The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-02-07
CHAPTER XIII.
A Pair of EaVesdroppers.


for dinner, Bates called my attention
to a belated mail. I bounced eagerly
upon a letter in Laurance DonOvan's
well-known hand, bearing, to my sur
prise. an American stamp and post
marked New Orleans. 1t was dated,
however, at Vera Cruz, Mexico, De-
cember Is, 1901, and gave a charac-
teristically racy account of his efforts
to dodge the British detective who was
pursuing him. He hoped, he wrote, to
cross the borders into Texas, but de-
clared that he should keep clear of In
diana, as he was unacQuainted with
the Indian language.
Bates gave me my coffee in the
library, as l wished to settle down to
an evening of reflection without delay.
Larry's report of himself was not reas-
surfing. despite its cheerful tone. I
knew that if he had any idea of trying
to reach me he would not mention 1t
in a letter which might fall into the
hands of the authorities, and the hope
that he might JOIN me grew. l was
not, perhaps, entitled to a companion
at Glenarm under the terms of my
exile, but as a matter Of protection in
the existing condition of affairs there
could be no legal or moral reason why
l should not defend myself against my
foes, and Larry was an ally worth
having.
My neighbor the chaplain, had In
advertently given me a bit of impor-
tant news; and my mind kept revert
ing to the fact that Morgan was re-
porting his injury to the executor of
my grandfather's estate in New York.
Everything else that had happened
was tame and unimpOrtant compared
with this. Why had John Marshall
Glenarm made Arthur Pickering the
executor of his estate? He knew that
detested him, that chickering's noble
aims and high ambitions had been
praised by my family until his very
name sickened me; and yet my own
grandfather had thought it wise to in
trust his fortune and my future to the
man of all men who was most repug-
nant to me. I rose and paced the floor
in anger.
My rage must fasten upon some one,
and Bates was the nearest target for
it. l went to the kitchen, where he
usually spent his evenings, to vent my
feelings upon him, only to find him
gone. I climbed to his room and found
it empty. Very likely he was Of con-
doing with his friend and fellow con-
spirator, the caretaker and I fumed
with rage and disappointment I was
thoroughly tired,-as tired as on days
when 1 had beaten my way through
tropical jungles without food or water;
but l wished in my impotent anger
against l knew not what agencies, to
punish myself,-to induce an utter
WEAKNESS that would send me ex-
hausted to bed
The snow in the highway was we'll
beaten down and swung off country
ward past ST. Agatha's. A gray mist
hung over the fields in whirling clouds,
breaking away occasionally and show
ms the throbbing winter stars The
walk and my interest in the alterna-
ton OF star-lighted and mist-wrapped
| landscape won me to a better state OF
mind, and after tramping a couple of
miles. l set out for home. Several
times on my tramp. had caught my
| sell whlstling the air of a majestic
! old hymn, and smiled, remembering
my young friend Olivia, and her play
/ Ing In the chapel She was an anus
Ing child; the thought of her furthe
/ lifted my spirit and l turned into thu
school park when l reached the QUITE
gate with a half-recognized wish Il
pass near the barracks where sh,
spent her days
At the school gate the lamps of
carriage suddenly blurred in the mist
Carriages are not common in this re
gion, and l was not surprised to f1n'
that this was the familiar village hacl
that met trains day and night at An
Mandate. Some parent, conjectured
paying a visit to st Agatha's; possi
bly-and the thought gave me pleas
ure-perhaps the father of Miss Olivi
Gladys Armstrong had come to carr
her home for a stricter discipline tha
Sister Theresa's school afforded
The driver sat asleep on hi boz
and l passed him and went on int
the grounds. A whim seized me t
visit the crypt of the chapel and e1
anime the opening to the tunnel. A
l passed the little group of schoo
buildings a man came hurriedly fro1
one of them and turned toward til
chapel.
l first thought 1t was Stoddard, bu
l could not make him out in the mis-
and in my uncertainty waited for hill
to put 20 PAGES between US before
followed
He strobe into the chapel pore
with an air of assurance and / hear
him address some one who had bee
waiting The mist vas now so heav
that I could not see my hand befor
my face. and I stole forward until
heard the voices of two men disti3ctl.