Willmar tribune., 1909-01-27

ana ne6r OJ ana na0 pleQSeQ ulm60lH
to call upon us. Elizabeth's father Is
a general in the army, and has hosts
of acquaintances, SO his daughter 10
quite accustomed to encountering
them wherever she goes.
when do you expect the old gentle.
mani" inquired Gabrielle, languidly.
"He isn't old at ALL" flashed Eliza
beth-"at least. I don't think so. And.
of course, he has sailboats and things
If he has summer home on an island.
He might be very useful"
"Ask him to dinner" l suggested,
secure in the conviction that our
competent woman" could really cooki
"And ask Lord Wilfrid and Lady
Edith the same evening"" supple
mented Gabrielle. LET us impress
him at once with our intimacy with
the nobility"
"Have we a butler and IL footmen,
that we should give dinners?" inquired
Elizabeth, with whitening sarcasm.
when I entertain landed proprietors
and members of the peerage I don't
want to feel nervous about anything,
so we won't attempt dinners while I'm
housekeeper."
We did later, just the same, and
our little dining room was the scene of
several merry nondescript meals,
called dinner by courtesy. and thor
oughly enjoyed by every one. But
this is anticipating.
The next day as we were all three
leaning out of tbs broad window Of
my room, in an interval of repose
after unpacking and settling, we heard
steps on the gravel path, and before
We could withdraw our heads two men
turned the corner and started for the
front door. From the hand of the,
taller dangled Gabrielle's black shop
ping bag, and although he wore gray
clothes and straw hat instead of blue
serge and a small cap we recognized
the man on the steamer, and were
consequently petrified with astonish-
ment.
Don't let them in," whispered Ca
brielle, who always has her wits about
her in an emergency. Tell Mary;
Anne to say Not at home.'"
They were directly under the win
dow now, and we feared to move, al
most to breathe, lest we attract their.
attention; but it was just at this cru
cial moment that my side-comb elected
to fall out and land with considerable
force upon the aforesaid straw hat.
OF course it's owner promptly looked
up, and equally of course we precipi-
lately retreated.
do you think he saw us?" gasped
Elizabeth and simultaneously as the
doorbell rang; but Gabrielle had fed
to the hall, where we heard her whis-
pering hoarsely to Mary Anne over
the banister.
We also heard that invaluable facto-
tum's assurance that the ladies had
just gone to the village, and polite
expression of regret, accompanied by
a promise to call again.
We stole again to the window as our
visitors retreated, and saw them
pause, examine my side comb, and
calmly drop it in Gabrielle's bag.
v which had not been left with Mary
). Anne, as, of course, it should have
d been.
r "At this rate, Bennett" said laugh
h ing voice, you'll soon be able to open
u a junkshop. But I must say, old
# chap, we were very neatly snubbed.
d Wherefore?''
n II don't know replied Bennett
"but mean to find out, for I'm coming
~ again very soon. assure you, Blake
q the picture doesn't begin"
II The rest of the sentence was lost
~ as the two men disappeared around
-. the corner. We straightway held q
At council of war.
Il suppose" said Elizabeth, "he has
lucid intervals and his attendant
- humors him, but this is no reason why
=. we should be victimized. Let us eau
- ton Mary Anne
So we descended in body to the
~ kitchen and solemnly warned Mary
Anne that the day she admitted oul
late visitor we would Immediately
part company. She in turn solemnly
~ assured us that if he crossed thu
~ threshold it would be over her deat
~ body, so we felt somewhat comforted
~ Elizabeth picked up the cards ant
a looked at them.
al "Mr. John Clinton Blake" she rea'
aloud, "and Mr.. Gordon Bennett"
Id The card dropped from her ham
co and she collapsed into the wood box.
NO "What's the matter now?" DE-
manded Gabrielle, fishing her frien
70 out of it's capacious depths.
I'll Gordon Bennett said Elizabeth
~ "is the man who knows father, an
ho who owns the island"
We stared at each other in incredt
lous silence, then sank down upo
Mary Anne's immaculate floor an,
~, laughed until we were exhausted.
- Il feel sure," said Elizabeth, whe
she could articulate, that it is no
80 the same man. This is some in
" postor."
~ ~ ''Mayhap," suggested Mary Anne
tft who had been an interested listener
IT, "mayhap, miss, 'e's a smuggler."'
~. Mary Anne had not long left th
~ mother country, and her manipulate
-. of the letter h was as agreeable 10 Gu
American ears as Lady Edith's f<alt
less enunciation. Just now she wa
W. regarding us with the manner of on
~. who possesses unimparted .soforma
~ ~ tion.
Its quite lawful, miss" she II
sumed, dropping her voice to whi'
per, "and it do give body the creep!