The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-02-06

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like it. But. in a minute the China
mamie was an awful nice little Teller
he came up to me and took me out,
led me all sorts Of ways, not a bit
like the way came in, and got me out
to the street. The other fellows were
very polite; they told me that they
were my friends and only wanted to
Ard clew to my kidnapers; and the
burning holes In me was only a joke
to give me an excuse to break my
word under compulsion-why, they
wouldn't hurt me for the world! I pre-.
tended to be fooled, and said 1t was
oil right. and looked pleasant; but
I'd like to scare them the same way,
| once, all the same"
T, The boy caught at his lip which was
trembling. and ended with a shaky
! laugh. Miss Smith clenched the fist
! by her side; but she dropped the arm
fact, sprightly tone: archie. you
really ought to go dress-and wash
for dinner; excuse me for mentioning
1t, but you have no idea how grimy
you are"
| The commonplace turn Of thought
did its errand. Archie, who had been
bracing himself anew against the hor-
! ror which he remembered. dropped
back into his familiar habits and
jumped up consciously. Its the dust.
motoring" he offered, bashfully. 81
ought to have washed before came
up. Well. that's all; We came straight
here. Now. may 60 take BATH"
Aunt Rebecca was lingering curl
Gus jade locket on her neck. She
watched the boy run to the open door.
Il wish you'd go into your room,
colonel" said Miss Smith, land SEQ
that nothing happens to him. It's silly.
but am expecting to see him vanish
again."
The sentence affected the colonel
unpleasantly: why need she he posing
before him. as IL that first disappear
ance had had any real fright in it?
OF course she didn't know yet (al-
though Aunt Rebecca might have told
her-she ought to have told her and
stopped this unnecessary deceit) that
he was on to the game; bnt-he didn't
like it. Unconsciously. his inward
criticism made his tone drier as he re-
piled with little bow that he i'm
agined Archie was quite SAFE now.
and he would ask to be excused. as no
had to attend to something before
dinner.
Was 1t his fancy that her face
changed and her eyes looked wistful?
1t must have been. He walked stif'1y
away. Hardly had he entered his
| room and turned his mind on the
changed situation before the telephone
apprised him that a gentleman, Mr..
/ Gardiner, who represented the Fire.
| less Cook Stove, said that he had an
! appointment with Col. Winter to OK
| plain the stove: should he be sent up?
Directly. Endicott Tracy entered.
! smiling. where's the kid? know
he's back" were his first words; and
he explained that he had been hunting
the kidnapers to no purpose. Except
that I learned enough to know they
put up a job with the Justice, all right;
got next to that game without any
Machiavellian exertions. But they got
away. Who is It? Any Of Keatchams
gang?"
Atkins" said the colonel. concisely.
Tracy whistled and apologized. ITS
blow" he confessed. THAT little
wretch! He has brains to burn and
not an ounce of conscience. You
know he has been housing round at
the hotels after Keatcham's mail"
"He didn't get it,"
''No, Carey had covered that point
Cary has thought this all out very
carefully, but Atkins has got on to
the fact that Cary was here in this
hotel with Keatcham. But he doesn't
know where we come in; whether
Keatcham's gang is just lying low for
some game of its own. or whether
we've got him. At least, don't be-
lieve he knows"
"You ought not to be talking so free
ly with me; ! haven't promised you
anything, you know" warned the colo
mel.
But you've got your nephew back
all right: We have been on the square
with you; why should you butt in? I
know you won't"
II don't seem to have 4 fair call
to-" observed the colonel.
"And think the old boy is going
to give in; he has made signals of dis
tress, to my thinking. Wanted his
mail; and wanted to write; and in
formed Cary-he saw him for the first
time to.day-that he had bigger things
on deck than the Midland; and wanted
to get at them. We're going to win
out all right
"Unless Atkins gets at him tonight"
the colonel suggested. "You oughtn't
to have come here. Gardiner. Don't
go home. now. Wait until later and
let me rig you up in another lot OF
toys and give you my own motor car.
Better
Tracy was more than impressed by
the proposal; he was plainly grateful.
He entered with enthusiasm into the
soldiers maequerade-Tracy had al
ways had a weakness for theatricals and