The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-12-03

|
he had no intention Of calling any one
else into our affairs. He had undoubt-
| edly heard the revolver shots below
and rushed from the cottage to inveS-
tigate; and, meeting me in full flight,
he had naturally taken it for granted
that was involved in some designs on
himself. As he leaned against a
table by the door his grave blue eyes
sCrutinized me with mingled indigna-
ton and interest.
seemed to puzzle him, and his gaze
swept me from head to foot several
times before he spoke. Then his eyes
flashed angrily and he took step to-
ward me.
who in the devil are you and what
do you want?"
MY name Is Donovan, and | don't
want anything except to get home
Where do you come from at this
hour of the night?"
Il am spending the summer at Mr..
Glenarms place, near Annandale'
That's rather unlikely; Mr.. Glen
arm Is abroad. What were you doing
down there on the creek?"
Il wasn't doing anything until two
men came along to kill you and |
mixed up with them and got badly
mussed for my trouble"
He eyed me with a new interest.
They came to kill me, did they?
You tell good story, Mr.. Donovan"
Quite so. l was standing on the
deck of the houseboat, or whatever it
is"
Where you had no business to
be-"
"Granted. had no business to be
there; but l was there and came near
getting killed for my impertinence, as
| have told you. Those fellows rowed
up from the direction of the lake One
of them told the other to call you to
your door on the pretense of summon
ing aid for broken motor car off
there in the road Then he was to
stab you. The assassin was an Ital-
ian. His employer spoke to him in
that tongue. happen to be ac-
Quainted with it."
You are a very accomplished per-
son." he observed, dryly.
He walked up to me and felt my
pockets.
who fired that pistol?"
THE man in charge of the expedi-
ton. The Italian was trying to knife
me on the deck, and | broke away
from him and ran. His employer had
gone back to the boat for safety and
he took crack at me as | ran across
the platform. It's not the fault of
either that I'm not quite out of bust
ness"
An inner door back of me creaked
slightly. My captor swung round at
the sound
20 Rosalind! It's all right. A gen.
tleman here lost his way and I'm CIV
ing him his bearings"
The door closed gently, and heard
the sound Of steps retreating through
the cottage. | noted the anxious look
in Holbrook's face as he waited for
the sounds to cease; then he ad-
dressed me again.
MI. Donovan, this is a quiet neigh |
borhOod, and | am a peaceable man, |
whose worldly goods could tempt no |
one. There We're undoubtedly others |
besides yourself down there at the |
creek, for one man couldn't have |
made all that row; but as you are the |
one l caught l must deal with you.
But you have protested too much; the |
idea OF Italian bandits on Tippecanoe
creek Is credtable to your magma
ton, but it doesn't appeal to my com.
mon sense. don't know about your
being guest at Glenarm house
even that is flimsy. A guest in the
absence of the host is just little too
fanciful. I'm strongly disposed to
take you to the calaboose at Tippe-
canoe village"
Having been in Jail several times in |
different parts of the world | was not |
anxious to add to my experiences in
that direction. Moreover, | hal come
to this lonely house on the Tippeca-
noe to gain information touching the |
movements of Henry Holbrook, and | |
did not relish the idea Of being thrown
into a country Jail by him. resolved, |
to meet the situation boldly.
You seem to accept my word re-
luctantly, even after | have saved you
from being struck down at your own |
door. Now l will be frank with you.
| had purpose in coming here"
He stepped back and folded his arms.
Yes, thought So" He looked |
about uneasily before his eyes met |
mine. His hands beat nervQusly on
his sleeves as he waited, and | re- |
solved to bring matters to an issue by |
speaking his name.
q know who you are, Mr.. Hol-
brook"
His hands went into his pockets !
again, and he stepped back and |
laughed.
You are remarkably bad guesser,
Mr.. Donovan. If you had visited me
by daylight instead of coming like a
thief at midnight, you would have .