JONES CHECKMATES ORTON CAMPBELL.
"Who are you?" inquired Richard Dewey, not favorably impressed by the
appearance of the man who addressed him.
"You wouldn't know if I should tell you," said Jones; "so I may as well
say that I came out to San Francisco with Orton Campbell."
"Orton Campbell in the city?" exclaimed Dewey, apprehensively. "Had he
anything to do with the disappearance of Miss Douglas?"
"Everything, sir; but I can't tell you about it in the street. I will go
with you to your hotel."
"Tell me on the way," said Richard Dewey. "First, has any harm befallen
Florence--Miss Douglas?"
"None as yet."
"Is any threatened?"
"The loss of her liberty; but I will help you to thwart Orton Campbell."
Jones told the story, which need not be repeated here, as it is already
known to the reader. He had difficulty in restraining Mr. Dewey from
starting out instantly to the rescue of the young lady, but on his
representing that she was safe, and that it would be soon enough to go
out in the morning, Richard Dewey yielded.
A little before eight o'clock, Jones, driving the same carriage in which
he had conveyed Florence to her place of captivity, halted in front of
Mrs. Bradshaw's dwelling.
"Remain in the carriage, Mr. Dewey," he said, "and I will see if I can't
secure the young lady without any fuss."
"Won't it be better for me to accompany you?"
"I think not, sir. Mrs. Bradshaw knows I am the one who brought Miss
Douglas here, and she will think it is all right. Stay!" he continued,
with a sudden thought. "I have an idea. Mr. Campbell told Mrs. Bradshaw
that the young lady was insane. I will make her think that you are the
doctor from the asylum come to take Miss Douglas back with you."
"Did Orton Campbell really intend such an outrage?" asked Richard Dewey,
in a tone of horror.
"Yes, if Miss Douglas wouldn't consent to marry him."
"Go, then, and lose no time."
Jones knocked at the door, which was opened by Mrs. Bradshaw in person.
She naturally regarded Jones with surprise, not anticipating so early a
call.
"How is Miss Douglas?" he asked.
"Very contrary," answered the landlady. "I can't get her to eat. It's my
belief she means to starve herself."
"It's a crazy freak," said Jones, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, I've
come to take her away."
"To take her away--so soon?" asked Mrs. Bradshaw, in surprise.
"Yes, Mr. Orton thought it best."
"Is he with you?"
"No."
"I think I see some one in the carriage."
"To be sure. It's the mad doctor from the asylum. Don't let Miss Douglas
know it," continued Jones, lowering his voice, "or she wouldn't consent
to go with us."
"I see," answered the landlady, nodding. "Do you want to go up now?"
"Yes; let me see her alone, so that I can tell her a story which will
quiet her suspicions."
"Mr. Campbell hasn't paid me all he promised yet," said Mrs. Bradshaw,
rather uneasily.
"Oh, that's all right," said Jones. "He never forgets his promise--and
seldom keeps it," he said to himself.
Florence was sitting on the lounge in her room in rather a despondent
state of mind when the door opened, and she looked up, expecting to see
Orton Campbell.
Jones closed the door behind him, and then, putting his hand over his
lips, said, "Miss Douglas, I bring you good news."
"Are you not the man who brought me out here yesterday?"
"The same one."
"Then how have you the face to show yourself in my presence?"
"Because I am come to free you from your imprisonment."
Florence started to her feet in some excitement. "If this were true!"
she exclaimed. "But no; you are an agent of Orton Campbell, and this is
some new trick of his."
"I was an agent of Orton Campbell, but he deceived me, and I am his
enemy."
"Is he with you?" asked Florence, suspiciously.
"No; but in the carriage outside is one whom you will be glad to meet."
"Who is it?"
"Richard Dewey."
"You brought me a note from him which he never wrote. How do you expect
me to believe you now?"
"If he is not there, don't get into the carriage. Not a word to Mrs.
Bradshaw. She is in the employ of Mr. Campbell, who represented you as
insane, and I told her that Mr. Dewey, whom I did not dare to bring in,
was a doctor from the insane asylum."
"Are you sure you are not deceiving me?" said Florence, earnestly.
"I am on the square, miss, but you can easily convince yourself by
coming down stairs. If you prefer to remain here till nine o'clock, when
Orton Campbell will be here, you can do so."
"No, no! anything better than that!"
Mrs. Bradshaw watched the exit of her guest with a peculiar look. "She
little knows where she's going," thought the woman. "Well, if she's
crazy, it's the best place for her."
As may easily be imagined, there was scant leave-taking. Florence was
eager to leave this shabby cabin, where she had passed a night of
anxious solicitude.
She approached the carriage, and Jones opened the door. She looked in,
and saw Dewey, who said in a low voice, "Get in at once, Florence, but
keep silent till we are on our way."
An expression of joy came over her face as she saw this most convincing
proof of her driver's good faith. He mounted the box and drove rapidly
off.
On their way back to San Francisco the two who had been so long
separated had ample time to compare notes and form plans for the future.
"Florence," said Richard Dewey, "after this treachery of Orton Campbell
there is but one way of safety for you."
"And what is that?"
"Let me become your legal protector, and at once. When we are married
your guardian will be powerless. He will have me to deal with then, not
a defenceless girl."
"But, Richard, this seems so sudden!"
"It ought not to, Florence. Have we not waited for each other long
enough? Have we not been separated long enough? I am not much richer
than when I left you--not so rich," he added, smiling, "as your other
suitor, Orton Campbell."
"I will marry you if only to get rid of him, Richard," said Florence,
impetuously.
"I won't quarrel with your motives, since you consent."
So it happened that on their arrival in San Francisco they directed
Jones to drive to the house of a clergyman, and were speedily united in
marriage, the clergyman's wife and daughter being witnesses.
Circumstances compelled them to dispense with the usual "cards and
cake."
At nine o'clock, Orton Campbell, secure of his prey, drove up to Mrs.
Bradshaw's door and leisurely descended.
"Well, and how is Miss Douglas this morning?" he asked of the astonished
landlady.
"How is she? She's gone."
"What!" ejaculated Orton, furiously; "you have dared to let her escape?"
"You sent for her yourself. She went away with the mad doctor."
"'The mad doctor'? I don't know anything about any mad doctor. Woman,
you are deceiving me."
"Don't call me _woman_!" said Mrs. Bradshaw, offensively, putting her
arms akimbo. "I'm no more a woman than you are."
"Then you'd better dress differently," sneered Campbell. "Tell me what
all this means."
"The man that drove the lady out here yesterday came here more than an
hour ago and said you had sent for her. He said there was a doctor in
the carriage who would take her to the asylum. That corresponded with
what you told me, and I let her go."
"That scoundrel Jones!" exclaimed Orton Campbell. "So this is his
revenge? I must go back to the city at once and circumvent him if I
can."
He was about to go when Mrs. Bradshaw said, "Before you go you'd better
pay me what you promised."
"I won't pay you a cent," said Campbell, angrily.
"Jack!"
The word spoken by the woman brought a rough-looking man to the
carriage-door.
"This man says he won't pay me a cent, Jack," said Mrs. Bradshaw.
"You'd better reconsider that, stranger," said Jack, pulling out a
revolver and fingering it significantly.
"I owe her nothing," said Orton Campbell, surveying the revolver
uneasily. "If she had kept the young lady here, it would have been
different."
"If there's a trick been played on you, my wife ain't goin' to suffer by
it. She's earned the money, stranger, and I'll give you just two minutes
to pay it over."
Orton Campbell read something in the man's face that convinced him he
was not to be trifled with. With many an inward groan he drew out one
hundred dollars from his purse and handed it over.
"That's all right, stranger," said Jack, coolly. "I thought you'd be
reasonable. Short reckonings make long friends."
With a muttered imprecation Orton Campbell sharply ordered his driver to
turn the horses' heads toward San Francisco and make his way there as
quickly as possible. His thoughts were by no means pleasant company. He
had just been forced to pay out a considerable sum without value
received, and was beginning to think the sum paid to Jones also money
thrown away.