The Hidden Hand

While he spoke the visitor resumed his rapid, restless striding up and down the room. Presently he came again to the side of the robber and whispered: "Donald, that girl has returned to the neighborhood, brought back by old Warfield. My son met her in the woods a month ago, fell into conversation with her, heard her history, or as much of it as she herself knows. Her name is Capitola! She is the living image of her mother! How she came under the notice of old Warfield--to what extent he is acquainted with her birth and rights--what proofs may be in his possession I know not. All that I have discovered after the strictest inquiry that I was enabled to make, is this--that the old beggar woman that died and was buried at Major Warfield's expense, was no other than Nancy Grewell, returned--that the night before she died she sent for Major Warfield and had a long talk with him, and that shortly afterward the old scoundrel traveled to the north and brought home this girl!"

"Humph! it is an ugly business, your honor, especially with your honor's little prejudice against----"

"Donald, this is no time for weakness! I have gone too far to stop! Capitola must die!"

"That's so, colonel--the pity is that it wasn't found out fourteen years ago. It is so much easier to pinch a baby's nose until it falls asleep than to stifle a young girl's shrieks and cries--then the baby would not have been missed--but the young girl will be sure to be inquired after."

"I know that there will be additional risk, but there shall be the larger compensation, larger than your most sanguine hopes would suggest. Donald, listen!" said the colonel, stooping and whispering low--"the day that you bring me undeniable proofs that Capitola Le Noir is dead, you finger one thousand dollars!"

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the outlaw, in angry scorn. "Capitola Le Noir is the sole heiress of a fortune--in land, negroes, coal mines, iron foundries, railway shares and bank stock of half a million of dollars--and you ask me to get her out of your way for a thousand dollars--I'll do it--you know I will! Ha, ha, ha!"

"Why, the government doesn't value your whole carcass at more than I offer you for the temporary use of your hands, you villain!" frowned the colonel.

"No ill names, your honor--between us they are like kicking guns--apt to recoil!"

"You forget that you are in my power!"