er et wo ——— i Copyright by STEWART Ki )D COMPANY smi CHAPTER X!l—Cohtinued. w—] So He seemed to tremble at her words. He turned flercely upon her. “To Scotland!” he shouted. “I'm done with this country. A man’s thochts turn in his old age to his homeland. To Aber- deen!” Molly was awed by the old man's fanatical enthusiasm. “When shall we go?" she asked. “This autumn, lass — before the snows fall. But—" he clutched her by the arm—*“ye'll say nought about it? “But you must arrange with the com- pany for a new factor, and, If he Isn't trained—" His clutch became convulsive, “Not a word!” he cried fiercely. “Havena | done weel by the company? It won't be the sufferer. If they thocht 1 was going away they'd—not a word, lass! Promise me! Molly, lass, ye winna go back on me now?” “No, I won't go back on you,” she answered. But she did not like the {dea of stealing away, although the company would suffer little. And then there would be the forfeiture of his pension. But she dared not bring up that sub- ject In view of his evident obsession. After a while they began to make preparations. They spoke of the jour- ney as being weeks, Instead of months away. Then came a night when the factor tapped at Molly's door. She dressed quickly and went out of her room, to see the whole skyline ablaze. on them. Suddenly a rig with and drew up at the door, Molly recognized Lee Chambers and Hackett, and turned and faced them, though her heart was beating with fear. “We've come for you, Miss McDon- ald,” shouted lee Chambers fire's across the muskeg, and twenty minutes, Come along!™ He shouted and gesticulated wildly, nnd seemed hardly master of himself, AMeDonald and turough the they approached herself away. “It's not true!” fire's on the other side. sou gome for us? “1 tell you you'll be burned to a cin- der side of minutes Chambers. waste, of danger. “1 won't come!” cried Molly, go with them, father. ing the truth! started ooked ou But she smoke the girl drew she cried. “The Why should fifteen “We've got no time Come along!" “Don't He's not speak- Look at his face!” way and strode up to the door. guess that's true enough, what you sald, Miss McDonald,” he sald. “The ers is dying. They pulled him out of his shack. He's In a bad way. he'll Just live till morning. ing for you." “Will—Will burned!" gasped Molly, looking at him with eyes of horror “It’s gospel truth!” cried Chambers, “He can't rest till you go to him.” “Then why did you tell us sn un- He's call- soul. “Because we wanted to break gently,” shouted Hackett. He her by the arm, to waste!” he shouted. “He may dle any minute while we're talking here.’ “He didn't send you,” cried Molly with sudden conviction. he have sent you? You're lying! Let me go!” store and tried to bolt the door In their faces, but they set thelr shoul ders against it and broke through. Molly ran to her room; they were there almost as soon as she. rereamed, She heard feeble shout cut off as grasped him by the throat, arms. “Curse you!” he shouted, She fought back like a tigress, broke from him, and, snatching up the water- pitcher, smashed it across his head, cutting his face with the fragments of porcelain. He grasped her by the throat. She clung to the bed, the table, to the door, screaming the while until his fingers tightened on her throat and the room swam blackly svand her, Khe was faintly conscious of a gag gt into her mouth, of being car struggling, out of the store, of lifted Into the rig. Then she re. to find herself huddled upon the her father bending over her with sts tied, and mumbling In her The engineer, seated in front of was driving furiously along the southward. Hackett, with one hrust out on either side of the e, was wiping the blood from his iperate as she was, Molly would tried to leqp from the rig but father. She heard him con mumbling; and at length the of his words reached her and the horror of them numbed - her and repressed all thought of fight- ing. “It'll be all right, my lass,” the old man was muttering. “They won't hurt ye no more. They're taking us to Tom Bowyer, I reckon. He's bested us, We'll have to give In. We'll make the most of it.” The old man shook with fear, but he laid his hand ecaressingly upon her head. And afterward Molly re- called that gesture, and remembered that it was his right one, At the time she thought nothing, She lay back with her head against the seat, resolved to husband her strength for a more desperate struggle later, If Her dress was rent, her halr Rain had begun to lashed incessantly, tore madly through the darkness, and the rig swayed dangerously from side to side, Molly's thoughts ran on as flercely. They were taking her to Bowyer, then! But Bowyer was at Cold Junetion, and surely he not harm her there! And he taking her father. She must remain at his side and protect him. She sat passively upon the floor, hearing the frenzied babbling of the old man, and soothing him with one hand stretched out upon his, But this wns not the way to Cold Junction. This led Chain of Lakes, where several fishing clubs had purchased ground and water rights and set up camps. Her heart sank. She caught at Hackett's arm “Where are you taking pleaded. “Won't you let I'll say nothing If you let us go—I'll gny nothing!” Hackett grinned at her and tried to put his arm about her ont at him, and, with an oath, he pushed need be. fell to her waist, fall; the horses, could was toward ns? She struck She gathered all her courage to wait And the g ot long. The upland ] was surmounted. and a came P into sight, eck of Ia dark t ed In a u the ip The light show window, i horses to the ground MeDonald hy the ar roughly out of the vehicle. fiercely Tom threshold, He leaped and, eatch- ing 1, pulled him He upon the door, lowyer appeared The factor wyer pulled opened, the began tremble Bu him wonlously Inside, i emcoom———— RS ——— had been started with the purpose of drawing himself and those in the vicin- ity away from the office, while the burglary was being committed. But why had it falled? And what had Chambers been after? He must have known that there was no money In the sufe. The men's pay came up monthly by special messen- ger, and was handed out the same eve- ning. It would arrive on the Monday. Chambers could not have been after spoil of that kind. Wilton looked through Joe's papers again, Everything seemed intact, and nothing had even been tampered with, It must have been that Chambers took fright after the murder, Suddenly Andersen came running across the smoking ground, fellowed by some half-dozen of the engineers. The foreman came panting up to the door of the shack, “The men are crazy drunk, Mr, Car- ruthers, and they're planning to attack the office!” gasped, “Somebody's been telling them the safe's full of money and that they're gelng to be lald off because of the fire.” Wilton refiected a while the engineers gathered anxiously about him, “They Wilton, there's man can, at it No, never mind what 1 mean! want bloodshed. it to them” eng ; and hurry t« he moment, can't the safe)” sald "Al and open least, only one already idon't he's been four 1 store and sce t harm Miss McDonald { her futher,” he r “And this” ines nke men i comes to take he revolver him, “You'd better come too, ers,” the man suggested, they Vilar $s 5. Hy io the t i Ma O81, € xd, and s10« The outlaw caught Molly by walst and swung her to the ground She tried having thrust MeDot snatched her from and, picking her un bodily, carried her into the lighted room. Bowyer the girl on and pushed MeDon- Outside Molly heard altercation progress—Bow- inside, iid deposited the went out in a flerce len answers and Lee Chambers’ queru- whine, Presently the two men went out and heard the horses being led “Bring Her Inl” He Yelled to Hackett. away. She tried to adjust her torn dress, to fasten up her hair. Bowyer came back. “Now we'll have a few words to- gether,” he said, leering at Molly, CHAPTER XII. Wilton carried the dead man into his room and laid the body on the bed. His face was set like flint. In this he traced the work of Bowyer; but the tool, Lee Chambers, was the object of his immediate vengeance, Before anything else he must dis- cover the motive of the burglary. He opened the safe, which he had shut, and went through the papers very deliberately. He was astonished to find that everything appeared in. tact and just as he had left It, Wilton could not understand it, fe tried to figure it out. He had already come to the conclusion that the fire have It!" |} and we'l Know you set the 1d you've got You oney all summ | all | line's bust i chock-fu { mot us lke ds | you're going company's busted. it over.” ye es er, and to lay us off because the You'd the men that tale, “There's no money in the safe” answered. “Send a deputation of three men and you can examine it.” The Hunkles, who for the most part understood him very well, looked at one another uncertainly., They were as docile as lambs without leadership jut they had a leader; the outlaw Tonguay stepped forward out of the crowd, “Come along, boys, he's fooling you!" he yelled, “Smash his head for him! Give them what's coming to them” But he slunk back Into thelr midst as the bellowing mob rushed forward ! Wilton noticed that he was fingering | a revolver In his coat pocket. He walt. ed till the mob was close upon the i shack, He had calculated that an in. | stant’s hesitation would follow, selzed { It and sprang Into their midst. strik. | ing out right and left and felling a drunken laborer at every hlow. As Tonguay fumbled desperately with the trigger of the weapon In his pocket, Wilton dealt him a smashing blow that knocked him senseless. He stooped, took the revolver and turned and faced his assailants, “Now, men,” he sald crisply. “I've told you that you shall examine the safe, and I'll keep my word. Three of you enter, The rest will walt out. side.” After a pause three of the workmen came forward uncertainly. Wilton took them inside the shack, opened the safe door and took out the contents package by package, “Satisfied there's no money? he asked, “l guess that's so,” admitted the leader of the men, reluctantly. “Then get out,” sald Wilton, driving them toward the door. The three rejoined thelr companions and, with sullen mutterings, the work- men lurched away almlessly, and to tally unable to unite on any further plan for aggression now that thelr leader was gone. Andersen and one of the engineers picked up Tonguay and brought him into the shack. The man was still unconscious. However, he showed signs of coming to shortly, “Jules Is dead,” sald Wilton quletly, “Jules dead?” shouted Andersen, “Murdered. It was Lee Chambers. He must have been hanging round the camp. He got Into the safe, too, but wns scared awny before he took any. thing. Come Inside!” At the sight of the dead man on the bed Andersen swore softly he “He must have been with those two liquor peddlers,” sald Andersen, “I guess they set the fire, all right.” “lI guess they did,” sald Wilton, “And I want you to go on to the next camp and telephone In to Clayton and get the police up here right away.” “I done it, Mr. Carruthers,” sald An. dersen, “You see, sir, just as soon as the fire began [I seen that gasoline on the engine sheds. men talking, because I picked up a lit. tle of thelr language. | knew there wis trouble coming, and I ‘phoned Mr, Quain, He sald he'd get an engine and come right up with some of his men," “Well done!” sald Wilton, “We'll have this man for them, at any rate” Tonguay stirred, muttered and sud- denly sat up on the floor, looking at Iderment, in bewl the nptors y took revolver and walked towar RON to ask Tonuguay,” | tone. “You'll fin them he with Hackett: You were Camp ang and an besides Jim “You came 1 to sell unke the uted, | whom you round the drunk you have working for, ett, eh, Tonguay?” “Mebbe I do,” muttered the outiaw, “1 guess you shoot me unless I say Mr, Bowyer, eh? The parry was effective. “You came juor 14 ona fae Fuess were “Lee Chambers’ Job was to steal papers from the safe while we were fighting the fire. You were going to ineet somewhere afterward. Where was 1t™ The man burst into scoruful laugh ter. “You don’t bluff me,” he jeered, “I guess you don't want to be charged wit' anodder fnurder, eh? “Do you?" asked Wilton, “How's dat?! You don't fix no mur der on me” “Come here!” sald Wliton, taking him by the arm and leading him to the door of the bedroom. The moon, sloping in the west, threw a flood of light on the white face of Jules, showing the crushed skull and the biood-clots that stalned the piliow, Tonguay screamed and started away, but Wiiton held him fast, “What you want to know?" babbled the outiaw, “Where were you three going te meet afterward?” “In de clubhouse of de fishing camp at Chain of Lakes, twelve miles south,” groaned Tonguay, sinking back against the wall, “That's where we'll find them,” sald Andersen. Wilton handed him the revolver, “You'll guard your prisoner, and hand him over to the police when they ar rive,” he sald, Then he saw men running toward the shack, and stepped outside, It was the party whom he had sent te the portage. “They're them. “Gone? What dv you mean?” shout. ed Wilton, “Mise McDonald and the factor, They went to bed last night. Now they're not there, There's been foul work done, and a fight. Her room is ull in confusion, the bedclothes dragged Into the store, a pitcher smashed to pleces.” Andersen pulled at Wilton's sleeve, “We'll eatch the horses at the mus- keg" he sald. “You stay here. It's owe Job, sir.” “No, It's my job, Andersen” an. swered Wilton, "and, by Gd, It'll be a thorough one !™ (TO BE CONTINUED) gone!” panted one of { Craze for Necklaces, Pendants, | Bracelets, Earrings. Buyers Are Enthusiastic Regarding | Bright Future They See In Store | for Decorations. The craze for new types of jewelry, particularly for necklaces, pendants, | bracelets, brooches, earrings and head dresses, is steadily increasing, states | 8 fashion correspondent in the New York Tribune, Combinations of pearls, brilllants and platinum, pearls and | onyx and the use of semi-precious stones, such as lapis, jade and colored | crystal In sets that are especially de- | flgned to accompany certain costumes, | Manufac- turers of imitation jewdiry are has tenlng to ecapy these pew designs brought out by the leading jewelers and Isunched by the most exclusive | Gressmakers and thelr smart clientele. Several American buyers returning from abroad expressed great enthusi- asm regarding the bright future which they consider is in store for novelty Jewelry, especially pleces in black and white effects, such as In combination ! of crystal and onyx and jet and pearls. | Crystal, jet and pearls are frequently | combined, especially in necklaces. The combination of these three 18 exceed Ingly pleasing, the whiteness of the crystal offsetting the blackness of | the jet { There are necklaces formed of long twisted chains of fine pearls finished with a tassel which has as the last bead an onyx somewhat larger than the last pearl, the whole being held by an onyx slide. Others consist of & tassel of pearls having an onyx top, | is suspended on a long black glk cord. Sdll others have silver and | marcasite tops and small pearls set | between links of silver for the chain, Plaque pendants or cabochons, or narrow velvet ribbons, are made or from onyx set in steel cither These are distinctly of the Empire Other cabochons are of erystal a frame of steel and decorated niscent Second fw $4] Those 1ects of to colorful fond kindly who are will take crystal GIRLS WHITE IS IN THE LIMELIGHT White occupies the center of the stage, so fashion decrees, and when of oreps and beaded In bugle beads, it becomes a gewn of charming appear- ance. The pointed skirt and black sash are its chief characteristics cabochons in colors and to the dull gold novelties set with colored stones. Frequently the eabochon Is of colored galalith with a motif appliqued to It Again the pendant is of the metal ornamented with colored stones, DISCREET COLORS IN PLAIDS Brown ls Leader for Daytime Wear; Blue 8tands Out as Marked Shade for the Year. Plaids in discreet featured for outdoor and tallore English mixtures and w colorings sre strong for tallored garments. Bros lender for daytime wear from dark Green is belng manufacturers, in reseda and In silks, as in wear, brown, green and good. For evening, all t base, such orange purples, are Blue in bright tones, tings blue and of the Copenhagen Bright bl the marked but used or In com 0] 8 #1 iB £24 and blue hase stands out ss for the year, decoration, black. PETTICOATS AGAIN IN STYLE interest in the Garment Is Stimulated by Fact That Outer Skirt ls to Be Longer. The increased skirt length, which is an assured fact for fall and winter, This garment, which to a sons, seems destined to have a run of Taffeta is always charming for the | young girlie, and the basque bedice, as | shown here, la particularly attractive if becomingly worn upon a dainty fig- ure. The wheels of fluted taffeta are decorative, Among the undergarment novelties recently seen, one that is distinetly practical, as well as novel, Is a step-in chemise, with plaited petticoat section both back and front Corsets continue to be light of weight, both as to fabric and boning, with short tops and as much elastic as possible used so that they give to and with the figure New Tallored Street Models Have Re ceived Stamp of Approval for Coming Season. Devoting the entire line shown for the fall to tallored models In poiret twill, one manufacturer has a wide assortment of street frocks that al ready have had a successful response in the market. Depending strictly on tallored lines for thelr effect, these dresses have but little trimming and it is applied with careful attention to detall and artistry. In most every case the models are created to fill the needs of the smart walking dress and the practical frock that can be worn indoors and out with due considera: tion of the fall weather, The colors are navy and seal brown, besides black. Almost all the models are developed in the two shades used by this house, with corresponding touches of color In embroidery and bead effects. The medels are Im ported designs and feature Jenny necks, Polret necks and the V-neck with an Insert of the same material In almost every model there is at least a suggestion of the uneven hem- line and the draped effect. One model that Is rather uniqhe was developed In Polret twill with bands of red and black imported em- broldery. The essential feature of the frock 1s the fact that It can be worn with a hanging panel.from the shoulder, or the panel turned up pre gents a blouse effect on the back, with the band of embroidery forming a standing collar. The shoulder panel lined with canton satin, when turned up over the shoulder, gives the dress a satin back that is quite unique. The panel fastens on the front of the blouse In tiny poluts that affect a coat design. The embroidery on this dress is brilliant with color and is a particularly good example of the dress that can be worn In different ways. Sweaters In Colors. Bhetland and thin wool slipons are popular sweater numbers in plain and figured effects, but always in black and white, gray and white, pastel blues or neutral colorings, sometimes repeated In stockings and hat. Bright colors are conspicuous by thelr ab- sence, Headgear. Turbans of malines, a shade of brown being particularly fashionable, are replacing those of satin and straw cloth that have been so Popular, Though there Is much talk of the large hat on the street the close tur ban is more than holding its own. —————— Porch Frock, The porch frock has developed Into a straightdine frock, made up In bright colored fabrics, or printed designs, not too conservative In color. Usually they have round necks, short sleeves and elastic bands at the walst, Qingham, Gingliam dresses are amazingly cheap this year, compared to the prices they attained the last few seasons. For less than $10 you may get a very snappy one. »