutters, and blunt nose schooners, and tramps, canvas and steam, some of them honest, some of them shady, and some of them pi rates of the first water who did not find it. necessary to hoist aloft the skull and bones. The seas are dotted with them. They remind you of the once prosperous merchant, run down at the heel, who slinks along thesside streets, ashamed to meet those he knew, in the past. You never hear them mentione~ in thc maritime news, which is the society column of the ships; .you -=now of their existence only by the bleached bones of them, strewn along the coast. You who crave adventures on high ECas, you purChase a ticitet, a stca:.e: ahair, and a couple of popular novels, go on board to the blare of a very indifferent brass band, and believe you are adventuring; when, as a matter cf fact, you are about to spend a dull week or fortnight on a water hotel, where the most exciting thing Is the bugle's call to me-.iu cr the discovery of a card sharp in the smoking room. Take a real ship' go as supercargo, to the South seas; take the side streets of the ocean, and learn what it can do with hurricanes,typhoons, blister ing calms, end men's souls. There will be adven'.re erct: then. If you are a i~catiirls, Li:La you are made strong, oir you die. An hornest ship, but run down at the heel, rode at anchor in the sound, a fourth-rater of the hooker breed; that is, her principal line of business was hauling barges up and down the coast. When she could not pick up enough barges to make It pay, why. she'd go gallivanting down to Cuba for tals cf tcbacco or even to the Ber es ir the~ heaven smelling onion. ion DollarI ears in The mbscription COME TO SEE US The South Bend Mainable Steel Range. The 0. K. and Richmond Cook Stove. The 0. K.Wood and Coat Heater. The Fireplace Grate and Trash Burner. The Perfection Oil Cook Stove and Heater. The Deering Mower and Hay Rake. Tbc International Stalk Cutter. The Edison Mazda Electric Lamp. The Beautiful and. Sanitary Wall Coating Alabastine. The Stag Brand Paint and Varnish Stain. The John Primble Pocket and Table Catlery. Sporting Goods, Guns and Loaded Shells: -- Hardware, Tinware. Orockery ware, Enimel ware. Buggy'and Wagon Material. - Pumps, Pipe and Mill Supplies. Come -to see us. A Hearty Welcome -- waits.you. SC. R. Sprott, F. D. Hunter, President and Treas.; Vice-President and Sec.-, M ann Ags. -AN matim come -2 ~ NileeVdy awl-. -MANUFACTURERIS OF ' SCotton' Seed Products. AND ~High rade Friliersp _____the nh Thsewhsvereulrl egare dyo mc toyorel oushui trta akpcounarityh The BankhefBMnin Thoe whave Teual gdes orow uch ,ae sone lked Whitasen ounteains Tefgeaord Hooser itche fabipnethse pi ove capaen Dor ad indoset Raneseldves. fat welast ohers ve jutce to osel ompet shouk ofar - akacut.Satwt SI, H ouseFrisig 4eer en intereDro Pai toseun youngs come toSBtr ash of dt-"TeSoA ccom E modating."~ andFrezrs Cor. Side W &l SukyOC~ts in mosnt oplte Pstoffce. SutefC