Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-06
CHAPTER VII.
cOpyrisht. n9Os. by Charles ". Hooks
THE eERL IN THE PICTURE.

R@T&aHE next morning after break
 fast sat In my favorite win SS dow and cut off the end of
 one of my mildest cigars. I was feeling for my matchbox when there was cracking sound at my eI- bow, and there stood Jimmy Lamoine offering me light.
 James" said I, accepting the match, "I observe that you rarely use any form of salutation. That is why the pleasure of seeing you is so often heightened by surprise"
 rfGood morning. sir,'' said he gravely Good morning, James. Have you seen Miss Witherspoon today?"
 He shook his head.
 ''I don't see her very often" said he. 'She's always at work. But she wouldn't tell you" .s ''Wouldn't tell me whatp' I demand. ed.
 About the young lady who lives in the orchard" said he.
 Now, it really had been in my mind that would ask Miss Witherspoon a few questions, not directly about the 58 8AAt DuG O1 BGh6fd1 CUdTdCJeE uG- signed to fix the limits of the problem l would like to know, for instance, about how many young ladies there were ln the house who might be Sibyl for it would be disturbing to my mind to meet new one every day without having any notion how long this proc ess might continue. It had not been my intention to question Jimmy La moine, partly because of the difference in our years but more because had great and growing distrust of his ve- racity. Yet since he came Haunting his cloak of mystery in my face and with somewhat the air of 8 champion sent forth by the other side I set him down for fair game. .r+ "Why should wish to know any thing about the young lady?' said I. "What is she to mel"
 Jimmy shifted from one foot to the other and finally said:
 T thought yop wanted to get her to move out.' .N
 It would have been good answer if he hadn't been obliged to hunt for it. decided to converse further with this precocious youth and opened my lips to say Come in," but he anticipated the words, holding and pointing to the other window. It was so aptly done that I did not speak at all merely nodded in response, and he climbed in- to the room.
 There was heap of pictures on my desk, mostly small photographs of scenes and people abroad. I put the print of Siby1 among them and then in- vited Jimmy's inspection. For a few minutes the boy dropped his mask. He viewed the pictures with hearty in eerest, asking questions which proved that he was well taught and more than ordinarily mature in mind. Yet once or twice caught him cleverly pretend ing to know more than he did, and gained some small acquaintance with the methods by which he delighted to anticipate the thought and speech of his elders.
 At last he came upon the print, and 1t was genuine surprise. Beyond question he recognized it at a glano8, but when asked him in the most or 1inary tone I could command whether he knew the lady he lied with a coun- terfeit of sincerity quite shocking in one so young. Indeed could not have done it better myself.
 Still more suspicious than this false hood was the fact that he almost inn mediately remembered something that he had promised to do for Mrs. Wither- spoon. He made this the excuse for his departure, and a few minutes later [ saw him hurrying away toward the strip or woodland that lay back of the AAhouse. He was not in search of Mrs.
 therspoon or upon any errand of
 5. It did not comport with my hon.
 to follow him, but he had directed
 Attention to the grove, which was
 han large enough to afford room
 h of us.
 a ad come out with the intention of
 8g down to the lake, but the wood mon the rising ground looked very. in.