Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-02-03


any one whom you ever saw before?"
asked Mrs. Winter.
Il can't say" was the answer, given
with little hesitation. I'm not sure."
81 don't think quite understand
you, BERTHE; better make a c4eanI
breast of all you know I'm getting q
little worried myself"
The colonel reached across the cards
and tapped his aunt's arm affectionate-
ly. He felt the warmest impulse to-
ward sympathy for her that he had
ever known; it glistened in his eyes.
Mrs. Winters cheeks slowly Grim
soned; she turned her head, exclaim-i
ing, did she hear a noise; but the
colonels keen ears had not been
warned. Poor woman" he thought.
"she is worried to death, but she will
not admit IT.
Now, Berthe" said Mrs. Winter,
calmly, but her elbow fell on her
cards and spoiled a very promising
game Of Penelope's Web, now, Ber-
tie, what are you keeping back?
Then, at last, the colonel told her of
his experience in Chicago. She heard
him quite without comment, and he
coed detect no shift Of emotion in her
demeanor Of absorbed but perfectly
calm attention, unless a certain ten
sion of attitude and feature (as If, he
phrased it, she were holding herself
in") might be so considered. And he
was not sure of this. When he came
to the words which stuck in his throat,
the sentence about Miss Smith, she
smiled frankly, almost laughed.
At the end of the recital-and the
colonel had not omitted a word or a
look in his inemory-she merely said:
''Then you think Cary Mercer has kid
mapped Archie, and the nice-looking
Harvard boy is helping him?"
Don't you think it looks that way,
yourself?"
She answered that question by an
other Que: "But you don't think, do
you, that Janet is the Miss Smith men,
tioned?"
His reply came after an almost I'm
perceptible hesitation: mol"
Again she smiled. "That is because
you know Janet; if you didn't know
her you weld think the chances were
| in favor of their meaning her? Nat
urally! Well, / know Cary little.
! knew his father well. / don't believe
he would harm hair of Archie's head!
He isn't cruel fellow-at least not
toward women and children. I've a
notion that what he calls his wrongs
have upset his wits bit, and he might
| turn the screws on the Wall street
| crowd that ruined him. That is, II
| he had chance but he is poor; he
| would need millions to get even
| chance for blow at them. But a
| child, lad who looks like his brother
mo, you may be sure he wouldn't
| hurt Archie He couldn't"
| "But-the name, Winter; it is not
such common name; and the words
about a lady of-of-" The polite
soldier hesitated.
An old woman, do you mean?" said
| Aunt Rebecca, with little curving OF
her still unwrinkled upper lip. .
1T sounds so complete submitted
her nephew.
Therefore istrust it," she argued.
dryly. "Ga' --iaus great detective
and Conan Doyle's both have that
same maxim 3t to pick out easy an
| swers."
| Winter ST. ! in his own turn.
"Still, someti, the easy answers are
| right Now, is the situation:
I hear this con alton at the depot. L
find one of tt IN ON the same train
/ with me. He presumably, if he is
| Cary Mercer. a~i don't think | can
be mistaken in his IDENTITY
Unless anot1cr man is making up
as Caryi"
1T may seem conceited, but / don't
think could be fooled. This man
| had every expression of the others,
and was too struck by the-I may
alilost call 1t malignant--look he had,
not to recognize him. No, it was Mer-
Ger; he would Certainly recognize you,
and he would know who l am; he
would not be called upon to snub me
as possible confidence man."
"That rankles yet, Bertie?"
He made grimace and nodded.
But" he insisted. isn't it so? II
he is up to some mischief, any mischief
doesn't care to have his kin meet
him-that is the way he would act,
don't you Think"
he might be up to mischief, yet
have no designs on his kin"
He might" said the colonel, mu-
singly. A thought which he did not
confide to-the shrewd old woman had
just iipped his mind. But he went
on with his plea.
! He avoids you; he avoids me- He
i is seen going into Keatchams drawing
/ room; that means some sort Of an
acquaintance with Keatcham. enough
to talk to him. anyway. How much.
can't say. Then comes the attack by
the robbers: he is in another car, so
there is no call for him to do any
thing: there IS no light whatever on
whether he had anything to with the
| robbery.
4 Then we come here. Keatcham
hns iha room next bas ore. Archie