THE BEE: OMAHA, MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1916.
Vitagraph
From the Popular Novel of the same name
by C. N. and A. M. Williamson
Star of This Episode
MR. EARLE WILLIAMS as CHRISTOPHER RACE
LOUISZITA VALENTINE as MARGARET PLANTAGENET
Next Week Another Story and New Picture
Copjrijht, 11, kr tha SUr Companr. All Foreign Rights rturvie.
CHAPTER X.
THE LOST GIRL.
Christopher m scorching. He had
engaged to do an Impossible thine or
Impossible with a car lew sympathetic
than Scarlet Runner, but he believed
that he mi going to do It
He had a tingling rush down a long,
straight stretch of road when, slow
ing as little a he might for a turning,
he shot through a wooded common
and ran upon something interesting.
Mechanically he came to a stop, so
suddenly that Scarlet Runner Its ar
mor off for speed waltzed In yes
terday's mud, and put her bonnet
where her driving-wheels should have
been. '
Above Its head and Christopher's a
charming balloon was poised, iu an
chor attaching it to earth in an ad
jacent field, while leaning over the
edge of its basket-car, at a height of
thirty feet in air. a young man drank
a cup of tea and looked down upon
the approaching motor,
"Halloa!" said he in the sky.
"Halloa!" replied he on earth.
"That's what you call slide-slip, Isn't
It?" ..
"Or It's first cousin," grumbled
Christopher, angry with himself and
ruffled with the stranger.
"Side-slip's something we never
get," said the young man In the bal
loon, watching the motorist right his
car. "Or tire trouble; or"
"We don't have to say our prayers
every time we want to stop," said
Christopher. "Oood bye. Hope you'll
get somewhere." J
"I'm In no hurry to get anywhere,'
answered the other. "I'm out for
fun: aren't you?"
"No; for business. Ooodby again."
"Don't go," urged the balloonist.
"Nice red assassin you've got only
a bit old-fashioned."
"Old-fashioned!" echoed Christo
pher. "Why, she's the latest thing
out She's " i
"Excuse me, I only meant old-fashioned
In comparison with my Little
Stranger. An automobile's the vehicle
of yesterday, a balloon the carriage of
tomorrow." . . . ' !
"Well, they'll both be out of date
the day after," said Christopher, and
smiled, for there was something en
gaging about the young man la the
"k"I aon't know where you want to
go, but I bet I could get you there
quicker than you can get yourself."
"What? Could you go from London
to Torquay In seven hours? That's
what I'm trying to do. '' .
"Shouldn't have to try. Snail J
take you?" i
"Car and all?"
"Come, I'm serious. Put your red
crab up at the village, which I can
see not far off, though In your worm
like position on earth you can't get
a glimpse of It. Shouldn't wonder if
there's a garage of sorts."
There was a microbe In Christopher
Race's blood which went mad when
It came In contact with the microbe
of suggested adventure. His errand
from London to Tourquay was an er
rand of business, as he bad hinted and
though he bad "personally conducted"
two short tours and made a little
money since he had set up as a gentle
man chauffeur, he could not afford to
miss any promising chance. An ad
vertisement of his had been answered
yesterday by a Mr. Flnnlngton Brown
of Flnnlngton hall, near Torquay, In
viting him to bring his car on a visit
of inspection and be engaged for a
month's trip if satisfactory.
It would surprise Mr. Flnnlngton
Brown If the advertising chauffeur
dropped In on him In a balloon, say
an hour earlier than expected In a
motor ear, and explained that that
but bother explanations! say that,
owing to unforeseen circumstances
Scarlet Runner would appear later.
"I accept with pleasure your kind
Invitation for tea and a canter," said
Christopher aloud, "Will you call for
me or do I call lor tout '
"We'll make a rendezvous," replied
the other, "a little lower down or
' what you're still accustomed to con
sidering 'down.' When you've nut un
your crawler, you might Just bring
along an able-bodied yokel or two to
help unhitch me from the stars, eh?
I don't want to let myself down, as
I can t spare gas."
The news of the "free snow" pro
vided for the neighborhood spread
mysteriously, and by the time Chris
topher and his attendants were out
of the village half the able-bodied In
habitants were at their heels A
growing crowd watched the slow
hauling down of the balloon, and lis
tened, open-mouthed, to the Instruc
tions given by the aeronaut.
As for him, despite the surging au
dience, he was as calm as the weather,
which. In the lull after the storm, en
abled his directions to be obeyed
without hitch. His basket car touched
earth, light as a swallow dropping
from flight. Each of Christopher's,
assistants got half a crown for the
work he would have been enchanted
to do for nothing, and while all three
village youths clung grinning to the
basket's edge the Invited guest climbed
over It In a luxurious nest stored with
rugs, books, maps, food, a tea basket,
and a few bottles of wine. ,
, "When I say 'Let go!' do It all to
gether," ordered the balloon's owner,
as he pulled in his anchor and deftly
festooned the rope round the car.
Anyone who hangs on may get trans
lated to another sphere. Farewell,
forever. Now let go!"
And they did let go with scared pre
cision. "Let's be happy as birds, telling
each other our names and Impres
sions of things in general. I'm Paul
Western "
"I might have guessed that." cut
In Christopher. "You're the Western,
winner of the big balloon race last
week. Delighted to meet you. As for
me, the only race I have to my credit
Is my name Christopher Race 'Ace'
' they used to call me at college. Would
; it had been the Ace of Diamonds!"
"I suppose Ace of Hearts would
have suited the case better?"
"Never was In love In my life." said
Christopher. "Though one has fan
' cies, of course."
"We're bobbing about," said West
ern, "but I'll run her up higher and
see If we can't catch that breeze."
He began emptying sand out of a
bag; but mo far as Christopher could
tell, nothing happened except that the
.' mountain range sank out of sight and
Company
others, even wilder, came Into view.
Also, the air seemed fresher, though
not intensely cold.
The sun had set behind leaden
clouds. Already, as one says
across the channel. It made night; and
far below they saw clustering lights,
shining like Jewels on purple velvet
cushions Though they could feel no
wind, as they bent over the edge of
the basket the lights in the world
below appeared to float rapidly past,
as if borne by an onruehlng tide.
Sometimes they were hidden by black
rags of cloud; but at last these rags
were fringed with gleaming silver. The
moon was coming up, clear and full,
and, as if in obedience to her com
mand, the wind was still; the lights
In the purple depths no longer moved
on a dark tide, but a river of silver
swallowed up the yellow sparks and
flooded the purple valleys.
"Oood!" said Western. "Now we
can descend. We shall have an Illum
ination for our landing, and though
we're coming down Into a mist a sea
mist, I should Judge by the salt tang
of It It's so thin that we shall know
whether we're dropping on earth or
water."
, "Have you any idea where we are?"
asked Christopher, who had long ago
abandoned hope of Torquay or Its
neighborhood If he had ever really
had any but, like a true, sportsman,
was revelling In the adventure.
"Might be Hampshire," suggested
Western vaguely. "0-well, might
be anywhere near th coast. It's
hard to say to thirty mlfes or so, the
way we have been racing."
He had pulled the valve-cord and
they steadily descended. Now they
swam In a sea of creamy mist, laced
with the moon's silver. They knew
that thev must be near earth, but the
gleaming sea-fog shrouded all detail.
Suddenly, however, they became con
scious of a luminous gilding of the
mist close to the falling balloon, and
at the same Instant the car bumped
and swayed, bounding like some wild
creature caught by the foot in a trap.
There was a swishing of foliage or
nine needles, and a crackling or
small branches. They were entangled
In a tree.
"Why, we're close to a house," he
said to Western, whose back was
turned to him as he worked.
Bv this time Western had stopped
chopping branches to glance over his
shoulder.
"By Jove, we are close," he ex
claimed. "I can touch the stone ledge, Just
round the corner of the house wall,"
said Christopher. "It's wet there's
a pool of"
"Water" was the word on his
tongue: but, as he pulled back his
hand and looked at it in tne yeuow
hase of the lamplight which mingled
with the moon'I rays, he drew In his
breath quickly.
"What's the matter?" asked West
ern. "Look," Christopher answered, In
an odd voice, holding out his hand.
Fingers and palm were dyed red, a
wet red that glistened.
Their lively tones were hushed
now. Involuntarily they whispered.
"Pooh! I know what you mean,
but it can't be. .. A window sill. Why
should such things don't happen."
"All the same, I'm going to hang
out from the car and try to twist
round the oorner far enough to see"
"Walt till I hang on to you, or you'll
get a tumble."
Christopher leaned out, with one
knee on the edge of the trapped car,
one hand plunged Into and grasping
the thick-stemmed Ivy. Hanging thus,
he could see the window whence came
the light; and as he looked, peering
through the mist, a slight breeze
sprang up and blew a fold of the white
veil away. He could see round the
corner and Into the lighted window,
but only a faint impression ot what
he saw there remained with him a
vague picture of an old-fashioned,
oak-panelled room, with a great many
books, and a long mirror opposlto the
window for It was something In the
window which caught and held his
gaze. He saw It, and saw It repeated
in the mirror, or, rather, saw there
what he could see th no other way.
A man's body hung over the win
dow sill, Inert and lifeless. He had
fallen backward and lay half out, his
head and shoulders protruding over
the stone ledge which Christopher had
touched, the face upturned and white
In the mingling light of lamp and
moon.
There was a red stain on the fore
head, and the hair, which was dark
and long, clung wet and matted over
the brows. The Hps were twisted Into
a terrible, three-cornered smile, and
Christopher started back from It with
a cry.
"What did you see?" asked Western.
ennstupher told him.
"For heaven's sake, let's get out of
this," Western stammered.
As he exclaimed, something moved
near by, and a figure which had been
hiding among the battlements sprang
up and ran towards the swaying bal
loon. Highly wrought as they were, at
first the two young men wero struck
with horror, as if beholding a spirit:
but as the clear moonlight fell upon
the form, common sense came back
and they knew this was no ghostly
vision.
A girl In a white dress was hurry
ing along the flat ronf, her arms out
stretched In a detaining gesture. "Rave
me!" she faltered, her voice broken
by fear or pain.
Whether or not It was partly the
effect of the moonlight, the girl
seemed to Christopher and Western
the most beautiful creature they had
evler seen.
She had hair which the moon burn
ished to copper, and it fell In two long,
thick ropea or braids over slim shoul
ders and young bosom. The white ra
diance which had pierced the blowing
mist shone Into her eyes, making
them large and dark, and wonderful
as well that mirror stars In black
depths
"Oh, save me take me with you
whoever you are wherever you go
anywhere away from this awful
house!" she begged of the strangers,
aa she came flying across the dark,
flat expanse behind the battlements
And eagerly Christopher Race and
Paul Western put out their arms to
reach and draw her into the car.
But fate came between them and
the girl. A new puff of wind caught
the balloon again, so that both men
staggered and fell upon their knees.
So great and so sudden was the strain
that the branch which for a moment
had arrested them broke with a sharp
snap, and the balloon, already light
ened of ballast, was whirled away
like a soap bubble berore they had
time to speak.
In a second the white girl and the
dark battlementa had been swept out
of sight. Western gut to his feet and
seized the valve cord, but Christopher,
still on his knees, cried out a warn
ing, "Stop!"
"Listen," he said, "what's that
sound?"
Western paused with his hand on
the cord, his ears alert.
The balloon was in a boiling surf of
snowy cloud, lit by the moon. They
could see nothing save this glittering
froth, but there was a sound louder
and more ominous than the harp-like
singing of the cordage. From below
came at short, regular intervals a
deep, reverberating boom.
In his excitement Western had not
heard, until Christopher compelled his
attention.
"The sea!" he exclaimed. "We're
over the aea."
"Another moment and we should
have been in It," added Christopher.
"Then that house must Btand close
to the shore," Western said.
"We're being blown out to sea,
aren't we?" finished Christopher.
"I'm afraid we are," the other ad-
THE GI
mltted. "Great Scot! I wouldn't have
had this happen tor anything!"
"Is It so dangerous?" ' '
"Hang danger! I wasn't thinking of
myself or you either. I was thinking
of the girl that beautiful, that divine
girl. We've lost her deserted her,
left her abandoned do you under
stand? We can't get back to her.
We don't know where she Is. We
can never find her again." '
"We must," said Christopher. "She
begged us to save her. From what, I
wonder? What had happened? What
was she afraid would still happen?
What can be the secret ot that terrible
house?"
Western tilted out another bag of
sand.
The clouds fell from under them as
they shot up Into more rarefied air.
"The best thing we can hope for now,
I suppose," he went on, "is to get to
France, and then back again, to find
her and the house, or to spend all we
have and are In trying to do it. If
we're to make this passage without
shipwreck, we must travel high."
They were racing over a sea of steel
which they could see sometimes
through a hole In a torn carpet ot
cloud. Western did not say anything
to discourage his guest; but, though
he was a novice, he had heard bal
looning men talk since the sport came
Into fashion, and he knew that the
English channel was wide, that they
might never ace the other side, be
cause the balloon might not have
buoyancy enough to carry her pas
sengers serosa.
So the night went on, and as the bal
loon held her own the adventure would
have begun to Becm commonplace,
had it not been for the dark picture
of the tragic house .by the sea. There
was nothing to do but to eat when
they were hungry, to throw out ballast
when the Little Stranger showed signB
of faltering, to light , their lamps and
consult the compass or the anemom
eter. After midnight the gale grew weary.
They still hung over the sea, but far
away shone a lamp like a fallen star.
It was a lighthouse, Western said;
and, though they lost the welcome
gleam, It was not long after when they
heard once more the thunderous
booming of surf.
"Land!" shouted Western. "She's
brought us safely across, after all.
Below lies France Normandy, per
haps. Now's our chance, and we must
take It or fare worse."
He pulled the valve-cord and they
fell, thrilled with the wild Joy of dan
ger and uncertainty as they peered
over the edge of their frald car Into
the gulf of moonlight and shadow.
The earth flew Up at them, and not
far off were a group of farm buildings,
with a large pond beyond. Delay of
a moment might mean disaster, for
here was the place to alight not on
those pointed gables or in the shining
sheet of water. Western opened wide
the valve, the car came quietly to
earth, and before she could bump or
drag he tugged the red ripping cord
and tore the Little Stranger from
foot to crown. The gas gushed out,
and folds of silk enveloped the two
young men aa the balloon lost shape
and collapsed. '. ' .
"Let her He as she Is," said Western
coolly, as he scrambled out and extri
cated his companion. "Our business
is to get back to that girl."
A square of light flashed yellow In
a dark wall, and a voice hailed them
in French.
Both young men could speak the
language, Race better than Western,
and between them they explained that
they were not burglars but balloonists;
that they had crossed the Manche.
and had found a resting place on the
land of monsieur, of whom they
begged assistance. Could he give
them a cart to the nearest railway
Btatlon? If he could, they would give
him money, much money, in return.
In five minutes more the mayor and
the mayor's sons were alt out of the
house, and some went to gaze curious
ly at the deflated balloon, while others
helped their father get ready the
white-covered cart.
Succor and protection for the Little
Stranger were promised and the Eng
lishmen were Informed that they had
alighted within twelve kilometers of
Havre. They dashed on to the quay
as the last whistle blew for the de
parture of the night boat, and flung
themselves across the gangway Just
as It was being hauled ashore.
The Journey back to England across
a turbulent and noisy sea was a vul
gar experience compared to their
flight with the wind among the stars.
But as neither felt in the mood for
rest, it gave them time to discuss de
tails of their premeditated quest.
It was 8 In the morning when they
touched English soil, and their lira!
thought was to buy a newspaper, of
which they scarcely let a paragraph
RL DID NOT FALTER FOR AN INSTANT
go unregarded. But they learned noth
ing. So far, the battlemented house
kept Its secret: nevertheless, If tor
tune did not favor them in one way, It
did In another, for they discovered
a train leaving Southampton almost
immediately after .the arrival, which
would take them across country to
Scarlet Runner.
All night the expert balloonist had
puzzled over the problem of distances
and speed, trying to determine from
the map of England how far and In
what direction the Little Stranger had
drifted after taking Race on board,
before the sudden gale had subsided
and dropped him, In a rising sea fog,
at the loBt house. Now, In obedience
to Western's calculations, Scarlet Run
ner's bonnet was pointed upon a
southeasterly course, slanting always
toward the sea.
When, well on In the afternoon,
they came to Weymouth, taking the
coast road when there was one, and,
when they wandered irrelevantly else
where, exploring each side track which
might lead to a house by the shore.
So darkness fell, and all the searching
and all the questionings had been in
vain. It was useless to go on after
nightfall, and in the sequestered hol
low of Lulworth cove they stopped till
dawn beckoned them on.
It seemed to Christopher that Jt
would be a delicious romance to find
and save her from the horror she had
feared, to win her love and eventually
marry her about the time that his rich
relative should decide to leave him
everything, thus making himself for
ever safo against a wife of his uncle's
choosing. . Therefore, when Western
began to make some such remark,
apropos of his own state of mind,
Christopher frankly proclaimed his
own intentions
"But I tell you the girl is mine,"
argued the other, surprised and dis
gusted, for he had taken Christopher's
helpfulness for disinterested sympa
thy. "Why Is she yours more tbaa
mine?" argued Race.
"Because I saw her first," said
Western.
"That would be difficult to prove,"
said Christopher.
"Anyhow, it was my balloon."
"I was your honored guest. Be
sides, if you hadn't thrown out sand,
we could have stopped and taken her
away."
"I laid first claim. Tou can't deny
that. You should have spoken when
1 first told you how much I admired
her. Oh, y every rule, she's mine."
"First catch your hare," said Chris
topher. "What a simile! If only for that,
you don't deserve her."
"So tar as that's concerned, I don't
suppose there's much to choose be
tween us"
"I wish I thought you were chaff
ing," said the American.
"I'm not"
"Then how's this thing to be de
cided?" "By the girl when we find her."
"Yes. But one of us the one who
gets ahead Is bound to have the best
chance. Look here, I'm obliged to
stick to your company, for I can't get
on without your car; It would mean
too much to delay now to wire some
where and try to hire an equally good
one."
"There Isn't such a thing," said
Christooher.
"Well, one half aa good, then. 'u
at your mercy. You wouldn't have
seen the girl If it hadn't been for me.
You might stand aside and let me pro
pose. Americans think nothing of
aaking a girl to marry us the first time
we see her, If we really want her and
some other fellow's likely to snatch
her out of our possession. But an
Englishman could never do the thing
offhand like that. He"
"Nonsense." cut in Christopher. "I'll
come to an agreement with you. If we
And the girl "
"When we And the girl. Don't say
'if.' "
"When we find her, the one who
does the most towards saving her shall
have the right to speak first. Do you
agree?"
"Yes," said Western, after a mo
ment's hesitation.
Scarlet Runner had sped under the
Bhadow of a ruined castle, and was
nearlng Ardwanage, when a train
which had not yet gathered full speed
after leaving the station ran towards
them along the line, that here lay
parallel to the road. Race had slowed
down for a frightened horse, and he
was in the act of putting on speed
again when Western sprang up in the
seat beside him. "Turn as quick as
you can," he stammered. "Catch that
train. She's In It!"
"She?" echoed Christopher, bewil
dered, but obeying.
"She the girl my lost girl. I
saw her."
"Our lost girl," Christopher amend
ed, and slipped in his four speed. "If
Scarlet Runner can catch that train,
and she's really in It, the first chance
la mine eh?"
"Yes yes, Anything, if you'll only
bring me to her,", gasped Western.
"She was there you may take my
word. There's no one like her. Her
face was at the open window, with
the same expression on it as when she
begged us to save her. Whatever the
mystery is whatever has happened
since that night she's horribly un
happy and frightened. It may be that
It isn't too late to save her yet"
The smoke of the locomotive trailed
Its dark flag along the sky, and Scarlet
Runnner hurled herself in pursuit.
The heavy engine drawing Its huge
load could do forty miles an hour on
an even track; the light car, clean and
springy as a trained athlete, could
sprint at least twenty miles faster on
the road, but that road must be clear,
and there came In the skill of the
driver.
Christopher Race was a driver
born, not made. His eye saw and
understood with tho quickness of
light. His hand and foot moved with
automatic precision; his nerve was un
shaken. Western admired him, and
for the moment compared the sport
of ballooning unfavorably with that
of motoring,
"We shall do it!" cried Western! and
then, round a turn, Rhowed a railway
crossing. A moment earlier, and the
car would have shot through like an
arrow; but Race had to jam the brake
on with sudden force, or Scarlet Run
ner's bonnet would have crashed Into
the gates as they swung shut.
The car was ahead of the train at
the crossing, and Western shouted an
offer of ten pounds to the gate keeper
It he would open for a Becond and
let them rush by; but the man shook
his head, and they had to wait, not
only to see the train go past, but to
sit chafing while the huge caterpillar
length of a luggage train followed,
crawling along the other line.
Later it waa shunted onto a siding,
and blocked the way for five of the
longest minutes either young man had
ever known. The race was over and
they had lost
It was easy enough to learn from
the gate keeper that the train they
had chased was bound for London,
but, as it would stop at four atations
before reaching Its destination, it was
ImpoBsible to guess at which the girl
was most likely to get out.
"Ready to go on," said Christopher.
"Wo won't go on. We stop here,"
asnwered the American excitedly.
"Read this."
"Murder or Suicide of a Baronet.
Master of Abbey Court Dorsetshire.
Beautiful Young Girl Accused, and
Arrested by Police While Trying to
Escape."
ChriBtopher read, on, eagerly ab
sorbing the sensational version of the
mystery "which to him and his com
panion had seemed impenetrable.
Sir Dlgby Plantagenet was an ec
centric middle-aged baronet, claiming
descent from klnga. He was a child
less widower, living alone save for
two old servants, In a desolate but
beautiful house, dating from the days
of Henry VII. Though rich enough to
keep a generous household, he lived
almost as a miser, and saw no one
until a year ago, when he sent for a
daughter of his dead brother, a young
girl. Margaret Plantagenet whom he
bad been educating in a French con
vent school. The girl had come to
live with her uncle, and eight or nine
months after her arrival both servants
husband and wife had left The
gossip of the countryside was that Sir
Dlgby'B growing eccentricity had been
too much for them, but others said
that, having hoped that their master's
fortune might become theirs by his
will, jealousy of the beautiful niece
had finally compelled them to give no
tice. For several months the young girl
had acted as her uncle's housekeeper,
without assistance. 'No servants were
engaged, no visitors received; no one
ever came to the house except two or
three privileged tradesmen from
Marne, the country town, ten miles
distant. The day before the publica
tion of the report a Marne grocer had
called at Abbey Court with his cart,
as he was in the habit of doing twice
a week, to bring milk and other stores
which Miss Plantagenet used In her
housekeeping. His kuocklng re
mained unanswered, and at last he
discovered that a side-door was un
locked. Fearing some tragedy in the
strange household, he entered, cried
Miss Plantagenet's name, but had no
answer. He then ventured on an ex
ploration, and finally made a dreadful
discovery; the body of Sir Digby hung
half out of a window invisible from the
back of the house where the grocer
entered. The unfortunate baronet had
been shot in the breast and In the
head, though no weapon was to be
seen, and Miss Plantagenet the only
other occupant of the house, had dis
appeared. The grocer at once noti
fied the police at Marne and search
was made for the missing girl. Late
In the evening she was found at Wey
mouth, In a state of collapse, at a
small hotel near the railway station,
where she had arrived that morning.
She was arrested on suspicion of mur
Jerlng her eccentric uncle, whose heir
ess she was believed to be. but her
weakness and hysterical condition had
prevented her from making a state
ment. A doctor had, however, been
called In and announced that Miss
Plantagenet would probably be well
enough next day to be taken back by
train as far as Marne, where she would
have to appear at the coroner's In
quest. "She's here now," said Western. "By
this time the Inquest has probably be
gun. Those men I saw must have
been policemen In charge of the poor
child the brutes! . We must go to the
Inquest ourselves, aa quick as we can
get there. Only think; If I hadn't
bought that paper we'd, have been oft
to the next place. This time I am the
Ace of Trumps."
"You wouldn't have got- to Marne
if 1t hadn't been for me," replied
Christopher, and Western had to ad
mit that this was true. "So far It's
a tie," he said, "and the grand test is
still to come."
The people of the garage where
Christopher had bought his petrol
knew all about the "murder" (as they
prematurely termed It) and were en
chanted to point out the way to the
inn where the coroner's inquest was
at that moment being held.
According to public opinion. Miss
Plantagenet had had motive enough
to kill her uncle. He was a man of
vindictive temper, an expert in the
art of Irritating and torturing those
dependent upon him. Some said that
he was mad and for the last year or
two he had been feared by everyone
forced to come In contact with him.
Ever since a fall from a horse in hunt
ing six or seven years ago he had been
peculiar, and had grown more so ev
ery year.
Little was known in Maine about
Miss Plantagenet but she had been
seen and waa considered beautiful.
As for the servants, Mr. and Mrs.
Honey, they had never had a good
word to say for the young girl since
they left Abbey Court to live at Marne.
They described her as an ambitious,
designing creature, whose one idea had
been to get Sir Digby Into her poWer,
but then, they were prejudiced, as she
had accused them of pilfering, and it
was mrougn ner tnat tney nad lost
their soft berth, or so everyone sup
posed. Their evidence would cer
tainly go against Miss Plantagenet at
the Inquest. Mrs. Honey had told a
friend last night after the news came,
that an old-fashionde pistol kept by
Sir Digby had disappeared from its
place soon after his niece came to Ab
bey Court, and probably the young
lady knew where it was. Besides, if
she were not guilty, why had she run
away to Weymouth, Instead of letting
the police know what' had happened?
Christopher Race and Paul Western
listened to these scraps of informa
tion, for they wished to know some
thing about the case before going to
the coroner's inquest. The more they
knew, the more clearly would they un
derstand how to go to work, they said
to each other. But five minutes of
such gossip sufficed, and then they
were off in Scarlet Runner for the
Bell Buoy inn.
A crowd stood before the door; the
bar was thronged and men packed
shoulder to shoulder, talking in low,
eager tones, blocked the dim hall, but
Christopher and Western contrived to
squeeze through as far as a door kept
by a big policeman. They knew that
behind that closed door the coroner's
inquest was in full swing.
"We must be allowed to
Western said Imperatively,
This would not have been Race's
way, but Western had taken the ini
tiative. "Impossible, sir," replied the repre
sentative of the law. "Room's
crammed. There isn't space for one
more, let alone two."
"But we're important witnesses,"
urged Christopher.
The big man grinned. "If I'd let in
every man Jack and every woman
Jill, for the matter o' that who said
they were .important witnesses, I
should have let In half the town," he
returned calmly. "They've got wit
nesses enough In there and too many,
maybe, for that poor girl."
"If you mean Miss Plantagenet"
said Western quickly, "I intend to
marry her."
As he spoke he looked defiantly at
ChriBtopher, who, though audacious
himself, was astonished at this audac
ity. The manner of the policeman
changed. "Oh, very well, sir, if you
are Miss Plantagenet's intended hus
band that alters the vase. You had
better write that on a card and I'll
send It in. Then you and your friend
will probably be admitted."
Thus Western had in an instant become,-
of the pair, the person of para
mount Importance. Triumphant he
drew out a visiting card and scribbled
something upon it. The policeman
opened the door wide enough to pass
this to a comrade, and a few min
utes later the coroner's officer was
ushering the two young men into the
crowded coffee room. They were led
to a position near the long table,
headed by the coroner, and their
pulses -quickened as they saw the girl,
found again, and more beautiful than
ion the night when they had lost her.
She had asked to make a statement
and, though advised by the coroner to
keep silence, had persisted, pleading
that she had notning to conceal, cine
was speaking as Christopher and
Western took their places, and, seeing
them, so bright a color sprang to hei4
white face that the young men knew
they had been recognized.
The girl did not falter for an in
stant, however, but went on nervously,
excitedly, denying that she knew any
thing of the old-fashioned pistol kept
In her uncle's study beyond hearing
from Honey that it had disappeared
from its place. She did not take it;
she had been very unhappy in her
uncle's house; they bad not had a
quarrel on the night of his death, but
there had been a distressing scene.
"He called me into his study," she
went on, "and said cruel things; that
I was careless of his Interests; that I
was altogether a failure, and that I
didn't deserve a penny of his money.
I told him if he thought I was staying
for that I would go: if I hadn t hated
to leave him alone in his gloomy house
I would have gone long ago. Then
flew into one of his rages, which
h
ways frightened me dreadfully, and
made me believe that he really was a
lunatic, as Honey and his wife used
to say. This was the worst I had seen.
Often he had struck now he threat
ened to kill me. He said rather than
I should leave his house and carry
evil reports he would shoot me. I
rushed out of the room screaming,
for I believed he meant to keep his
word, and I believe it still. I didn't
know where to hide from him, for
the lock on my door, as on most of
the doors, was broken. Then I
thought of the roof a flat roof, with
battlements and I ran through many
passages till 1 came to the ladder
like stairway that leads to it I
climbed up, trembling, for I could
hear my uncle calling my name and
slamming doors. At the top I pushed
back the rusty bolt and slipped out.
I expected him to find me, and I had
not been hiding long when I heard
two shots. I supposed he had fired
them to terrify me. After that all
was silent. I decided to wait, If I
were not discovered, till dawn, when
I would slip down, hoping my uncle
might be asleep. I planned to go to
Weymouth, because It was a big
town, and I knew a girl there who
used to be at school with me in
France. I didn't realize how weak my
experience had made me. I meant
to look for her. I never expected to
feel so 111 that I should have to go
to a hotel or faint in the street. Oh,
n,
tnat awiui railway journey to wey
mouth
"This Is Irrelevant." broke in the
coroner. "You walked to a more di:
IttUl . reuiwuy buluuii mail inwun niiu
caught the first train to Weymouth,
before Sir Digby's fate was known.
But do you mean the jury to under
stand that you remained on the roof
all night without being aware that
your uncle was dead?"
"I do," answered the girl. "I dared
not go down. Once, though, I hoped
to be taken away."
"While I was on the roof," she
went on faintly, in her uneasiness giv
ing an air of artificiality to her state
ment "soon after dark It must have
been, a balloon came close to the
house. Two young men were- In it,
gentlemen, and I begged them to save
me. Their balloon was caught some
how In a tree, and they were so near
for a minute that I hoped they could
take me with them. They must have
seen how frightened I was, and t
think they meant to help, but a wind
came and freed the balloon, whirling
it out of sight so they had no time."
A titter of incredulous laughter
among the . onlookers interrupted
her, and was. quickly checked. But
It had not died before Western,
ignoring the formalities of a coro
ner's Inquest, stepped forward. "They
are here as witnesses," he exclaimed.
"We are the two balloonists, my
friend and I, and we can corroborate
every word Miss Plantagenet has said.
We can prove her innocence; for if
she had murdered her uncle she
would have known that his dead body
was lying half out of his window;
that we had probably seen It there,
and she would have hidden herself
instead of rushing toward us and beg
ging that we would take her away."
. Twice the coroner strove, to stop
Western, but the tide of his Indignant
eloquence . was not to be stemmed.
Margaret Plantagenet, flushed and
grateful, moved aside, and the Amer
ican was sworn as a witness.
"You and your friend never saw
Miss Plantagenet until the night in
question?" the coroner asked.
"No."
"Then" very slowly and distinctly
"how comes It that you should have
declared, on your visiting card which
you sent in to me, that you were en
gaged to marry that young lady?"
At this question there was a stir In
the room, and the Jury gazed at West
ern, but he answered, unabashed
"I didn't say I was engaged to
her. If you will look again, you'll see
that I said I intended to marry her.
I wrote that so that I might have a
chance to come in and Rive my evi
dence. But it is true. I do hope to
marry Miss Plantagenet hope it be
yond everything. I shall propose to
her on the first opportunity, and tell
her that I fell in love at first sight
with the sweetest purest most inno
cent girl I ever met. That girl a mur
deress! My' friend and I would have
been fools even to think of such a
thing when we'd seen her face and
heard her voice. I can Drove every
word I am going to say about my
balloon, which took us over to Nor
mandy before we could descend. The
back and scour the country in my
friend's automobile looking for the
lost girl and the lost house; we
couldn't locate them exactly. We
learned what we wanted to know only
by the paper today. We were never
nearer the house of Abbey Court than
being caught in a tree; we didn't de
scend; the dead body In the window
was a mystery to us. But I would
wager my dearest possession which
Is my balloon that the pistol you
were talking about dropped out of
the dead man's hand when he had
shot himself In his frenzy, and fell
into the bushes under the window
where he lay. I advise you to send
and look for it"
So frank, so enthusiastic and so
handsome waa Paul Western, the fa
mous balloonist, whose name nearly
everybody knew, that he carried all
before him. Perhaps It was largely
due to his evidence and the fact that
his belief in the girl's Innocence was
unassailable, that the coroner's jury
brought in its verdict at last "Suicide
whilst temporarily Insane."
Christopher admired Paul Western
more than ever, freely admitted that
his was the "first right" fairly won,
and after all was glad to think that
he had helped him win out.
And Western did win the girl: it
would also have been strange If Chris
topher had not been asked to be best
man at the wedding.
(Another Adventure Next Week)
