Part 50 (1/2)

He had seen Nellie Ardell's face as the young lady walked about the apartment. As the others gazed upward Alexander Sloc.u.m appeared. He held a sheet of paper and a pen in his hands.

”He wants her to sign something,” cried our hero in a low voice. ”See!

see! he is going to force her.”

”Leave me be, Mr. Sloc.u.m,” those below heard Nellie Ardell exclaim. ”I will not sign off my interest in that property. Leave me be! Oh, that somebody was at hand to help me!”

”Come on--there is no time to waste!” cried Colonel Dartwell, and pushed through the hedge.

Jerry followed, and both ran for a side door of the building, which stood open.

Here they found themselves confronted by a burly man of advanced age, evidently the proprietor of the sanitarium.

”Here, what do you want here?” he demanded, roughly.

”We want that young lady upstairs!” cried Jerry.

”You can't have her.”

”We'll see about that,” put in Colonel Dartwell. ”You have no authority to detain her here.”

”She is insane, and----”

”Help! help!” came from upstairs, and rus.h.i.+ng past the burly doctor, Jerry skipped up the stairs, three steps at a time.

The colonel came behind. The doctor was about to remonstrate when he found himself confronted by the two detectives.

Our hero and the colonel soon found the proper door. It was locked, but putting his shoulder to it the young oarsman soon burst it open.

Alexander Sloc.u.m stood at the table in the center of the room. He had Nellie Ardell by the wrist, and was endeavoring to force her to sign the paper before them.

”Leave her alone, you villain!” cried Jerry, and dragged him backward.

”Jerry Upton!” exclaimed the young woman, and her tone was full of joy.

”Oh, how thankful I am that you have come!”

”What--what is the meaning of this?” asked Sloc.u.m, turning deadly pale.

”It means that you have been found out, Alexander Sloc.u.m,” replied our hero. ”We have learned--”

”Darnley the boomer!” burst out Colonel Dartwell at this point. ”So this is where you drifted to after the swindle at Silver Run.”

”Do you know him?” queried Jerry.

”Only too well. He was in Colorado for several years under the name of Chester Darnley. He is a boomer and all-around swindler.”

”It's a--a falsehood,” burst from Alexander Sloc.u.m's lips, but his voice trembled as he spoke.

”I can prove all I say,” said the colonel. ”There are witnesses enough against you at Silver Run.”