Wichita eagle., 1888-09-16

of us2 don't fancy acting detective"
'fBut, my good sir, it is not in that ca
pacity that | desire you to act. You &c
TO Mr.. Vanvoorst's house es the guest OF
his son, and We trust merely to that dis
cernment Of which | have seen indica
tions, sir, in you, to decide whether mat
tiers must be allowed TO take their course
or whether an investigation by detectives
would be an advisable measure
So the strife goes on. the judge deliver
ing a succession of brief orations, Blake
growing his objections, and Vanvoorst
grinning encouragement, and occasion
ally putting in his little oar to more OF
less purpose-generally less. At length,
the judge having become very pink and
| emphatic. and Vanvoorst having invited
his new acquaintance To visit him with al
earnestness which is almost pathetic, our
young friend swallows his scruples and
consents to go on what he asserts to be a
wild goose chase.
We'll, anyhow, Mr. Blake, wen try to
make it pleasant for You over Sunday.
You can meet me on the 6 o'clock train OF
/ Forty second street, says Vanvoorst,
who certainly does not procrastinate.
The 6 O'Clock train up the river carries
+ the two young men swiftly along until,
+ il the late twilight, they descend at a
/ lonely little station, far enough from
New York to be ont Of the way of com
muters, and the consequent eligible villa.
Besides the station house nothing is Wis
IDLE in the dusk of the starless, overcast
evening, except an exceedingly steep lane
striking almost directly up the hill from
the river With the roar Of the train in
their ears, the place seems strangely
quiet, not to say dismal; but both the
young men recover their spirits to soma
extent at the exhilarating spectacle of q
very high cart coming up to the plat
form with big and undoubtedly
evil dispositioned brown horse in the
shafts, the whole under the guidance
of groom whose cravat alone is sufficient
to stamp the equipage as aristOcratic.
Mounting this, Vanvoorst junior dis
covers new excellences, and bursts. as it
were, into full bloom. He is not much to
look at; he does not strike one as intel
lectual; and he is certainly not athlete;
but he can drive. He has an opportunity
for display of his talents as they go up
the hill. A freight train comes roaring
along below them, and the horse, only too
glad of an excuse, attempts to get over
the fence, regardless of the cart and its
occupants The calm manner in which
his master gets him back into the road,
and the pace al which be works him along
when they have climbed TO the level, unite
TO raise Vanvoorst in the opinion of his
companion, who Is beginning to quake at
the near approach of his troubles. Still,
his philosophy comes to the rescue. and
looking only at the present, he thinks it
Is certainly better to be thus bowling
along good road through the summer
night than to be in New York-better
even than hearing Thomas men scraping
away at "Amaryllis, il an atmosphere
blue with smoke.
Through little village-tavern black
smith shop, store and a dozen houses
along a road lined with trees. through
which one gets glimpses of the river down
below, past long line Of stone wall; then
with q sudden whirl that makes the
groom on the back seat seize the rail,
through a wide gate with O. lodge, neither
ornamental nor coInI1odious, guarding it;
then up long avenue, which is very dark
with thick trees, till the trees grow larger
and fewer, and the turf more closely
shorn, and the house comes in sight
just a great dark bulk looming up against
u background of trees and sky. They
trot briskly around great graveled
sweep to the front, and pull up, with
much scattering of small stones, and
great reluctance on the part of the
horse.
The house presents a row of brilliantly
lighted windows, opening on a wide
piazza, and sending their light stream
ing over lawn and flower beds. till it is
lost ii the night. Sounds OF Strauss are
heard, dancing forms go sliding past the
windows-evidently the Vanvoorsts en-
terrain. The scion of that noble race,
called on to explain by his companion. re-
spends, Hang it! forgot. They've got
q lot of people to dinner-some people who
live around here and a lot more up from
the Point"
Visions Of military heroes fit through
Hlake's head as he follows his host up the
stops across the vacant piazza, and
through q rather dark entrance into big
square han in the middle Of the house,
which runs up to the roof apparently. and
has A gallery around It st the floor above
1t is dilnly lighted, and has slippery,
hard wood toor, upon which. further to
catch the unwary, are disposed occasional
rugs. OF size and fabric well adapted for
tripping up ana oyerturning. This is
about ell Blake makes out, before small
brunette. decidedly pretty, comes out Of
the lighted drawing room and sieZes Van
worst with an air Of proprietOrship. Tom
has been made aware that the reason
fanroorst Junior is unmolested by the
destructive widow is because he is already
married: so he is quite prepared TO be
presented 10 mrs Nanvoorst. He is not,
however, prepared TO see two acquaint-
ances coming upon him simultaneously.
One Of these, a small and eInineptly lady
like young woman, cores across the hall
on Il mans arm, with little hand out
stretched, and IN asronished Why. Mr..
DlaAe!" The other bursts upon hin sll
c. once, through near door, bewlder-
ing vision, which he knows only too Wen
"A vision of dark eyes and dead gold hair
over low brow. and white. full arms
and shoulders. the whole swimming in a
sea of pale green Blake, who is anything
but nervous-whose heart hardly gains
throb in that awful moment when,
gripping his car handle. he waits be-
tween the Ready" and the CO.
feels his face flush, and draws MS
breath hard moment but only for mo-
mept Mrs. Mackenzie, let me present
Mr. Blake
MIR. Blake and / have met before,
think" says the beauty, and puts out
ready hand. cordially enough. And Mr..
Blake is charmed 10 have the pleasure
again, says the young man, quite self
possessed now Mrs. Mackenzie and he take
stock of one another; the Vanvoorsts
stare; there is an awkward pause. which
is broken by the little person before re-
ferred TO, who never did an awkward
thing in her life. and who now leaves her
arm and comes up with the pleas