ained a weapon.

"I must go now," she whispered to her father, taking the paper from
his hand.

Throbbing with returned excitement, she hurried out to the dimly
comprehended, desperate effort that lay before her.

CHAPTER XXIV

BILLY HARPER WRITES A STORY

As Katherine crossed the porch and went down the steps she saw,
entering the yard, a tall, square-hatted apparition.

"Is that you, Miss Katherine?" it called softly to her.

"Yes, Mr. Hollingsworth."

"I was looking for you." He turned and they walked out of the yard
together. "I went to your house, and your aunt told me you were here.
I've got it!" he added excitedly.

"Got what?"

"The agreement!"

She stopped short and seized his arm.

"You mean between Blake, Peck, and Manning?"

"Yes. I've got it!"

"Signed?"

"All signed!" And he slapped the breast pocket of his old frock-coat.

"Let me see it! Please!"

He handed it to her, and by the light of a street lamp she glanced it
through.

"Oh, it's too good to believe!" she murmured exultantly. "Oh, oh!" She
thrust it into her bosom, where it lay beside Doctor Sherman's
confession. "Come, we must hurry!" she cried. And with her arm through
his they set off in the direction of the Square.

"When did Mr. Manning get this?" she asked, after a moment.

"I saw him about an hour ago. He had then just got it."

"It's splendid! Splendid!" she ejaculated. "But I have something,
too!"

"Yes?" queried the old man.

"Something even better." And as they hurried on she told him of Doctor
Sherman's confession.

Old Hosie burst into excited congratulations, but she quickly checked
him.

"We've no time now to rejoice," she said. "We must think how we are
going to use these statements--how we are going to get this
information before the people, get it before them at once, and get it
before them so they must believe it."

They walked on in silent thought. From the moment they had left the
Shermans' gate the two had heard a tremendous cheering from the
direction of the Square, and had seen a steady, up-reaching glow, at
intervals brilliantly bespangled by rockets and roman candles. Now, as
they came into Main Street, they saw that the Court House yard was
jammed with an uproarious multitude. Within the speakers' stand was
throned the Westville Brass Band; enclosing the stand in an imposing
semicircle was massed the Blake Marching Club, in uniforms, their
flaring torches adding to the illumin