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Show I Dice $SB Jackson; jm 1 Gteqorw copyright y rr 4, "HELD FOR RANSOM." VJ Synopsis Senor Antonio du la Qucrrn, a flna old Spunltud living on hl ancotrnl entato on the American nltlo of tlio Moxlcnn bor-dor, bor-dor, Is Informed by his American lawyer, Dempton, that thero Is u tcchnlcnl error In his will. IIo thereupon signs a new will, without rending It, In the meantlmo his adorable granddaughter and heir-ess, heir-ess, Scnorlta Teresa, Is out on her rose-covered balcony, listening to American love-making from Billy Htanwny, owner of the Painted MUUM Hock ranch. Teresa, going to Join tier grandfather, finds him gohe, with the drawing room In disorder and blood on the floor. The Amer-lean Amer-lean takes command of the sltua tlon and arms tho de la Querra , ranch hands. Senor Eduardo' Ila-mon Ila-mon Torre, a hated kinsman of the do la Querras, appears, says ha encountered Moxlcnn bandits riding south and shows a scratch which might have been made by a bullet. MUUt ntanway and his men return un- successful from the pursuit. CHAPTER IV Continued. He run through it ImHtlly, skimming HH tho lines, eager for the gist of If. And RS when In? Iind found It Jic lenped to RV his feet, his hands clenched, amaze- RR incut nnd anger mingled In his eyes, RR "It Is n forgery!" ho cried sharply. RR "No," shaking hrr hend. "It Is lilu RR signature. And, look, to mnko certain RR I Investigated. I'cdro and Junnn nnd RR Vldol wllneiscd tho signature. That RR Is wlm t brotiKht Mr. Dempton Inat RR RR "Hut," ho muttered heavily, "tho RR thing Is Impossible! Why, ho has RR Riven everything, everything to Torre I RR Ami ho hated Torro moro than ho pro- RR tended to linto an American J" RR "Vet It Is his will," sho reminded RR him. "And ho Is gone. And Senor RR Torro Is here." RR "Already with tho air of n master I" RR Minuted Stanway. IIo was already RR half across the room, sheer wrath In hlsA-ycs iit)vf'tlio .will crumpled In his RR liurd hand. RR "Wnlt!" tho Klrl cried, running to RR Mm, her hand upon his arm as though RR ho would hold him back. "What arc RR you going to do?" RR "To tell him that ho Is no less a RR fool than n thief," ho retorted. "That RR ho must explain his opportuno pros- RR enco hero as well as tho disappearance RR of Dp In Gucrrn." RR "Again I uppcar to eavesdrop. RR Again I provo tho ndngo that ho who RR listens hears disappointing things of RR himself." It wus Torro leaning ludo- RR tently In tho doorway. RH "Vou are going to say, senor " RR Stanwuy flung tho crumpled paper RR tn front of him. RR "Explain that I" ho snapped. "You RR ran't get awuy with a thing like this, RR Torre. Explain It I" RR ''When I have read It," replied Torro R . coolly, his small hand carelessly talc RR lag up tho document. "Ah" with RR Vhat sounded llko very gcnulno sur- prise In his tone "It Is Do la Oucr- xa's Willi" EH Teresa nnd Stanway wntched him RH closely. m RR "It seems very clear," ho said then, RR bis eyes smiling. IIo folded tho paper RR carefully nnd thrust It Into his pocket. RR "Whore Is tho need for explanation?" RR "Tho will was inn do last night," said Stunway crisply. "Tho Ink of tho slg-RH slg-RH natures was hardly dry when ho dls- RR uppcarcd. What Is tho connection of RR tho two events, senor?" RR "You ask riddles, senor." Torro shrugged his shoulders. RR A servant In snowy white linen llv- R cry appeared In the dining room door- way. RR t "El Capltan Juarez to speak with RH tho scnorlta," ho announced. Stanway started, swinging about, RH forgetting Torro for the Instant. "Of tho rebel army?" ho demanded. "81, senor I Of tho Insurrectos." "I can guess his errand," remarked Torro Indifferently. "Ho will no doubt wish to speak with me. Tell him, muchacho, that ns tho Do la Querra heir I shall speak with him when I havo fln!shel my coffee. A Uttlo mora sugar, Pedro," u iH sjkiit CHAPTER V. X$4l sH i 1 '" The Game Begins. Teresa do la Gucrra's face went red and white, nnd Torre, seeing, smiled. Sho heard In tho words only an In-suit In-suit to her beloved papa grnnde, know Ing as she so well knew that of all men tlio old Spaniard hated his arro-gant arro-gant young kinsman roost Implacably. 1 Wo don't understand," she said presently, turning her back upon the jaaaJiUJuloiuiiMJ3 H "Ifcrlmps Captain Juarez' call will H olonr matters for, u. Will you come H with me, Senor Stnnway?" , Torro's face darkened u ho watched (hem go out' together. H In tho drawing room In' much worn H wnlform hnsocnklng. his rank,, a very broad, heavy-set Mexican, swarthy, hard-featured, keen-eyed, was waiting. He bowed deeply ns they entered. "Scnorlta," ho said briskly, his eyes disregarding Stnnwny nnd resting upon tho girl's fnco la n keen regard, "It Is an unpleasant duty which brings mo here this morning." "Bo seated," sho said quietly, going to u chair. "But first, Captain Juarez, this Is my friend, Senor Stanway of tho Tainted Itock rnncho." Tho two men bowed coolly. Stanway Stan-way remained standing near tho girl's chair, while Juarez sat down. "Wo of poor Mexico," said the captain cap-tain shortly, "nro fighting hard for a dcur cause. Wo sacrlflco ourselves, our hopes, our homes tie tho thing wo love most, scnorlta. "And that Is our country. Wo do things which wo do not llko to do simply becauso It Is our duty to tako any opportunity which, chanco gives us to freo tho neck of our land from tho foot of tho tyrant." Teresa bowed. "And you Imvo called this morning; morn-ing; you havo crossed tho border " "At tho behest of a Mexican's duty. Scno.rltn, your grandfather Is well and sends his lovo to you." "Tell me," sho cried Impetuously, "whero Is ho?" "Many miles beyond tho border," ho answered succinctly. "In tho hands of friends If he accedes to our demands," de-mands," significantly "And tlio.io demands?" curiously. "I hove not as yet mado of him," returned re-turned tho captain. "Allow mo to explain, ex-plain, scnorlta. I know Senor do la Gucrrn, If not personally at least very well by repute. I know that ho does not love my Mexico, and that he Is very stubborn. "Our causo needs money and ho has It In great, unnecessary quantities. "nnd I mado n demand upon him for a noto to you, stating that ho was held for ransom nnd urging you to pay It, I know that ho would havo refused. So I como straight to you,, without so much as a word to him, Informing you th.it unless the money Is sent Immcdt-uttly Immcdt-uttly " IIo broko off, shrugging his shoulders. shoul-ders. "You realize, senor," broko In Stanway Stan-way coolly, "that this Is rather an unusual un-usual sort of thing at this duy? That It Is not without danger to you? If tho scnorlta wcro not disposed to give what you nsk, If on tho other hnnd wo held you for tho crime you havo committed " Again tho captain shrugged. "It would mean Imprisonment for me, or perhaps death," ho answered promptly. "Things which a soldier faces overy day of his llfo and grows to think nothing about. And pardon me', scnorlta It would mcr.n tho denth of tho Senor do la Gucrra." Again n Uttlo shiver trembled through tho fro mo of tho girl. Stan-wny, Stan-wny, his eyes steady upon tho Mexican's, Mexi-can's, was silent n moment. Finally ho said, turning to Teresa: "Ueforo you glvo this gentleman his answer, scnorlta, may I ask for n few words with you?" "May I Interrupt again?" It was Eduardo Itamon Torre, Insolent and debonair, bowing In tho doorway,, n fresh, unllghtcd cigarette between his fingers. "Ituenos dlas, Senor el Capltan." Capl-tan." Captain Juarez stared at him fixedly, fixed-ly, his hard eyes as Insolent as those of Torre, and mado no answer, "I think, senor," went on Torro In mock courtesy, still lounging In tho doorway, "that It Is with me that you wish to deal. Am I not right, prima mm?" lightly to Teresa. Tho girl's eyes darkened. Juarez looked from ono to another curiously. "I think," ho said slowly, "that I can havp business with no one except la scnorlta. Sho Is tho ono to speak In d enso llko this one, slnco tho old senor is not hero to speak for himself and sho .is his heiress." "Let your keen eyes rest on this." Torro drew tho will from his pocket nnd carelessly tossed It Into Juarez' lap. Tho Mexican looked at It swiftly, Ills eyo ran down tho written sheet, and ho started palpably when his glanco res tell upon the name Eduardo ltomon Torre. "I havo been misinformed," ho cried, starting to his feet. "The se-norita se-norita Is not tho heiress. It Is Senor Torro who Inherits I" "Scguro," replied Torre, putting out his shapely hand for tho will. "And I, senor, am that Senor Torre. Now, what doyou want ?"r "This Is true, senorltn?" Juarez whirled about, his eyes bright und hard upon Teresa's. "You como from papa gronde," she answered him guurdcdly. "Did he not tell you of a change In his will?'! 'Ve did not speak," Juarez remind-, cd her. "As I havo said, I know that It would bo useless to "talk with him. Ho knows only that he Is being held; ho does not know why. I know only," nnd ho resorted to the shrug so much ajpart of his method cf spccch,"that ' rumor has It that you nfo his heiress, and this paper states that Torro Inherits." In-herits." "Humor at times Is misinformed," Torro said smilingly. "You have tho will nnd testament Itself before you. If It Is sufllclcntly plnln-that I and not tho scnorlta," with an apologetic bow to Teresa, "represent my kins-man; kins-man; I trust that you will state your errand concisely." "It Is this," snld Juarez shortly. "El Senor do la Gucrrn Is held by ray men for ransom. Twenty thousand dollars will bring him bnck to you promptly, without a scratch on hlra. A refusal to pay will' b"o a signal for his death." "So," remarked Torro coolly. "It Is only twenty thousand dollars. You are modest, senor 1" M "American money," Juarez added ns coolly. "American monoy," nodded Torre. "That Is better than Mexican pesos, at any, rate. It Is at least less Insulting Insult-ing to my kinsman." Captain Juarez made no rcnlv. .JV-resa .JV-resa and Stanway looked-at each fotner swiftly. Torre, smiting as though the wholo matter wero merely amusing, addressed ad-dressed himself to tho girl! , "Tercslta," and sho flushed under the easy familiarity, "perhaps tho valiant val-iant captain hns not yet breakfasted. Ho hns n long rldo beforo him and It would bo better If he should hotM-y nway a misunderstanding of ttiVtoa In Gucrrn hospitality. Also, while ho has his' coffee, you nnd I might discuss the situation?" ','Yes," tho girl agreed slowly. "Thnt would perhaps bo best." Her hand went to tho bell cord to summon Pedro, Pe-dro, "Wo have Just breakfasted, senor capltan. If you will go with Pedro llo will see that you nro served. And Senor Se-nor Torr.e, Senor Stanway nnd, myself can avail ourselves of tho time to como to n decision." Tho captain bowed, nnd with no lies- ltntlon turned his' back on' them to follow tho servant to tho dining room. Torro enmo In, snt down, crossing his legs w,lth clnborato caro to tho creasa In his trousers, nnd favored Stanway with n look which mocked openly. "An Interesting situation, Is It not, senor?" ho nsked lightly. "An extremely hazardous game you nro ploying, Torre," cried Stnnway angrily. an-grily. "I?" Torro llftou his brows. "It Is not I who piny. It Is I who wntch the gnme." "Wntch tho pawns your ovnflMj hnnd has set moving I" wi StnaflPb heated retort. "Do you think that yon can get away with a thing of this kind, Torre? Why, man, Jt smells to heaven I" ' "Itccrlmlnatlonsasldo at least shall we postpono them? There Is a crisis demanding attention. Now," lifting his hand ngnlnst Stanway's words, "I havo a proposition to make to you, Teresa." "What Is It?" sho nsked coldly. "Merely this: As heir to tho Do la Guerrn cstnto I may bo a prejudiced person. You, with no personal Interest," Inter-est," and a quick light flicked In his eyes at tho girl's wincing at his word, "nro tho one to decide. Shull tho captain's cap-tain's request bo granted? I leavo It to you, senorltn. Entirely to you." Tercsn bit her Up, tho color surging nngrlly Into her cheeks. Sho saw the trap ns plainly as did Torre, as plainly jis Stanwny saw It. And sho did not sco the answer to make. "It Is perhaps not Impossible," went on Torro evenly, "thnt a large part of tho sum montloned Is now on tho premises. Wo all know that my kins-nmn kins-nmn has always been his own banker; that he at nil times has been able to produco a largo amount of gold at a' moment's notice. Billy Stanway resumes command of tho situation and things begin to straight-' straight-' en out for the time being. (TO UK CONTINUED.) |
