The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-09-06

her little craft beside my pipe, picked II
up and tossed Il TO the wharf.
Perhaps you can pipe tune upon IL. &"
she said. dipping the paddle tentatively.
You put me under great obligations -
declared. Are all the girls at st. Aga
tha's as amiable?"
II should say notl I'm a great excep-
tion.-and-I really shouldn't be talking to
you at all! It's against the rulesl And we
don't encourage smoking"
Tho chaplain doesn't smoke, I sup
pose
Not in chapel; I believe II isn't donel
And we rarely see him elsewhere"
She had ided with the paddle 20 far,
but now lifted her eyes and drew back
the blade for a long stroke.
But In the wood-this mornlng-by the
wallY
hate myself TO this day for having go
startled her. The poised blade dropped
into the water with a splash: she brought
the canoe a trihe nearer to the wharf
with an almost imperceptible stroke, and
turned toward me with wonder and dis
may In her eyes.
80 you are an eavesdropper and detec-
tive, are you? l beg that you will give
your master my compliments ! really
owe you an apology; / thought you were
a gentlemanv' she exclaimed with with
ering emphasis, and dipped her blade deep
In flight
called, stammering incoherently, after
her. but her light argosy SKINNED the
water steadily. The paddle rose and fell
with trained precision, making scarcely a
ripple az she stole softly away toward the
fairy towers OF the sunset. ! stood look
ting after her, goaded with self-contempt
A glory Of yellow and red filed the west
Suddenly the wind moaned in the wood
behind the line OF cottages swept over
ri laI fftxz
watched its fight until II caught her ca
noe and l marked the flimsy crafts quick
response. as the shaken waters bore her
alert figure upward on the swell, her
blade still maintaining it's regular dip,
until she disappeared behind little PEN
insula that made a harbor near the school
grounds.
The red .am-o' -shanter seemed at last
TO merge In the red sky, and turned
home
CHAPTER VII
THE MAN ON THE WALL.
I was so thoroughly angry with myself
that after idling along the shores for an
hour l lost my way In the dark wood
when | landed and brought up at the rear
door used by Bates for communication with
the villagers who supplied US with prov
ender | readily found my way 10 the
kitchen and to flight OF stairs beyond.
NuiNH tOnnttttu lHe nFtt ana second
floors. The house was dark and my
good spirits were not increased as I
stumbled UP the unfamiliar way In the
dark, with, / fear, a malediction upon
my grandfather. who had built and left
incomplete house so utterly preposter-
Gus. My objectionable fling at the girl
still ranked; and / was cold from the
quick descent of the night chill on the
water and anxious TO get into more COM
fSytable clothes, Once on the second floor
| felt that / knew the way 10 my room
and was feeling my way toward IL over
the rought floor when I hear low voices
rising apparently from my sitting room.
II was pitch dark In the hall. / stopped
was open and a faint light flashed once
Into the hall and disappeared. I heard
now sound as OF a hammer tapping upon
woodwork
Then Il ceased. and a voice whispered;
Hell kill me II he finds me here. I'll
try again tomorrow / swear 10 God I'll
help you, but no more now"
Then the sound OF a scuffle and again
the tapping Of the hammer. After sew
eral minutes more OF this there was a
whispered dialogue which i could not
hear,
Whatever was occurring, two or three
the conspirators wac en- unwilling arty
TO an act as yet unknown; second, they
had been unsuccessful and must wait for
another opportunity; third, the business,
whatever IL was, was clearly OF some i'm
portance 10 myself as my own apart
ments in my s'andfather's strange
house had been chosen for the investga-
ton.
To BE Continued Tomorrow