The Argosy for May — page 123: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

310 interrupting himself sharply. ‘And I almost forgot something!” As he spoke, he dived hurriedly back through the hole; and when he reap- peared again, he was clasping a bulky manuscript to his breast. ‘Tt is my opera,” he exclaimed simply. “T have had plenty of time to finish it, all alone here with my thoughts, and I ended it to-day. It would have been an irreparable loss if I had left that be- hind; but k am ready now. Come, let us go!” It was, indeed, time that they should fly; for to the general’s crashing blows against the door, and vociferous threats, was now added a clamor for the police from the other dwelling. Caxton threw open the door to his room, and disclosed his landlady and a group of women in the hall outside, all shrieking at the top of their voices. He made no attempt to explain mat- ters to her; but, simply thrusting a roll of bills into her hand, seized Chegnay by the arm and hurried him down the stairs. Out of the house they dashed, then, through the crowd gathering outside ; and, just as a couple of gens d’armes started for them, they leaped into a pass- ing cab and were whirled away. Of course, there was butvone destina- tion for either of them; and équally of course, their tongues ran like mad, in questions and explanations, all the way to the hotel. But a sudden silence fell on both when they arrived at the mil- lionaire’s apartments and found father and daughter both away. “Do you know where Miss Muriel has gone?” questioned Caxton of the maid who had met them. “Oh, yes, sir. Captain Von Altdorff called for her, in great excitement, about ten minutes ago, and she left with him!” —_ —- + CHAPTER XX. SOLFERINO BREAKS ANOTHER RECORD. Von ALTDORFF ! For a moment the two men stood ga- zing at each other in consternation. Caxton had told Laszlo, in the cab coming along, of the painful scene be- tween Van Brunt and the gray mus- THE ARGOSY. tached captain, and of the almost insane fury into which the latter had been goaded by the knowledge that Muriel had been won by another; so that now there was but one thought in both their minds. The man, crazed by his hopeless yearn- ing, was attempting to secure by craft and force the prize which had been de- nied to his suing. He had lured the girl away, upon some pretext or another—madmen are always most plausible in their explana- tions—and now, having her in his power, was planning to carry her off, and force her into marrying him. In America, such a supposition, upon the grounds they had, would have seemed exaggerated and absurd; but here in the passionate south, where men’s minds were still attuned to the measure of feu- dal times, and where they themselves had just been concerned in abductions, mysteries, and rescues of quite the six- teenth century pattern, it seemed the most natural conclusion in the world. Stricken speechless, therefore, at the news, and at the dire possibilities in- volved, they stood staring at each other, aghast, for the space of half a dozen breaths. ‘Then, seized by a common im- ~ pulse, they turned together, and hastened wildly down the street. Up and down they gazed eagerly; but nowhere in sight could they descry any sign of either the captain or his com- panion. ‘Then, while they stood at a loss, uncertain what next to do, a high- pitched, foppish voice broke on their ears; and Horowitz, who had been loun- ging in front of. the hotel, advanced airily with outstretched hand toward Laszlo. “Why, my dear Chegnay,” he ex- ° claimed loftily, taking no notice what- ever of Caxton. “ When did you return? Ah, but you took us all by surprise, you clever dog. And now you are a staid old benedict, of course. lights of the honeymoon to get papa’s blessing, and all that sort of thing, eh?” But Laszlo* hoarsely cut in upon his bantering. “ Have you seen anything of Von Altdorff?”’ he demanded, gripping the other by the shoulder with an intensity which caused the little man to wince. ANG SS Back from the de-. (CO) (eO) 9)(0)(6)