Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-12-11

the door smok MW
ing a cob pipe EfH
Seeing Oscar, he P
went inside and
brought out some a Co""'D SUITE PooV
,a+tar..,,,dno,vs. office and inn COM
papers. which he
delivered to him in silence.
This is Lamar postofiice," announc-
ed Oscar.
"There must be some mail here for
me-" said Armitage. II
Oscar handed him several long en-
velopes-they bore the name of the
Bronx Loan and Trust company, whose
office in New York was his permanent
address, and he opened and read
number of letters and cablegrams that
had been forwarded. Their contents
evidently gave him satisfaction, for he
whistled cheerfully as he thrust them
into his pocket.
"You keep in touch with the world,
do you, Oscar? 1t is commendable."
81 take a Washington paper. 1t re-
lieves the monotony, and | can see
where the regiments are moving and
whether my old captain is yet out of
the hospital and what happened to my
lieutenant in his court martial about
the pay accounts. One must observe
the word-yes. At the postoftice back
there"-he ierked his head to Indicate
'it is against the law to sell whisky in
postotiice. so that storekeeper with
the red nose and small yellow eyes
keeps it in brown jug in the back
room"
"To be sure" laughed Armitage. 81
hope it is a good article"
at is vile" replied Oscar. "1is
brother makes it up in the hills, and
1t is as strong as wood lye."
"Moonshine, | have heard Of it. We
must have some for rainy days"
1t was a new world to John Armi
tage and his heart was as light as the
morning air as he followed Oscar along
the rudy mountain road. He was in
Virginia, and somewhere on this soil,
perhaps in some valley like the one
through which he rode. Shirley Clai-
borne had gazed upon blue distances.
with ridge rising against ridge, and
dark pine covered slopes like these he
affairs in Washington in sorry mud
die, but he faced the new day with a
buoyant spirit and did not trouble him
self to look very far ahead He had a
definite business before him. His ca-
Diagrams were reassuring on that
point. The fact that he was in sense
n fugitive did not trouble him in the
least He had no intention of allowing
Jules Chauvenet's assassins to kill him
or of being locked up in a Washington
Jail as the false Baron Won Kssel. If
he admitted that he was not John Ar
mitage it would be difficult to prove
that he was anybody ese-a fact touch
ing human testimony which Jules
Chauvenet probably knew perfectly
well.
On the whole, he was satisfied that
he had followed the wsest course thus
far. The broad panorama of the morn
Ing hills communicated to his spirit
growing citation. He began singing in
German a ballad that recited the sor-
rows of a pale maiden prisoner in a
dark tower on the Rhine. whence her
true knight rescued her after many
and fearsome adventures. On the last
stave he ceased abruptly, and an ex-
clamation of wonder broke from him.
They had been riding along a narrow
trail that afforded, as Oscar said. a
short cut across long timbered ridge
that lay between them and Armitage's
property. The path was rough and
steep. and the low hanging pine boughs
and heavy underbrush increased the
difficulties of ascent Straining to the
top. new valley, hidden until now.
was disclosed in long and beautiful
vistas.
Armitage dropped the reins upon the
neck Of his painting horse.
at is a fine valley-yesY' asked Os-
| car.
at is a possession worthy OF the no
| blest gods"' replied Armitage. There
Is white building with colonnades
away over there. Is it the house of
the reigning deity?"
ut Is not. sir" answered Oscar, who
spoke English with kind of logged
precision, giving equal value to all
words. at is vast hotel where the
rich spend much money. That place at
| the foot of the hillside you see Pit is
there they play a foolish game with
sticks and little balls
Golf? Is 1t possbler
"There is no doubt of 1t. sir | have
seen the fools myself-men and wom-
en-. The place is called Storm valley"
Armitage slapped his thigh sharply.
so that his horse started
"Yes; you are probably right Oscar
have heard of the place. And those
houses that lie beyond there in the val
ley belong to gentlemen of taste and
leisure who drink the waters and ride
horses and play the foolish game you
describe with little white balls"
az cnnld NOT toll Ii hoItnr - rnSnnn dnd