锘挎澀宸炰笣琚滀笂闂?
ry, in surprise, 鈥渋t certainly is astonishing that a whole town can be intimidated 鏉窞鍝佽尪 in such a manner by a set of ruffians. Is there no law here?鈥?
鈥淚f so, there is little danger that it will be enforced against the scoundrel Cameron!鈥?she exclaimed, with surprising bitterness, all the music and sweetness gone from her voice. 鈥淗e is a wretch who finds methods of evading
the law, even when he commits the most heinous crimes! But vengeance will fall on him in the end! He cannot always 鏉窞妗戞嬁鎸夋懇浠蜂綅 escape!鈥?
The depth of feeling betrayed 鏉窞spa璁哄潧 by the mysterious woman told Frank that she was the implacable enemy of Cameron and that she had reasons for hating the man most intensely.
As they were passing the Mansion House two men came out and paused on the steps.
One of them was the bruiser, Mat Madison.
The other was a slender, red-lipped, dark man of thirty-five or more, dressed stylishly and smoking a cigarette.
鈥淭here is Carey 鏉窞SPA淇℃伅璁哄潧 Cameron!鈥?hissed the veiled woman.
For all of her evident hatred of Cameron, the mysterious woman made no outward demonstration that could lead either of the men on the steps of the hotel to suppose she had as much as noticed them. If her face expressed the passion of hatred that was betokened by her voice, the veil effectually concealed the fact, and apparently she sat looking straight ahead without even turning her eyes in the direction of 鏉窞鎸夋懇濂界殑鍦版柟 the hotel.
The two men who had chanced to come out upon the steps at that moment quickly discovered Merriwell in the carriage and saw the others of Frank鈥檚 team following on the sidewalk.
鈥淲hat in blazes does that mean, Madison?鈥?exclaimed Cameron.
鈥淵ou know as well as I do, boss,鈥?answered the bruiser.
鈥淲ho is that chap in the carriage with the woman?鈥?
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the feller I was just telling you 鏉窞榫欏嚖璁哄潧鏂板湴鍧€ about鈥攖he one who downed me at the station.鈥?
鈥淔rank Merriwell himself, eh?鈥?
鈥淵es, boss.鈥?
鈥淲ell, I swear he doesn鈥檛 look very much like a fighter. You should handle a smooth-faced chap like that with ease. I鈥檓 disgusted with you. Where is he going with that woman?鈥?
鈥淚 judge she鈥檚 taking him to her house, and it looks like the rest of the bunch is bound for the same place. They couldn鈥檛 git no accommodations at hotels or other places, so 鏉窞姘寸枟妗戞嬁 she鈥檚 goin鈥?to take them in.鈥?
Carey Cameron flung aside his cigarette.
鈥淗asn鈥檛 she been warned?鈥?he asked.
鈥淣o, for nobody reckoned she would be taking strangers in, as she鈥檚 been so haughty and high-headed since comin鈥?here that she鈥檚 scarce spoke to anybody, and she don鈥檛 have any dealings with the people in the town.鈥?
Instantly Cameron descended the steps and hastened to the street, where he 鏉窞妗戞嬁缁忕悊 planted himself in front of the horse, commanding 鏉窞鍏荤敓浼氶 the driver to stop.
鈥淢adam,鈥?he said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 likely you don鈥檛 understand what you are doing. I am led to suppose that you contemplate taking your companion and his crowd into your house and giving them shelter. If such is the case you had better change your mind instantly, or you will find yourself in serious tro