Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-05-12

4 Hawley out of the darkness. ssIf you
hear a rat or two moving about be-
hind the walls of MY palace" he add
ed, with a laugh, don't be alarmed
Il won't" replied Jaggard, with a
laugh. 1--WE been used to bigger ami
mails than rats in the place came
from" he added, somewhat grandilo-
quently.
"And travel armed, I'll warrant"
said Roger Hawley, as he struck
light and applied it to the wick of a
candle. Pom my word, it's refresh
ing to meet man like you; | think
we shall be useful to each other, after
4 all. Now You may come in
Jaggard went in. looking sharply
about his as he did so-perhaps be-
cause the life he had led taught him
! to be suspicious of every man. Quite
unconsciously, as he walked into the
i place he had one hand behind him,
and his fingers had closed on the butt
.of the revolver in his hip pocket. Rog-
err Hawley noticed the movement aud
4 laughed
Nothing to be afraid OF" he said.
IF we fight, you and T., Mr.. Jaggard,
we shall probably fight with more sub
1 tie weapons. Why, what's the mat
ter?" he asked, stopping suddenly and
watching the ether man.
Its all very we'll to call your place
1 palace, in tone which seems to
Suggest that it isn't-but notice you
are particular as to the quality of the
scent you use" said Jaggard. standing
4 still, with his delicate nostrils moving
/ uneasily, like those of some sensitive
animal
!. Scent? / don't understand" re-
4 piled Hawiey, with suspicious frown.
There's nothing effeminate about me.
/ I don't use scent"
4 No? Then you've had visitor
i who does, and pretty strong scent at
that. wasn't born in the open,
4 among Indians and wild men general
ly, for nothing; that's why | was feel
! ing for my gun when I came in, be-
cause thought you'd trapped me. I'd
have sworn there was a woman here. ;"
With sudden exclamation Roger
Hawley caught up the light, pushed
roughly past his companion, and went
$up the bare, uncarpeted stairs to the
room above: Jaggard could hear him
moving swiftly about there. Coming
down again, he placed the candle on
| the table and looked at the other man
1 in some perplexity.
"I'm growing as suspicious as yuFii
are" he said, with an uneasy laugh,
although wasn't born in the wilds
4 and haven't lived there-until lately.
I shouldn't think it possible" he add
| ed, musingly, that any one has been
here; the place has been shut up and
left to go to decay for years. /"
| Il take it you don't want to be.
SEEM" said Jaggard, with grin.
Not at present. / want to see how
| things are going first, replied Roger.
II believe it was only your fancy that
made you imagine any one had been
here; there are a hundred scents and
smells and musty odors in place like
this"
What makes you live here?" asked
the other.
in the first place, there's no rent
to pay; in the second. no one has been
near 1t for years, and no one Is likely
to come near 1t. And I don't want it
to be known at present that Roger
Hawley, elder son of the house, who
should have been taking his place in
that house, is hiding, as it were, in a
ruined gardeners cottage. Now, sit
down and make yourself as comforta-l
BILE as you can, and let us hear all
about the two Grace Yarwoods, in
whom you seem Interested.
He produced from a cupboard a.
wicker-covered bottle and couple Of
thick, common tumblers; from be-
meath the table he drew a jar of wa
ter. There you are" he said; now
we can talk at our ease. Even Ii any
one should come in this direction they
EwoaldIl See the light. The shutters
are sound enough for that, can't
say that this would be a comfortable
place in the winter, because 4 don't
think the panes are quite sound; but
1t serves now. Come II want to hear
about the two Grace Yarwoods.
II It happened that Owen Jaggards
keen scent had not been at fault AT
\ the very moment that the two men
came crashing through the under
growth and through the broken fence.
woman had actually been In the cot
tage, and that woman was joyce
bland. She had heard their incau.
tiously raised voices IN time and had
slipped out. III the wilderness of un-
trimmed bushes and shrubs about the
old cottage III was an easy matter for