Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-30
CHAPTER XII.
A Blow.

to welcome the colonel when, jaded.
warm and dusty, he tapped on Aunt
, Rebecca's parlor door. Mrs. Millicent
one couldn't touch Aer conversational
! ly without risk Of scratch. The colo
mel put up the shield of his unsuitable
appearance, his fatigue and his de-
! plorable need OF bath, and escaped
into his own apartment. But he made
his toilet with reckless haste. All the
time he was questioning his recent eX-
perience, trying to sort over his
theories, which had been plunged into
confusion by MERGERS confession. Il
suppose" he reflected, that I had no
right to give Mercer that hint at the
door" The hint had been given just
as they parted. 1t was in a single SEN
tence:
by the way, Mercer, If that pillar
in the patio is of importance in your
! combination, you would better keep
an eye on it; it has trick OF crack
ing
The devil it has," grunted Mercer.
lueu lie luduhSu Will d hluu VI
reluctant admiration in his tone.
You are sure you don't object to
my detectives staying?" questioned
the colonel.
NO, sub; prefer to have him. You
told him to have his men in and over
haul the house?"
Il did. l warned you I should have
to. You promise there shall be no
racket? But IL think I'll take
Haley"
Thank you. That's right kind Of
you, sub. Good-by. sub
This had been the manner Of their
parting-assuredly singular one, aft
err the sinister suspicious and the vio-
/ lent promises which the soldier had
made himself in regard to this very
man. After leaving, he had motored
into town, down to the police courts,
to discover no records Of the arrest
and no trace of Archie. Thence, dis
couraged, perplexed and more worried
than he liked to admit, he had re-
paired to the hotel. His aunt was
gone, Miss Smith was gone, and Ran
dali could only relate how Mrs. Winter
had flewed like bird, sir. into big
red motor car and gone of. and then
Miss Smith and lady and gentleman
had got into white car and gone of
in the same direction"
He was mesiitating on his next step,
when Birdsall was announced below.
The detective looked as warm and as
tired as the colonel had felt an hour
before. Rupert was not eager to see
him, but neither was he anxious for
the tete.a-tete with Millicent which
awaited him In the parlor. Between
the two he chose Birdsall.
"Well," he greeted him, did you find
any trace of the boy?"
"Of course did," growled Birdsall.
"They didn't try to hide I'm. They
mad him lodged in dandy room with
his own BATH OF course, he left bis
toothbrush. They'd got him some au-
tomobile toys, too, and he'd left some
leggings when he packed, and letter
begun on a pad to Miss Smith-'Dear
Miss Janet it begins, am having
bully time. can steer the machine,
only can't back'-that's all. Say,
the young dog has been having 1t fat
while we were in the frying pan, for
fear somebody was bothering him."
But he is not in the house now?"
mo, nor nothing else"
Nobody hidden away? Where did
the groans you heard come from?"
queried the colonel, politely.
Birdsall flushed. II do believe that
slick deceiver you call Mercer put up
game on us out of meanness-just to
get me guessing"
''That sort of thing looks more like
the college boys"
"Say, it might have been. This
thing is giving me nervous prostration.
Say, why didn't you see the thing out
with me?"
The colonel shamelessly told the
truth to deceive II was called here.
l was told that Mrs. Winter, my aunt.
had seen Archie in the street."
"She was just getting out Of ma
chine as l came up. Miss Smith was
with her, and they had their hands
full of candy boxes. They were
laughing. 1 made sure the boy had
been found"
mot to my knowledge" said the
colonel. But in some excitement he
walked into the parlor. The ladies
had arrived; they stood in the center
of the room while Randall took away
the boxes.
Candy for Archie" explained Aunt
Rebecca, and these were the first
words to reach Rupert Winters cars.
Il expect him to dinner"
aunt Rebecca," proclaimed Mill.
cent, IT never have been one to COM
plain, but there are limits to human
endurance. l am modern person, a
civilized Episcopalian, accustomed to
a regular and well-ordered life, and
for the last few days seem to have
been living in kind of medieval mys-
terry, with kidnapers, and blood
stains, and, for anything know, some
body ready to stick knife into any
one Of us any time! You people may
enjoy this sort of thing-you seem
to-but don't. And l tell you frankly
that am going to apply to the police,
not to any private detective inquiry
office, as like as not in league with the
criminals"-thus ungratefully did Mrs.
Millicent slur the motives Of her only
trulv Interested ay1ditor-Ybut real no.