The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-06-04

as they walked down the street. he
was new to the neighborhood, j tall,
clean.shaven man with dark face.
about whom no one knew much. Old
DR.. Hill used to speak OF him slight
ingly-but then DR.. Hill was feeling
very sore. He had been friend as
we'll as the medical adviser of Ralph
strangways until quite recently; ev.
cry one in the town had been sur
prised when they heard that his serv-
ices had been dispensed with and q
new doctor installed in his place.
II warned Strangways that his
chance of living till the day of the
city and suburban was of the slight
est" he would say bitterly; land we
have yet to see whether this man
he's called in, in defiance Of all claims
of friendship, quite apart from Ques-
tons of medical etiquette, can work
ries.'
1T was not until the new doctor
came that the gates began to be lock-
ed regular, and his old friends were
told that the Squire couldn't be seen,"
the publican remarked to Joe that
afternoon. IF he's as we'll as they
make out, why shouldn't he see his
friends? Do him good, should think.
Besides folks who've got good money
on Pride o. Life want more than the
doctors bare word that the Squire is
improving-especially after what old
DR.. Hill said about his chances OF see
ing the day of the race. It's curious.
too, about that door,
"What door?" asked Joe.
"Well, door has been fixed. shut
ting off one wing where the Squire's
rooms are. I had that from one OF
the servants; you can't stop servants
from talking. They never see the
master now-there's a nurse from
London. Mysterious, call it. MY
belief is that he's very i'll indeed, and
they don't want people to know 1t,
though why they shouldn't beats me.
And the folks that try every known
dodge to get a glimpse of the owner
of Pride o. Life-welI, you'd be sur
prised!"
what sort Of folks?"
Racing touts-men in the pay Of
the big bookmakers-a1I sorts of men
interested in the race. You sea
there's teen more money invested or
this race than usual SO long before
the event. Naturally, there are plenty
who've got a very good reason for
wanting to throw If Pride O Life's
likely to run, which she can't do IL
the Squire dies before the race. Why.
I've had couple of 'em In only this
morning, asking questfons-no mis-
taking 'em or what they're after, fly
as they think themselves-one of 'em
little chap like broken-down jock
ey. Well, they can bet their lives
they'll not have a chance Of getting
inside the gates Of the big housed"
said the landlord. as he turned away
to serve another customer.
AS it happened, the two men OF
whom the publican had spoken might
have succeeded in at least getting
into the grounds of this carefully
guarded house that afternoon, but for
Jack Lathom.
He had gone out to study his part.
Most of his time seemed to be occu-
pied in either rehearsing or learning
his lengths" when he was not actu-
ally playing. owing to the nightly
change of bill: and, like most actors,
he found the best way of committing
the words to memory was to declaim
them aloud-a proceeding that natu-
rally necessitated solitude. He had
betaken himself to a field with a con-
venient gap in the hedge, in lane
running down by the side of the wall
ed grounds of the Grange. This field
had been a lucky discovery made
early in the week, when he had gone
to have daylight glimpse of the old
house that had strangely aroused his
interest.
One or two ruminative cows stared
at him as he walked up. and down,
possibly thinking that he was speak
| ing the absurdly melodramatic words
of his part for their benefit. Then,
| suddenly, he broke off in the middle
of a speech and stood listening with q
good deal more interest than he was
able to fnfuse into the part he was
| to play.
Ito Be continued.)
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