The Tupelo journal., 1909-05-07

Not exactly. We had no intention
of harming him. He came accidental
ly into the room between Mrs. Win
ter's and Mr.. Keatcham's suites. Stand
ing in that room, trying to stanch
the bleeding of a sudden hemorrhage
of the nose, he overheard me and my
friend"
YOU" asked the colonel, laconical.
ly, of the young Harvard man.
81" smilingIy confessed the latter
Il am ready to own up. You are a
decent fellow, and you are shrewd.
You ought to be on our side, not
fighting us. l tell you, you don't want
to have the boy turn up safe and
sound any more than l do. Mr.. Mer
Ger was talking to me, and the kid
overheard. We heard him and went
into the room"
How"
Knocked on the door and he opened
it. And we jumped on him. 1t was
life and death for us not to be blown
on; so, as we didn't wish to kill the
kid, and as we didn't know the young
ster we'll enough to trust him then
although we might, for he is game and
the whitest chap!-but we didn't know
why, we just told him he would have
to stay with us a while until our rush
was over. That was all we meant;
and we let him phone you"
How about his great-aunt-the
cruel anxiety"
Anxiety nothing" began the other
man, but a glance from Mercer cut
him short.
The southerner took the word in his
slow, gentle voice. Il tried to reassure
our aunt, Col. Winter. l think sue
ceeded. She telephoned and | told her
it was all right. AS for Archie, after
we talked with him, he vas willing
enough to go. He stole out with my
friend inside of five minutes, while
you all were searching your rooms. 1t
was he insisted on calling you up, lest
you should be worried. He said you
were right afraid of kidnapers, and
you would be sending the police after
us. You can call Mrs. Winter up and
find out if l am not telling you the
exact facts"
VERY well, I will" said Winter.
They met the sullen detective at the
door. Cary Mercer, with his mirthless
smile, led the way. Mercer rang up
the hotel for Winter, himself. To the
coIonel's vast relief Aunt Rebecca an
swered the call. "Est-ce que c'est
vous-meme, mon neveu?" said she,
dryly.
"Mais oui, ma tante. Why are you
speaking so formally in foreign
tongues? Is Millicent on deck?"
I'm her room," came the answer,
still in French. We'll, you have got
us in a pretty mess. Where is my
boy?"
81 only wish l knew! Tell me now,
though, is MERGERS story straight"
Absolutely. You may trust him."
Whats his real game, then? The
one he was afraid Archie would ex-
pose?"
ASK him."
But you are in it, aren't your"
Enough to ask that you abandon
the discriminatory! Unless you
wish to ruin mel"
You'll have to speak palmer. I've
been kept in the dark as long as / can
stand in this matter"
But before he could finish the sen
tence. Pas lei, pas mathematics
trop de peril" she cried, and she must
have gone, for he could get no more
from her. When he rang again, Ran
dali responded:
Mrs. Winter says, sir, will you
please come up here as quick as you
can. She's gone out. She thought
she caught sight of Mr.. Archie on the
street"
To the colonel's demand: where,
how did she see him." he obtained no
answer, and on his vicious pealing of
the bell there came, eventually, mel
low Anglican accents, which asked:
Yes? Whom do you wish to see?"
1t is an evidence of the undisciplined
nature of the sex that the soldier
made a face and-hung up the re-
ceiver.
He found himself-although this to
a really open mind is no excuse-in
a muddle of conflicting impulses. He
was on edge to get into the street for
the search after the boy; he was
clutched In a wise by his conviction
that the clew to Arches whereabouts
lay in MERGERS hands, and that the
southerner meant no harm to the lad.
And all the while he could feel Bird
sail Juggling at the leash.
Its on the cards" he grumbled,
with a wry face, "qtite on the cards
that he may bolt in spite of me and
do some foolish stunt of his own that
will make a most awful muddle."
Not nearly SO composed as he
looked, therefore, he turned to Mercer.
However, his ammunition was ready,
and to MERGERS inquiry, vas he sat
isfied? he replied, calmly: well, not
entirely. If Archie isn't in the house.
who is it whose throat o wish to
cut? Who is hidden here?"
It could not have been an unex-
pected question or Mercer hardly had
answered SO readily: "You know who
it isl said he. 1T is Mr.. Keatcham.'
CHAPTER X.
The Smoldering Embers.
If MERGERS avowal surprised the
colonel, there was no trace OF such
emotion in his face or his manner i
ra4ha. 4hoa.nhf IL MIGHT he he said