Show black VA NJ OX IBY E af pf OPPENHEIM novelized from tha the motion pic ture drama of the same name produced by the universal film manufacturing company copyright ADA 1910 fry by etia r wood fourteenth installment A BOLT FROM THE BLUE SLUE I 1 CHAPTER there was a peculiar pe callar almost foreboding silence about the camp that sno moaning inIng when hen laurn returned from ram her ker early ride tho the only living person to b seen waa was the namiji sn sitting on A stool in front of the wagon with ft diah dish of between his knees aay sar where wheres everyone laura eang sang out piter bho she had bad looked into lenoraa tent and found it imply the chinaman looked up at her malevolently 0 all gone he announced cowboys gone korkee kissee gone hurry harry up find mr air quest laura hesitate hesitated d puzzled just then the professor came can cantering in wibb a bundle of grabs grass in his hand he ile chanced down at the chinaman good morning miss laura laural I 1 be eald said you dont seem to be petting retting on with our friend here be added in an undertone Ps pshaw hawl I 1 ohe she ama answered vered who carea cares what a chink thinks the an idiot ara worried probes professor sor joras gone out after mr quest and the inspector she fit to ride a horse I 1 cant make out why she ia attempted IV 11 tho the professor some ile field id glasses from his shoulder and gazed steadily etea dlly southward it is just possible ho he said softly that she may bae haye received a warn ins of 0 that he ile pointed with his forefinger laura peered veered forward thero thera vae vas something which seemed to be just a faint cloud upon the horizon tho the professor banded her his glasses why its a first ehe she cried I 1 j the professor nodded t replied just a prairie fire he replied very dati gerona though these those dry aea reasons sons tle tie flames move so quickly that it you h happen to be in a certain position you might easily be cut on laura turned her horse round come on professor she ex claimed chats rh ats what it U tit Lc noras gone to try and warn the others ther rode to the very edge of the tract of 0 country which was ara temporarily rd in smoke and flamo flame here they pulled in their horses and the professor looked thoughtfully through bis his field glasses laura give gave a little cry and pointed stith her riding whip about twenty yards farther on by the side of or the road waa was a small hita hite object she cantered on ton swung heiselt from her ber horse and p picked ked it up lenores Le noras handkerchief she cried the professor waved his hi ana arm west wald I 1 here come quest and tho the inspector they are making a circuit to avoid avold the fire the col cowboy with them must have shown them the way wed letter better hurry up tip and find out if seen anything of miss bliss lenora they fI ral loped across the rough country towards the little party who were now cl c arly aly in sight from the r ater of one of the burn s in ar patches y saw a horae horse gallop tut atop stop for a moment with hia bead head almost between hs his forelegs fore legs shake himself furiously and gallop blindly on again laura would have turned her hone horse but the he professor checked her let us wait for quest bo he adv leed ibe row boy riding a it little b bibiand the two others bad had unlimbered his lariat swung it over his head bead and secured tha the rutt runaway away quest galloped up to where laura and the professor were waving frantically say that some arol ere quest exclaimed did you people come out to gas see it itt no we came to flad lenoraa Len I 1 baura AUM answered breathlessly breath keely her bar horse she started to meet you she must be A lenora quest interrupted alerce ly what do you meant when I 1 got back to camp laur laurx continued rapidly there a out there except the chinaman hn lin tol told I 1 me that lenora had ridden off A cow minute minutes before to find you wu wo fame amo to look took for her we wo found her handkerchief on the road there and her boreo horse quest did not wait watt for at another iother word pe ile a lough tough bush n C scrub on the rig brad arad aide side galloped over the ground which was already hot aft I 1 tha coming birg and followed along afta the road which lenora had passed when he be came to the first arst bend he could hear bear the roar ot at flames in the trees A volume ot of smote almost blinded bla bis his horse became r holly wholly unmanageable he ile slipped frn ansi 11 the saddle and ran on staggering from ariett to left like a drunker L man about arty yards along the road lenora was lying lu in the duat dust A volume of smoke rushed over her the tree unter which she had collapsed wae was already afire A twig fell from it as quest staggered up and her skirt be gan to he ile tore off his coal coat wrapped it around her beat out tho the tire which vas already blazing at her feet and snatched her into his arms she opened her eyes tor for a mome moment at where aro are wo I 1 she whispered T the he V that all right quest shouted we 1 l b uit ui of it in a moment hold tight to ny my neck say that waa was a close shave he altered faltered as an he laid lenora lenom upon the ground another five minutes well we wont talk about it lets lift her on to your horse laura laum and get back to 0 o the camp CHAPTER thi professor laid down book and gazed gazoo with an amiable seib towards quest usa na lenora 1 I fear he ie remarked marked dolefully thet my little treatise on the fauna of the northern orinoco scarcely appeals to you mr quest quest whose arm was in a all sling but who was otherwise no w the worse tor for hi his recent adventure pointed out of the tent dont you believe it professor he be begged ive been listening to every word weve wired tor for them to meet amig quest eald said after a short silence 1 I only hope they dont let him slip through their fin fingers fr a I 1 much faith in his pro promise false to turn up at the professors professor ls lets sea see what laura and french have to say cant see any sense in staying on here any longer was frenchs imma diate decision so long as yo i two invalids feel that you can stick toe journey journ py De besides aldes were using up these fellows fel lowa hospitality they busied busted themselves tor for the next hour or two making preparations after their evening meal meat the two men walked with lenora lenom and laura laum to their tent 1 I think you girls had better go to bed quest suggested try and get a long 1019 nights sleep all very well french remarked but its only eight what about a stroll miss bliss laura just up to the ridge laura hesitated for a aument and glanced towards lenora please go the latter begged 1 I really dont feel like going to sleep just yet when tha th inspector returned quest handed him a telegram to inspector french allouez All guez N ta M very orry sorry craig gave us u slip lip after leaving depot niece disappeared from address given no clues at pre present cenit when are you returning french swore softly for a moment then he dropped into a chair this he declared la is our unlucky evening CHAPTER the woman who had duct laid the cloth bof to a homely meal smiled across at the girl who stood at the window ita its all read cow directly your uncle comes I 1 aone one she announced mrs malony came to the girla girls bide side your poor root uncle looks as though a little peace pence auld reald do him good phe she remarked the girl sighed it only I 1 could do some tUn for or him she murmured alss in komu kind ot at trouble I 1 think 11 mrs irs abony observed ho Is not what Y call a communicative nica tive person but ita its easy to se see 0 that he Is far from being happy in himself ring when youre ready miss alary the door as suddenly opened and craig entered ered look across the cie road he begged tell me if there is a man in a blu blue serge suit and a bowler hat amok ing a cigar looking across ere mrs malony and the girl both obeyed the girl girt waa was the first p to speak yes she site answered he la to looking straight at these windows craig groaned and sank down upon a chair leave us if you please urs me taa lony he ordered 1 I II 11 ring when im ready if I 1 had had you fur a little longer mary alary ho he said perhaps I 1 should bavo have I 1 boen been a better man go to the window please and tell me we if it that man la Is still there she crossed the room with light footsteps presently she returned he ile Is just creasing the street ite announced 01 1 I think that be he seems to bs bg coming here cral cragg g took the giri girt tor for a minute e into his arms u 1 I v ant I 1 good by dear he eald said you to take this paper leper and keep it carefully you will be cared for always but I 1 must go she e but abre must you go asked bewildered at frobes 1 appointment I have an 1 cannot 1 sor Ash leighs he be told her I than n alt toll you anything more good by ho ile kissel lier her for a moment pas slona tely then luddeni he tore him self away she beard heard him run lightly down don the stairs some instinct led her to the back she saw him emerge from the house and pass do don n the yard then she went to the front the m man an in the blue serge A was as talking below she sa sank into to 0 o tle landlady a chair puzzled and unhappy then ehe she heard h avy footsteps tepa the door was opened the man in the blue serge suit entered follo followed Nied by the protest ing landlady there theres no sense in coming here to worry the young lady mrs malony declared irritably As for mr craig I 1 told you that hed gone out gone out eh ch the man repeated speaking id la a thick disagreeable tone why I 1 watched him in here not ten minutes ago now then you young ng lady guess h aesa better cough up the truth wheres thia this precious uncle of yours hourat my uncle baa has gone out the girl replied drawing herself up he ile lett left five minutes ago that in your hand be he de banded something my uncle gave me before he went oat the girl replied 1 I looked at it yet myself give it here he ordered she spread it out upon the tuble you may look at it it yuu you choose she agreed my aly uncle dij did not tell me not to show tt it to anyone they read it together the few lines seemed to bo written with great care they took indeed the form of a legal document to which was as nf at fixed the seal 1 of a notary and the name of a witness 1 I john craig being about to receive the jut just punishment for all my m ain sins hereby bequeath to rny niece mary carlton all money moneys and property belonging to me a list of which the she will find at this thi address addre ae I 1 make one ne condition only of my bequest beque at and I 1 beg my niece to fervently reaped respect it it t Is that she he never of her own consent or knowledge peak speak to anyone of the name of Ashl ashleigh elgh or associate ao clata with any of that name JOHN CRAIG the man folded up the paper 1 I II 11 take care of this he said it e yours ours right rl enough well just need to borrow it for a time go and get your ht hat and coat on misa miss 11 I 1 shall not the girl objected my uncle told me if anything happened to him that I 1 was to remain bare and remain here she shall as long as ahe she likes mrs malony insisted ite given my promise too to look after her and mr craig know knows that I 1 am an honest vroman oman you may be that the man replied but ite we just as well nell tor for you both to understand thia this im from the police and what I 1 fay say goes no harm ham will come to the girl mrs malony and eho she shall come back here but tor for the present she la Is going to company nc me to headquarters II 11 you make any trouble I 1 only have to blow my whistle and I 1 can nil fill your house with po ll cemen ill III go the girl whispered IP ir silence eh put on her hat and coat in silence euc drove with him blin to the police station where she was shown at once into the inspectors of flee fice the man who had brought her whispered for a moment or two to with hia his chief and handed him the paper inspector french read it and whis whig tw ottly he ile took up the telephone by his bin aide side say youve something of a find here he be remarked to the plain clothes man put my me through to mr air quest please he added speaking into the receiver the two men whispered together to geher the girl stole from her dace clace and turned over Y rapidly the at 0 a dl rectory which was ras on tte tle round table before her she found the ae As quick ly her iler eye fell upon the name of ashleigh As bleigh she repeated the address to herself and glanced around the two men were still whispering for par the moment she waa via forgette for ottea gotte sho bile I 1 stole on tiptoe across the room rown ran mn down the tone stone heeps and habte hastened ned into the street CHAPTER the professor who was comfort ully seated in quest quests favorite easy chaar glanced at his watch and shook bib head 1 I am afraid my friend he said that norve has failed him A voluntary surrender xu ender was perhaps 00 too oo much to hope for quest smoked for a moment in sl al lence once ills servant entered bearing a note not e this waa was left a few minutes ago air be he announced by a messenger er boy there was wag ao to answer required the can ran retired quest expression the sheet of pa paper per ills suddenly changed listen be he exal excl lold d sanford quest to ro people I 1 in Pro Prof fetor alsor gather your bof K tonight library at ten 0 C I 1 will be there and tell you fou my JOHN GRAIG whole story stary eat sat tor for r 1 moment the professor speechless nil all he h then he meant it h fler nt at last exclaimed emitted ill seems like it quest telephone to french just feet his to rose the professor knocked the ash from his cigar struggled into his coat and took tp up his bat hat then he waited united until quest had completed hia his conversation the tho latter face had grown grow n grae gra e and puzzled led it was obvious that he be was receiving r information lie ile of some importance put down the instrument at last with a curt word ord of farewell moved toward towards the the professor door it only this may prove to be end e adt he sighed quest spent the next hour or so in restless deliberations there were which puzzled him still many things at about a quarter past nine lenora for their r and laura arrived dressed expedition irn lm afraid we me are in for a bad thunderstorm girls quest remarked laura laughed who cares the automobiles there mr air quest lets go then he replied they descended descend d into the street and drove to the professor a houie house in el at lence tence even laura waa was t feeling eeling the strain train of at these last hours of anxiety on the wiy way they picked up french and a plainclothes plain clothes othes man and the whole party arria arrived d at their destination junt just as the storm broke the professor met them in the hall lie ile too seemed to have lo loit lost st to some extent his bis customary equanimity come this way ray my Ir leeds he invited if craig keeps his word he be will be here now no within a few min alteo this way they followed fol loed hm into the library chairs were around the table in the middle at 0 the room and they all eat sat down the professor took out his watch it was as five minute to ten in a few minutes be he solemnly this weight I 1 Is to be lifted from the minds of all of us I 1 have come to the conclusion that on thia this occasion craig will keep hia his word I 1 am not eure sure mind but I 1 believe that he be Is la the house at this present moment I 1 have heard movements in the room which belonged to him I 1 have not interfered I 1 have been content to wait he ile has at least not tried escape quest remarked I 1 french here brought news of him he ile has been living with hie his niece very quietly but without any particular attempt at concealment or any signs of |