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CHAPTER XIN. City Prison. phen, they vaErRErTey, BTCRME rifle in bis new found 't tad Mile. Le bear the band Coneert--she's reld to see Mrs | that pater woman, by the or the lady #epresenting her- such, Mp' Githens was per- . rooms in company Ber of the hotel. What Ji those rooms during the n mioutes would be quite to narrate short of an en- ime. Edith promptly collapsed. equently she became hysterical, begged for time, and, getting it, ded to tliréaten every one with ation, Say Mrs, Medcroft!" she declared | 0 y | stand together. ly, "Where is the American con. demand the American consul!" 'has thé American government svith it?" grufly demanded Mr. "=Mr~the gentleman whom you 18 an American citizen!" she {Then be is not an English- refuse 10 answer your quegtidns. re impertinent I ask «yo! sir, "manager of this hotel, eject man from my rooms." # man- ed smiled blandly and aig' not eject man. ¢ it, madam," tie' said, e have a $0 know who and w you are. Mr. Medcroft Is in London this gen- surely cannot be he, the real Mederoft. We must have an ex- ition." JI-¥ will explain everything to- . Ob, by the way, is there a Mm for me in the office? There be. I've Deen expecting it all "1 telegraphed to London for it" ere Is no telegram down there, n is juwscture Mr. Odell-Carney 0 ob the scene uninvited, but this? 'he demanded stern- erybody. proceeded at once to "him. Somehow he got the drift of ¢ She fs Mrs. Medcroft, bang you, if 'you come around bere bother ggain 1'1l have the law npon he Medcrofts are English citi: they fe, are they 7' sneered Mr. with a sinister chuckle. the devil are you, sir?" from Scotldnd Yard." ght so. Yoau've proved it, pon pil. | am Odell-Caruey. Daresay eard of me." Ww you by sight, sir. But chap, by Jove! And there's about it. Mr.~Mr.--never wind 18. 1 don't want to know your "Mrs. Mederoft, will you perrait send' my wife up to you? Mr. y. J insist that you take this ed riblile down to the office and 10 go to the devil! Don't do -do it down there. 'Some further discussion 'and Scotland Yard man and bis he room to its distracted ay be well to remark 2of local color that Tootles lustily. while Ruggles bark- i that O'Brien could do ; sent is wite to Edith. later, as be was making | told Katherine she was, Say, geptlo- men, we'll stand by Mrs. Mederofy, won't we? Count me in thing that money can squa with a letter of credit six figures long." "Join us," said Odell Carr 3 warily, "You're a good sort, after all. They sat down at a table. Freddie stood between them, a bund on the shoulder of each. Very seriously he was saying: "1 say, gentlemen, we can' a woman at a time like this. abindon We must All true sports and black sheep should stand together, don't you know. It is possible that Odell-Carney. ap- preciated the subtlety of this compli: ment. Not so Mr. Rodney. "Sports? Black sheep? Upon my soul, sir, I don't understand you," he ncumbled. Mr. Rodney, although' he hailed from Seattle, had never known anything but a clean and unrumpled conscience. Freddie clapped him jovially on the shoulder. "It's all right, Mr. Rodney. I'll take your word for it. But if we are black sheep we shau't be black: guards. We'll stand by the ship. What's to be done? Bail em out? Mrs. Medcroft despite Mrs. Odell] Carney's friendly offices refused point blank to discuss the situation. She did not dare to do or say anything as yet. Her busband had not telegraphed the word releasing her from the sorry ogm- pact. She loyally decided to stand by the agreement no matter what the cost until she received word from Londog that he had triumphed or failed in hj brave fight against the "bloodsuckers. "lL will explain tomorrow, dear Mrs Odell-Carney," she pleaded. . "Don's press me now. Everything shall be ak 'right. 'Oh, bow I wish Constance wet herel She understands. But she's ef listening to silly love talk and doesen even care what happens to mé Bur ton, will you be good enough to spank Tootles if she doesn't stop that geream- ing?' By 9 o'clock tbat night every one was discussing the significant disap pearance of Constance Fowler #nd the fraudulent husband of Mrs. Medcroft. Just as Mr. Odell-Carney was prepar- ing to announce to the nnfoftunate wife that the couple had eloped fn te most cowardly fashion, Miss Fowler herself appeared on the e, dis heveled, mud spattered and hot, but with a look of firm determination in her face. She burst in upon her sister, a very angry young person inde "Are we alone?' demand@d Miss Fowler, not giving. Edith "tiie to pro claim her joy at seeing Leg "Well, I've arranged a way fo get him out," she went on, ber lips ses = = 2 "Out?' murmured Mrs. Mederoft. "Of course. We can't Jet Bim stay in there all night, Edith. - Bow mach money have you? Hurry ap, please! Don't starel" "In where? Who's In where?" "He's tn jafll" with supreme scorn. "Haven't yon heard?" Mrs. Medcroft began fo Brock in fall? Good shall 1 do? I-T wa him so much. He oug this very instant What doing?' will do you a great Where's your Li *1 have a little over 4.0 Edith marmured helpless "Give it me. quick. TT) waste, I have sbout séntencds 'with the boy and then Teo turned fn the direction from which 'she came. A man stepped out of a door | way as she neared the kag of the yoling woman to the tage paw of the 'man. The latter gave her a quick, cautious salute and hurried back toward the Jail The velled young woman, very nerv- ous and strangely agitated, made ber way back to the spot where the horses were standing. ' Making her way throngh the cluster of small tables which lined, the inner side of the side. walk she found one unoccupied at the extreme cud. a position. which coms mauded a view of the street dows which she had just ¢ome; Half past 1, then 2 o'clock. The mer rymakers were thinning out; she was quite alone at her end of {he place. By thls time a close 'observer might have noticed that she was usmbling violently; there wis an air of abjec fear and despair in her manner. Why did be not come? What had happened? * Had the plot falled? Was 'he even now lying woubded unto death #8 the result of his effort 'to escape captivity? A 'hundred horrid thoughts raced through her throbbing, over wrought Drain. He should have been with her two hours ago--he should now be far on his way to freedom. Alas, something appalling bad bappened, 8he was sure of it! « SHARES HARD T0 DI At last there hove in sight, coming ) from the direction fn which lay the prison, a group of three men. It was a Jaunty party, evidently under the influ ence of many Hbations. They bore down upon her. The next instant they were solemnly shaking hands with her, much to her dismay. "Cong'ance, we've been lookin' f-fer you everwhere in town. W-where on earth 've yon been? asked Mr. Rod- ney thiekly, with a laudable attempt at severity. "Ever sinch "leven o'¢ shance," supplemented Fr , trylog to frown. "My 'dear Miss F-Fowler," began Odell-Carney in his most suave man. Con- A Small Package Passed Into the Huge This Company} is taking ove ORANGE section of Flovida--a Grove bearing, some twenty odd yi failure. In add acquiring a large 'ac surrounding the grove Jind thousand dollar to the & and bear in mind that ibi Lops per annum. other and independent inf pany's project They | | corporation management The Company wi No waiting for long d | present ero: on the trees AND GRAPEFRUIT Gil