Page:Randall Parrish--My Lady of the South.djvu/216

MY LADY OF THE SOUTH "Yis, sor."

"Who did you leave in command in the parlor?"

"A young fellow be the name of Summers, sor; he seemed to loike foightin'."

"Well, let Masterson finish that nursing job, and come with me. Bring your gun along."

We mounted to the top of the staircase, seeing and hearing nothing. Both back and front of the upper hallway were in shadow, and I paused a moment while briefly explaining to my companion the nature of our errand. His keen eyes peered back and forth as he listened.

"It's most loikely to be connected with the foireplace yonder, sor," he volunteered, pointing straight ahead.

"So it seems to me," I admitted, "but we shall have to go over every inch of this floor to be certain. You go back there and stand guard while I rummage through the rooms."

It was not a pleasant task, the doors all being tightly closed, and the rooms in darkness. Besides, the two young women were probably in hiding there somewhere, unless Miss Jean had accompanied Donald and escaped from the house. Yet I hardly thought that probable, for the latter had ample time to enter the passage before the girl had left me in the lower hall. However, the thought of her caused me to rap at each door before venturing to open it, although such warning added to my own peril if any armed enemy was lurking within. And as to that I could not know. Donald might still be in the house, yet I had less fear of his resistance than of sudden, murderous attack by the mysterious assassin who [ 202 ]