The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-05-14
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promised not to say anything about it.
But, truly, l didn't mean to bother
you
Millicent exploded in an access of
Indignation: And do you mean that
you expect us to accept such a ridicu-
lous promise-after all we have been
through"
quite So remarked Aunt Rebecca.
with a precise echo of her niece's
most Anglican utterance-the gift of
mimicry had been one of Mrs. Win
ters most admired and distrusted So
cial gifts from her youth
Rupert Winter fastened to distract
Millicent's attention by saying, de-
cisively: IF the boy has promised,
that ends it; he can't break his parole.
Anyhow, they don't seem to have hurt
you, old SOM"
"Oh, they treated me dandy, those
fellows" said Archie. Miss Janet, l
know how to run an electric motor
car, except backing"
I'll bet you do muttered the de-
tective.
Here the colonel came to the boys
relief a second time and drew Birdsall
aside. Best let me pump the chap a
little. You get downstairs and see
how he got here, who brought him.
They'll get clean away. 1t is late for
that as it is. You can report to-mor-
row."
1t was the colonel, also, who elm
mated Mrs. Millicent by the mastery
sratagem of suggesting that she pass
the news to Mrs. Wigglesworth. He
artfully added that it would require
tact to let the lady from Boston un-
derstand that the lad had been found
without in any way gratifying her
natural curiosity in regard to the man.
ner of finding or the cause of disap-
pearance. I'll have to leave that to
YOU" he concluded Maybe you can
see a way out; l confess my hands
are in the air.
Millicent thus relegated to the am
bassadors shelf, the colonel slipped
comfortably into his pet armchair
facing his nephew on the lounge be-
tween Aunt Rebecca and Miss Smith.
Miss Smith looked frankly, charmingly
happy. Aunt Rebecca looked rather
tired.
'Of course" he remarked, 81 under
stand, old man, that you have promised
secrecy to the Fireless Stove gang.
as We'll call them; but the other kid
napers, the crowd that held up your
car and then switched you off on a
side track while young Fireless was
etained-they haven't any hold on
you?"
mo, SIR" said Archie; "but-you
see, that strange gentleman and Aunt
Millicent-I was scared lest I'd give
something away"
They're not here now. All friends
here. Suppose you make a clean
breast of your second kidnapping. 1t
may be important you should
Nothing loath, Archie told his story.
Left outside while Tracy went into
the office with a policeman, to whom
he gave his assumed name, he re-
manned for hardly two minutes before
gentleman and a cop" came up to
him, and the latter ordered him to
descend from the machine-but not
until they had found it impossible to
move the vehicle. When they did dis
cever that the key was out and gone,
the man in citizens clothes hailed
cab and the officer curtly informed
Archie that Gardiner (Tracy's travel
ing name) had been taken to another
court and he was to follow. He didn't
suspect anything beyond a collision
with the speed regulations of the city,
but had he seen chance to dive under
his escorts arm the boy would have
taken it. Such chance was not af-
forded him, and all he was able to do
was to lean out suddenly as they
passed the Palace and to wave at Ran
dali. 81 wanted them to stop and let
me get some one to pay my fine" said
Archie, but they said l was only a
witness. They wouldn't let me stop;
they run down the curtain-at least
so far as it would run. 1t was like
all those hack curtains, you know-an
out of order"