Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-08-21

y Ell
Godfrey FairchNd had been a
| classmatc of Manning, and they had
maintained close and unruflled
comradeship till Vincent married
Maud Cutliffc Some said that Man
ming had vanquished rival in Geof-
frey, but at any rate the wedding
was not SO intolerable TO the loser as
to prevent him from appearing a.
the most blithe and happy Of the
groomsmcn. He kept up his visits,
too, as long as the Mannings re-
NAMED in their New York hotel.
but when they moved west he had
called but once and written not at
all. II Manning had any suspicious
/ of lurking disappointment in hi>
friend, heart, he was soon pleasant
ly undeceiyed, for Godfrey had never
seemed so rollickingly happy as now.
He had been in the oil regions of
Texas for a month or more and was
on his way homeward, he said. He
had come purposely 10 spend a few
DAYS with Vincent and the wife 10
see the son and heir. He asked
dozen questions about the child,
laughed at the paternal yarns about
it, precocity a no man can laugh
but a stanch friend. and made him
self SO gayly at home that it was
nearly two o'clock in the morning
when Manning babe him goodnight
at the door Of his room.
II was about seven
when the waiter came for the break
fast order, and when il was given
Manning saw that his friend was not
vet stirripo "nd vent hack to he'd
-. a parting emphasis upon the
dull ears Of the waiter that he want
ed breakfast served at ten O'Clock.
AT that hour the bell woke him
again; he hobbled down. let in the
commissary. and went back to rouse
Godfrey. He raped on the door,
hut got no answer. Then he went
into the darkened room, let up the
shades and saw that the bed was not
only empty but that it had been I'M
occupied during the night He
searched the rooms and the closets
before he went downstairs. but there
was no sign of either Fairchild or his
baggage. On the hall rack. however.
he found Goeffrey's hat hanging just
where its wearer had placed 1t the
afternoon before. This set him To
thinking that perhaps his friend wa-
lolling about. hut a half hours search
Welded no further trace OF the van
ished guest The waiter was gone.
There va, no help for it but to con-
tiuuc his explorations of the house
alone 1t va, nearly noon before he
began to feel faint for want of his
breakfast. He ate it, puzzled. wor-
ried, and waited. but no Fairchild
appeared. The next morning his
mail brought him a letter from Goef-
frey. 1t was dated Beaumont and
laid that the writer was Just start
ing for Chicago and would drop in"
The date line and postmark both
showed that the letter had been
written only the day before Godfrey
had come. and how he had managed
to beat the fast mail from Texas wa.
almost as pulling a, his eXtraor-
binary behavior after arriving.
Manning suspected that Fairchild /
had put up some sort Of a trick on
him. but turn and twist the thing as
he might he couldn't guess where
the laugh was to come in if it was a
Joke. While he was finishing hi, cof-
fee d telegram ceme which set Vim
cents heart TO beating uneasily
about his absent wife and boy: but it,
too, proved TO be from Fairchild,
dated TeXarkana. thus: Delayed |
here two days. Will see YOU Satur-
day night sure, jeff
On Saturday night Manning was
so curiou. TO find out what sort Of a
plot hi, friend had been putting upon
him that he went in a carriage to
meet the train. He was at the gate
half-hour too soon. but when the
train did groan in, Godfrey wasn't
two minutes in finding him. Man
ming was put upon his guard at once
by Fairchild's too enthusiastic greet
ing.
But what in the devil did you
mean by stealing out of the house
in the night like that" asked Man
ming.
stealing out of what house,"