The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-01-09

morrow, 1 should find that things
had moved onward since I was there
before-onward for them, backward
for u.s."
"'Then you have not altered your
plans. You intend to continpe being
a wanderer on the face Of the earth,'
a man whom the Cabinet keeps In
sight as being reckless enough and
clever enough to send on any Wild
goose: chase they may have in hand"
"Do they keep me in sight on that
account, mother?"
81 was told so by a Minister"
II am glad to hear it. A man hay
get very good sport after wild geese,
and who knows what may come OF
his knowledge of the country at some!
future day. I tell you, mother, Ibis
is an age of Notwithstanding
is at an end. My speciality is this
Central Asian question. At any
time, at any moment, we may find
ourselves upon the brink of the big
gest fight the modern world has
seen; then my time will come. Then
the first words of the War Office will
be: Send for Colonel Wright and
VINEYARD Mistley'-the one to plan,
the other to execute. When that
time comes, mother-nous verrons!"
I'm the. meantime, it seems to me
that your entire life is being sacri-
feed to be in readiness for an event
which may occur" .-.s,. p,
Mother" said> VINEYARD, with a
CHEEKY laugh, you are getting senti-
mental, and that will neve do. II
you infect me, I shall die off in a
week. And as for talking in that in
sinuating manner about settling
down, how about a certain elderly
lady who lis always flying about the
world - Scotland, London, Paris,
Rome, and even st. Petersburg
nursing the stricken, and consoling
such as are love-sick or martyrs to
indigestion?"
when you marry, I will settle
down in a cottage near at hand, take
to needle-work, and worry about
your wife. There IL Lena coming
alone; run away and meet her while.
I go in and take off my bonnet" -
They were now upon the stone
terrace, and Mrs. Mistley pointed
down the valley a she walked to-
ward the house. ~ "''
II expect" said VINEYARD, partly
to himself, "that Charlie has been
caught by the Sandfords."
At the head of the narrow steps
which he had just assembled, hebrew
the note handed to him in church
from his pocket. 1t was in French,
one line, ina fine, clear handwriting.
meet a friend tonight at the bot
tom of the small steps. I. M"
IT. M" unused VINEYARD. Ivan
Meyer; and he calls himself a friend!
I am gradually getting into a fog
with all these muddling c%onspira-
tors" p. tFr.t ~ III ..l.r.
Then he thrust the note back into
his pocket, and ran lightly down the
steps to meet Lena.
"You are politel" was her greet
ing. .i..a-.,r ...M. -,
Il am" he replied, bowling low.
IT am nothing If not polite"
Then you are nothing" she an
swered saucily.
THANK you. I was afraid you did
not think so much of me-"
"You. have allowed. me-" she con-
tinued, severely, ito walk home
from church alone, and to carry this
unassisted."
She held out for his inspection a
tiny prayer-book, of which the
weight might safely be set down as
three ounces
Good gracious!" exclaimed Win
yard, you do not mean to say that
you carried that all the way!" And
he gravely took the burden from her
hands. II thought Charlie was with
YOU" he continued, alphabetically.
mo, MI. Mistley, I was alone"
"Tt shall not occur again, Miss
Wright"
1T is not polite to mimic people,
Mr.. Mistley," said Lena, looking
straight in front of her. They were
at the foot of the stone stairs cut in
the wall, which were Just broad
enough for two persons to pass.
Then her humor suddenly changed.
How very foolish we are!" she
exclaimed, laughing. Just as she
spoke she slipped backward, and her
laugh turned into a little cry of
fright.
mas