Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1890 — BERENICE ST. CYR. [ARTICLE]

BERENICE ST. CYR.

A Story of Love, Intrigue, and Grime.

BY DWIGHT BALDWIN.

CHAPTER X—Continued. “In that view of the ca«e, I may venture to make him a proposition." “Let us hear it." “If he will promise upon this honor of his, in which you have such confidence, that he will at once reveal the hiding place of the bonds, I’ll permit you to go ” “With whom?” asked Cole, eagerly. “In the carriage, and unattended. The hackman will drive her home.” “I’ll do it!” “But what is to become of Cole?” queried the anxious girl. “If his information turns out to be correct, he will be set free." “When?” “As soon as we have an opportunity to cash the bonds and find a place of safety outside Chicago.” “Very well, replied Cole, after exchanging a look with the young lady. “You promise, on your honor, to locate them?” “I promise, on my honor, to tell you where I placed them.” “And where they still remain?" “For aught I have done to remove them?” “Good enough. Remember, though, that any treachery will cause you to forfeit your life!" “I understand.” “Take the young lady to her carriage, Mart, and tell the coachman to drive her home. ” “All right, this way, miss.” Could our young friends have seen the look that passed between the two desperate men who were plotting for a fortune, they would have placed no confidence in their promises. “Good-by," said Cole, extending his hand. “Good-by,” returned the girl, returning the pressure of his hanu with a fervor that bespoke plainer than words her love and devotion. The situation of our hero was desperate in the extreme, yet his heart beat joyfully as he saw the fair girl disappear from the room. Not only had he secured her escape from perils greater than death itself but he knew now with what feelings she regarded him. “Now for your part,” said Almon, imperatively. “Wait a moment.” “For what?" “Until your partner rjturns.” “And why?” “He may be detaining her outside.” “Why couldn’t he deliver her to a confederate?" sneered Sears. “I’m not afraid of that. You’re playing too desperate a game to have many confidants.” The entrance of Bloom put a stop to the discussion. “Now. then,” said the younger villain “the bonds!” “I placed them in my right boot-leg.” The two men sprang forward together, and in an instant the article in question was removed from the foot of the helpless prisoner. A howl of rage went up from the two desperate schemers when they found the boot to be empty. “Duped! ’ shouted Bloom. “He shall die for it!” cried Sears, snatching a revolver from the table and raising it threateningly. “Hold on, ” warned Bloom. “What now?” “Look at these.” The burglar handed his accomplice two fragments of paper that he had picked up from the floor. “'Jhe comers of two of the bonds,” cried the latter a moment later. “1 hen he’s told the truth?” “Beyond a doubt 1” “And the bonds?” “Were pulled out and lost whTe we were drawing and carrying him about.” 'That’s it. We mav find them in the old building on Clark street."

“Perhaps, but it’s not likely. But on® thing remains." “What’s that?’ *1 he remainder of the St. Cyr estate. We can secure that." “And the mur—l mean ” *1 understand. It will be blamed on Winters here, as we planned all the time. The chloroform!* ‘WeTI make a sure thing of it this time,” said Bloom, as he handed the other a bottle. “Hold on! What’s the matter?” This from behind them caused the two to start atid turn in sadden ahrm. It proceeded from the late occupant of the sofa, who was advancing toward them with rather unsteady steps. “What are you going to do?” he demanded, thickly. “Put him out of the way," answered Sears, producing a handkerchief and removing the stopper from the bottle. “Don’t do that!” The speaker lurched forward and wellnigh knocked the bottle from the young man’s hand. “What do you mean?” But there-was no reply. At that instant Martin Bloom dealt the reeling man a blow which brought him heavily to the floor. “Fool!” shouted Sears. “I have been, but I’ve dropped the role.” As he spoke, Martin Bloom bent over the prostrate form and snatched off a full false beard. “Mat Hyland!” cried the young villain. “The detective!” echoed our hero, in tones of wildest excitement.

CHAPTER XI. STIRRING EVENTS. It was, indeed, Mat Hyland, the detective. He had 6een Morris leave the house, and had shadowed him to a drug store in the adjoining street. As the money-lender was retaining after having secured the restoratives, Hyland had come upon him unawares, and at once made him a prisoner. Then from the nearest patrol-box he had called a wagon and turned Morris over to the officers in charge of it, telling them to lock him up on general principles and he would appear in the morning and lodge a substantial charge against him. Then he had withdrawn to a place he knew of in the neighborhood, wnere, by the aid of a case of cosmetics and a false beard which he carried with him, he succeeded in so changing his appearance as to readily pass for the money-lender, with whom he agreed generally as to size and form. This done, he had swallowed a mouthful of brandy to impregnate his breath, and, with the package of restoratives in his hand, had hodly entered the midst of the enemies of the law. He had speedily discovered that all his preconceived theories were entirely false, and that the young man he had been so relentlessly pursuing was as guiltless as himself. In an effoit to save Cole Winters from what appeared to be impending death, he bad been detected by Bloom, under whose powertnl hand he had fallen senseless to the floor. “We’re just a little bit clever ourselves,” laughed Bloom, as he took a pair of steel handcuffs from the pocket of the detective «nd snapped them over his wrists, “l’mnot goingto steal ’em. I’ll leave ’em in your possession, or rather you in theirs.” “We won’t quarrel about a technical point,” put iu Sears, “but what induced you to come here, Hyland, disguised as Max Morris?” “And disguised with liquor." added the b.urglar. “My duty,” rejoined Hyland, who had now regained his feet. “I’m sorry you took that view of it,” the younger man proceeded. “I’ve known you some little time, and always liked you, Mat. Your anxiety for promotion has led you into a position that bus placed a duty—a snd and serious one on Mart Bloom and myself.” “You mean to kill me?” “No, on no account. We must, however, conceal, or, more exactly, sequester, you for a time. Our safety depends upon it, so you really can’t object, old man.’’ There was a cruel sneer about the speaker’s mouth, and a cold, snaky gleam in his eyes. The detective noted both, and realized that they boded him no good. He was a shrewd man and an able detective, who had run down many a dark crime and brought the perpetrators to justice. He had failed now and fallen into the hands of his enemies, not lrom any professional fault, but because humanity had induced him to come forward to the relief of our imperiled hero. Cole Winteis appreciated this, and evidenced.it by a look of gratitude. “You have been frank with me,” sa d Hyland, after a momentary pause, “and I i will be equally so with you.” “That’s kind of you,” remarked Sears, with a bow. “I’m acting in my own interest. Any move on your part to harm either Mr. Winters or myself will prove in the nature of a boomerang.” "How so?" “You know me for a detective?” “I’ve heard you call yourself that. I shouldn’t have thought ao from anything you've done in this case.” “No pleasantry, please. As a detective I have taken every precaution for my protection. I am in your power. You may kill me, but your escape is impossible." “Whv so?” “Because this house is guarded by officers on every side. ” “That for you and your officers." Almon Sears snapped his fingers, while Bloom laughed. “What do you mean?” “That there are ways of killing a pig besides choking him with butter. We can quit this ho ise when we please, and j your officers be none tne wiser,” “Nonsense!” cried Hyland, though our hero well knew from his manner, that the bold stand of the villains had somewhat disconcerted him. j "Besides,” Almon went on, speaking | with neat deliberation, “what you say is not true.” “Is an officer likely to go, without backing or support of any kind into a gang of aimed and desperate murderers?” “In the first place we are not the bad chaiacters you represent, except Winters, i there, who has turned traitor imd stolen the plunder; and ag nn, you are a detec- ; tive seeking promotion. ” “Well?” | “You had Cole Winters in your hands i this evening, and permitted him to es- I cape. This is, no doubt, already general- ! ly known, and nothing save his recapture j by you, entirely unassisted by others, ' would give you a clear record again. I’m not a detective, but I’ve had occasion to study them, and I know the nature of the beast.” “Besides,” added Bloom, “Dick Harper, the backman, told me when I went out with the girl that there hadn't been a soul around. Dice's been out with me many a time, and I can count on what he says. ” “You’re folly be on your own heads, then!” cried Hyland. | “In for a penny, in for a pound,”, re- j eponded Sears. The detective realized that the ecoun- !

drels designed to take his life and suddenly resolved upon a bold coarse. Raising his manacled hands above his head he sprang forward. Bnt the wily villain was too qnick for him, and leveling his revolver, fired full in the face of the wonld-be assailant As the report reverberated through the house, Mat Hyland fell heavily to the floor. Rendered desperate by the act, Sears turned the weapon upon onr hero. “Hold on!” warned Bloom. “What for?” “There may be policemen outside, and if there arn’t, that shot will attract attention.” “What’s to be done?” asked the other, lowering his revolver. “We must oscape by the cellar passage.” “Good! But Hyland?” “Dead as ■a door nail,’replied the burglar after bending for a moment over the detective, who was bleeding profusely from a wound in the forehead. “And Winters?" “Let him keep the other one company." Sears shuddered at this suggestion and recoiled a step. “We’ve done enough of that,” said he. “I wouldn’t have shot Hyland only I had “What then?” “I have r plan.” “Out with it! They may be here any minute!” Instead of wasting words to unfold his plan the youthful assassin seized a knife and sprang tow rd our hero. Despite the recent protestations of his enemy, Cole Winters gave himself up for lost. But instead of hurrying the knife in the prisoner's body, Almon bears used it to cut the rope which bound his arms and legs. “There!” he muttered, as he threw the fragments of cord in the open grate where a fire was burning. At that instant a loud noise was heard in the front of the house. “Quick!” cried Sears, as he sprang forward and threw open a door, beneath which a flight of stairs was visible. “But the ” “He’ll bo caught red-handed and go to tho gallows I” With the apparent purpose of furnishing evidence to still further incriminate Cole Winters, the scoundrel threw the revolver on the floor, pushed Martin Bloom forward, nnd quickly followed him, closing the door with a slam. The brain of our hero was literally in a whirl. He realized thatthe words of the villain were but too true, and that in the absence of all coroborative evidence his protestations of innocence would go for nothing. In desperation he looked about for means of escape. His eye fell upon the revolver, and, acting upon a sudden prompting of the feeling of self-presera ation, he seized and raised it in his baud. Just then the front door was thrown open and n police officer in uniform appeared. “Surrender?’ he shouted. “Fire! He’s got a gun!” cried a second officer, who stood further back. A sudden thought struck our hero, and he instantly acted upon it. He would imitate the action of the two villains. In a twinkling he had reached and thrown open the uoor through which they had just oisappeared. Bang! Ping! The foremost officer had fired, and the bullet had crashed into the wood only a few inches to his right. A moment more and he was on the landing, with only a frail barrier of wood between him and the officers. Even then, desperate as was his situation. his coolness did not desert him. Bealizing that he had but a few seconds the start of his pursuers, he turned and'felt for a bolt. To his great joy he found a large one, and succeeded in shooting it into its socket. He was none too soon, for almost immediately the officer reached the door and began shaking and trying to force it open. In the br,i®f respite thus afforded him, Cole, W inters reviewed his situation like lightning. As a result, instead of running down the stairs, where his ignorance of the secret egress would render his death or capture almost a matter of certainty, he adepted an entirely different coarse. ELe had noticed that overhead, directly in front of the door, was what appeared to be a wide shelf, oommon enough in the approaches to cellars. Cole placed his hand upon it and leaped upward. k moment more and he had drawn himself up, and was several feet back from (he door. He had barely accomplished this, when the bolt gave way, the door flew open and two shots were fired into the cellar. [TO BE CONTINUED. I