Show INV vanak j V LE or ut PLAINS LADY or of the SOUTH MS HEM WAS KINCL A by DeAR arl pa a A C mcclurg mcclure 44 co SYNOPSIS jak keith a virginian now a border plainsman faIns man Is 11 looking for or roami roamine nir war of 0 savages aava ees lie IYO eca sees gl a wagon team st it full gallop pursued by men on panics eat when keith reaches tho wagon the raid ers era havo hava massacred two men and ric de barted ko to the tha victims finding papera and a locket with a womans comans portrait r keith la Is ar arrested reste at carman city ity charged garsed with the his accuser being a named married black dart bart A no ectro 0 in hla his cell named neb tella teli afy him t that the ha knew the keiths la in virginia neb ay a 0 ono of f the murdered men was wag john S S ib aier iffie ati other gen welta walte waft e formerly a confederate erato officer the abo plainsman and nd neb keb escape and liter later the tha fugitives como come upon a cabin and find and its ita occupant to ni be a youns girt cirt whom keith thi thinka sills ta lie saw AW et at caroi city the alie girl explains that hat abo h Is la in search of A bruthe brother or who hail had deserted from the army anny and abd that a mr r induced nd ced her to corm coma to the c cabin a b an fn w t i rab ha e sought her brother naw ley lay appears app par and keith tn in lecog sizes birts as black baack vast birt th thera r if a ta tar r rifle battin in the darkened room in which which kehn SH fm victor are ara appropriated and thy the girl who says cay that her name naina Is bow joins in the tha escape keith esril alm his situation and the tha fugitives miko m iko for fort bort larned lamed where the eril la Is left ion with the hotel landlady Truly iless lope telli that she he to la the iho daughter daugh fer of 0 general walte waite reath and neb deft into abere keith meets art an old frund dr Falb aln keith meets the tha M aelter wt of hoai lv walt under the tha fumed name of fred frd WU 1 laug laby and convinced that mack hart bart has sorna botn plot U mi two coffe learns leams that gen gem walte wh who caf wa thought murdered la is at and vua there here who she se la is mistaken for Chri itte lliel ajro the canon city tin r af ith r ta tho lh arvai and arl had ends that black dart bart ha has her iba there is ij a in her ufa life which b 9 to Is to tern tam to her advani tae e tho n tells clovo walte waite of iw mem a t to 0 christie that fred willoughby ale ut k tfx to the situa tion keith finds wil gillaugh laugh w shot dead and allow itapo Is 1 told of p 0 o am of hr her amther belth falls to kern afi cra abat suat arp adans allek dart bart hi mada to hope that in 1 to learn the tha secret she IK must brierty the tha stage dr ral bain to la in love with christie ind and keith induces him to gewn her froni the tha stage while hope axa to tho theater where she ahe meets ms buc a bart rt waso tb tatia s deceived wa siope that general walte waite has hla plum and that they must fly by hope alamed tl macd demuro CHAPTER in christies christias Chri sties room keith swept his glance glanca up tip and down the street without results re aulta surely clawley and his bla companion could not havo have disappeared so BO suddenly they had turned to the right ight he was cor car tala as to chati and ho he ah the tha crowd of 0 men inen around the theater trance find and hastened to overtake alem lie iio found to overtake OTer tate nowhere along that mat stretch or of t illumined by window lights was waa thor thero any in y sign of 0 a man and woman walking together lle he stopped bewildered staring blaring b blindly liti adly about falling failing utterly to comprehend this mysterious vanishing ahat could it mean what bad happened how could they have disappeared so completely during that single singe moment he had bad waited to speak to the mans heart beat like a trip hammer with apprehension a sudden budden fear ear for hope taking posses eton elon of him surely tho the girl would never consent to enter any of those dons dona along the way and hawley would not dare resort to force in the open street the very thought seemed preposterous and yet with no other supposition possible he entered these one after the other in hasty search questioning the inmates sharply only to find himself totally baffled hawley and hope had vanished as though swallowed by the earth lie he explored dark passage ways between the scattered bidi buildings dings rummaging about recklessly but came back to the street again without reward could they have gone down the other side in the deeper shadows and thus reached the hotel more quickly than it seemed to him pos possible siba there was barely a chance that this could be true and yet keith grasped at it desperately cursing himself for having baying wasted time five minutes later breathless almost speechless with anxiety be h startled the clerk has miss walte waite come in aless hope walte waite blamed dialed it if I 1 know retorted the other indifferently cant for the eife of me tell those two females apart one of them pasted through bout ten minutes ago doc fairbarn Fairba ln was with he her another party just went upstairs hunting bunting miss alsa maclaire Macl alro alre and a as s they corne down I 1 reckon it must have been her adyth anything wrong im not sure yet shortly who wits this other person old fellow with white hair and whiskers swore like a pirate had the sheriff along gift him I 1 it came to keith in a flash it was walte perhaps christie knew perhaps the general know knew certainly something ot of importance was crystallizing in the actress room which foght help hell to explain all else tie he rushed up the stairs barely waiting to rap pets once at the closed door before tie fie pressed it open the eight within held him silent waiting opportunity to 10 blurt out hla his news here also was tragedy intense compelling which for the instant to even overshadow the fate of the girl tie he loved there were three men pr prea tnt ent and the woman she stood clutching the th back of a chair walte aed ad open eyed with bain slightly behind her one hand grasping her grm arm the other clinched his jaw b 1 pugnaciously facing these theae tw was walto waite and a heavily built man a brown beard closely trimmed better acknowledge it walto waite snapped out with a quick glanco glance at tho the newcomer it will make it all tho the easier for you I 1 tell you this la Is tho sheriff and weve were got you both dead to rights I 1 out but she eho urged why should I 1 be arrested I 1 I 1 have dono done nothing youre an adventuress a damn adventuress Ilaw leys mistress reaB probably a i now mow seo here walte waite and fair bala swung himself forward you drop that miss Macl alro Is my friend mid and it if you say another word ill smash you cu alte sheriff riff or no sheria the riff walto waite glared at him you old fool he bo snorted what bavo aavo you yon got to do with this ive ITO got this to do with ond the woman to Is to be treated with respect or ill blow your damned ob canato head off tho sherm sheriff laid hla his hand on waites shoulder come bo be said bald firmly this la Is no way to get at it we want to know certain facts facia and then wo we can pro coed lawfully lot let we mo question the woman the two older men still aull faced ono one another belligerently but keith saw draw tho doctor back from her and tho the sheriff saying a dying man had left with him certain papers naming one phyllis gale cale as aa heiress to a very largo large estate in north carolina left by her grand father in trust ile he said cald the girl had been taken west whon when scarcely two years old by her father in a fit of drunken rage and then deserted by him in st louis you you saw the papers walta waite broke in yes choso that clawley had he gave them to mo me to keep tor for him she cri crossed ossed to her trunk and came back a manilla onye lopo in her hand walte waite opened it hastily running hla his eyes over tho the contents the infernal scoundrels undrell he exclaimed cl hotly these were stolen from mo at carson city lot let me see them tho the sheriff ran them over merely glancing at tho the endorsements just as aa you represented walte waite he said slowly A copy of the will your commission com as guardian and memoranda of identification well miss bliss Macl Maci alro alre how did you happen to be so GO easily convinced that you were the lost girl mr clawley brought me a picture which he said was of this girls half sister the resemblance was waa most startling this with tho the tact fact that I 1 have never neter known either father or mother or my real name and that my mir al Y f keith straightened up looking directly into tho the fierce questioning eyes eye you may ask me anything you please she announced quietly 1 I 1 am sure these gentlemen will not fight in nay my toom room very well miss Macl alro it will require only a moment dowlong howlong have you known this wan merely lle rely a few days since I 1 arrived in sheridan but you were in communication with him before that the pleasant voice and quiet demeanor of the sheriff seemed to yield the girl confidence and courage co yes he be had written mo me two or you met him here then by appoint ment lie ile was to come to sheridan and extain explain to me more fully what his letters lettera had only hinted at you possessed no previous knowledge of bt his purpose only the barest outline details were given rue roe later will you tell us ua briefly exactly what clawley told you the girls bewildered eyes wandered from face to face then returned to the waiting sheriff may may I 1 sit alt down she asked most moist certainly and dont be afra afraid id for really we wish to be your friends she sank down into tho the chair and even keith could see how bow her ber blender slender form trembled there waa vas a moments silence lenco al believe oie me gentlemen she eho began i I 1 falteringly if there Is any fraud any I 1 conspiracy I 1 have borne no conscious i part 4 in an it mr hawley clawley came to ala awa earlier life was waa passed in 8 st L louis sufficed to make me believe he be must be right couyou You you walte waite choked leaning forward you dont know your real name 0 no o I 1 do not her lips barely forming the words worda tho the woman who brought me up never told me who why who was the woman A mrs raymond sue sua raymond she was on the stage and died in texas san antonio I 1 thick walto waite swore audibly his bis eyes never once deserting the girls face hawley told you to say that 7 no h he did not she aha protested protested ested warmly it was never even mentioned between us at least not sue bay monds name what cwerence dWer ence can that make lie ile stepped forward one hand flung out fad sprang instantly between them mistaking the action Il hands illanas off there walto waite he commanded banded sternly Wha whatever tevor she says saya goes you blundering old idiot the other exploded im not going to hurt her stand aside will youl llo ile reach reached edthe the startled girl thrust aside the dark hair combed low over the neck swung her about toward tho the light and stAr ellred edat nt a birthmark behind her ear no one spoke old walte waite seemingly stricken dumb the woman shrinking away from him as an though she eho feared he waa was crazed what Is it asked the sheriff sternly steral yi blower walta waite turned about jw and faced blin running the sleeve alcove ot of his coat across his eyes ile ho appeared dazed confounded my god its all right lie be said saia with a choko choke in the tha throat ches she shea a tho the girl christie seared ht arod at him her up parted unable to grasp what it all meant you mean 1 I 1 I urn am setu actually ally phyllis gale that that there la Is no mistake lie ile nodded not yot yet able to put it more clearly into words sho she swayed as aa though about to taint and Fair balm caught her but she abe slipped through his arma and foll fell uppa upon her knees her face anso burled buried la in her hands upon toe the chair oh thank god she sobbed bobbed thank than godl god I 1 I 1 know who I 1 aal am I 1 know who I 1 amill ami CHAPTER the search tor for the missing tho the note ot of unrestrained joy ot of ro 1 ilet hot in the tha womans comans voice rang through the room stilling all elso else and causing those who heard to forget for an instant the sterner purpose ot of their i gathering bent over her like a tat fat guardian angel ahbol patting her bar shoulder her eyes so blurred with tears as aa to be practically yet still turned questioningly upon walts walte the sheriff was first to recover 1 speech and a sense of duty then this lots lets miss Macl maclaire alre out of the conspiracy charge he be said bald gravely but it mako make it any brighter tor for hawley so far as I 1 can see sea theres a robbery chargo charge against him if nothing else any ono one hwe know where tho the fellow is ast 1st for a moment no ono one answered al i though keith took a step atop forward ro minded instantly ot of hopes predicament before he could speak however christie looked up with swift gesture pushing back her loosened hair ile ha was to have mot met mo me at the tha theater tonight to night she ehe said bald her ablee trem trembling bUne tout but was not thero there bhea I 1 came out he he said bald he had tm bows I Siw 1 luo no message e q age 71 doctor i Flair bain was waiting WAIL 1119 for me instead ile he sold said that mr hallcy was tailed called suddenly out of town the eyes of the sheriff turned to Fairba ln face grew redder than usual sa as ho he shifted his hie gaze toward belth that was waa A lie he bo confessed lamely 1 I 1 1 I was told to say aay that just a moment sheriff and keith stood before them his voice clear and convincing 1 my mr name Is keith und I 1 have unav unavoidably 0 been mixed up la in this affair from the beginning just now I 1 can relieve the doctor ot of hb embarrassment miss hope waite and I 1 have been associated together in an effort to solve this mY mystery stOry tula this evening taking advantage of 0 the re markn ble resemblance existing between herself and miss maclaire Macl Mac alre latre mira hope decided upon it a mask chats that walte waite broke broka in a ox ax cit cited edly ly Is hope here beret yes has been for a week had all the police force of sheridan hunting you the old man stared at tho the speaker openmouthed open mouthed and muttered something about fort hays but keith paying little attention to him hurried on with hla his story As aa I 1 say she decided upon impersonating sona ting christie hero bore hoping in this way to learn more regarding Haw leya plans wo we had bad discovered that the two were to meet maet after the evening performance at the stage door of the trocadero I 1 escorted llope hope there dressed an aa near like ilka miss maclaire Macl alro alre tin as possible and left her inside the vestibule waiting for dlack hart dart to appear at the head of the alley allay I 1 ran into fairbarn Fairba ln told him something of 0 the circumstances and persuaded him to escort miss C bristle back t to 0 the tha hotel lie he was riot not very hard bard to per suade well hawley came and hope met him they went out of 01 the alloy way together arm in arm talking pleasantly and turned this way toward the hotel the doctor and I 1 both saw aw and heard them I 1 was delayed not dot to exceed two minutes speaking a final word to Fairba ln and when I 1 reached the street they had disappeared I 1 have hunted them everywhere without finding a trace I 1 havo have oven even been through the resorts ree orts she has not returned to the tho hotel botel and I 1 aurit in upon you hero hoping that miss maclaire Macl alro alre might have somo some information she shook her head and walte waite glaring impotently at the two of them swore sharply ebar ply good mant ray my ciril hope alone with that damn |