Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-08-08
The Strange Disappearance I
Gerald Rath bone.
~ GUY THoHNE.

s
......-
CHAPTER vi. Continued.
n moment or two more dinner
4 Was served. sss
You needn't wait. William. Charlie.
wood said. az they sat down to the ia
bic. Just put the soup on and I'll ring
when we're ready.
80 good Of you to ask me-" Rath-
bone said. Il should have gone to the
Oxford and Cambridge club. had q
beefsteak. looked at the evening pa
y pers, and then returned to my cham
I bers to write letters. Rather q dismal
3 proceeding on 9 night like this!"
Hadn't you any ing on tonight,
then I" Charliewood asked, carelessly
Not q single thing" Rathbone an
Dwered I've been cutting all my en-
gagements during The last week or
two, telling people was going out Of
town. I've got q special reason for
\ working very hard Just now
Charliewood started, and slight
! CLEAN came into his eyes,
Good idea, that! Z he said; telling
R people you're going out Of town when
ss you want to be quiet Tor . week or
= twol "
''It Is. |" Rathbone replied. "At most
Of the houses / m In the habit OF going
to just now every one thinks I'm away.
I've been living the life 81 q recluse so
Tar A. society gees Il.
Charliewood slightly lifted q glass
1 Of Pol Roger.
Here's success to the work, my
dear boy" he said, aovially. and I
& congratulate myself on the odd acct
dent which brought us together. And.
Of course, 4 don't know you very well,
Rathbone, and i am sure should hate
10 be mpertinent In any way; but still,
u you know, II 90 about everywhere,
ana one can't help hearln- things.
n And, besides, I'm In q special position
4 In regard to q certain matter, too.
Here's my best wish for your happi.
ness In the future, in another wa;
81 He looked straight into the young
mans eyes as he said this, and as 9
did 90 Rathbone, whose glass was lift
Y ed In response, begun to color, until
D his whole face beca.ae crimson.
81 haven't offended your" Charlie
wood 81: quickly
B Oh-ler-not a BIT, Of course, RatK.
bone returned, with manifest uneasi-
ness But I didn't know that any.
thing had got about. / didn't know
{ that you knewoh, confound IT'LL he
h conclude Il don't want to talk about
d my own affairs; I-hang 1t all, Charlie
wood, tell me straight out what you
mean"
repeat" Charifewood answered;
that haven't known you very long,
and therefore / am very chary OF In
any way infringing the natural
reticence there should be between men
In our positto Still, you know who |
am: everybody knows all about me,
and should like you 70 believe that i
am really a friend"
Al he said this, though his face was
full of fsankness and kind illness, once
more Charliewood felt that sick loath-
Ing Of himself that he had experienced
just before his guest arrived. There
was q throbbing at his temples, his
throat felt as II IT. were papi1 with
war -four kGa MARKEDLY gulped down
some champagne aud went on. aIlv-
J erybody knows by this Time" he said
III 10 quiet voice, that that well. old
chap, that there Han been sort Of set
tc-partners and 81 change In. certain
quarters
Az that moment William appeared
/ with the fish, Charliewood having.
rung for him at the psychological mo.
ment, knowing that the little inter
/ 1ude would give his guest time TO coll
I lect his though it's.
When MA had once LETT the
room, Rath bone, who had been biting
his lips III perplexity and drumming
upon the table with his fingers, bent
J toward his host.
"a 81 see you know all about 1t, he
said and, upon my word IL you'd let
me, should like to talk things over
with You from one point ot View
81 y dafar Rat hone. z, Cha lieHnnd
replied .say nothing whatever to me-
sunle5s you like. but uni rstand that.
he s ID HI al
solnte confidence and that; II the exs
] perlence& 4 man o.d der III social life
1 and accustomed to al III vagaries
could help YOU, would give II 10 you
It'll All my hear !,
Vow call that vary good of you..
1 Charliewopd; the young man answer
81 All ssn,, 500 - = y