The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-01-23

crack-it was not there.
"Chito, chito!" muttered the colo
mel. Carelessly he approached the
column and took the same posture as
the Jap. Unobtrusively his fingers
strayed over the stone. He scratched
the surface; not stone, but cement.
He tapped cautiously, keeping his
hand we'll hidden by his body; no hol
low sound rewarded him; but all at
once his cropping fingers touched a
little round object under the bold point
Of an eight-pointed flower. He didn't
dare press on it; instead he resumed
his cautious tapping. He glanced
about him. Save for Haley he was
alone in the patio. He pressed on the
round white knob, and what he had
half expected happened: A segment
of the column swung on inner hinges.
disclosing the hollow center of the en-
gagged columns on either side. He
looked down. Nothing but darkness
was visible, but while he stood, tense
ly holding his breath, his abnormally
sensitive auricular nerve caught dis
tinctly the staccato breath of that kind
of sigh which is like groan, and q
voice said more YEARLY than angrily:
"Oh, damn it ALL"
Almost simultaneously. he heard the
faint footballs of the men within; he
must replace his movable flower. The
column was intact, and he was bend
ing his frowning brows on the style.
bate of another when Birdsall and
Mercer entered together, Mercer, with
shrug of his shoulders at the detect
ives logged suspicion, preceding the
latter. r.3
WELL" said the colonel, did you
get my aunt?" ~
Eyes. sub, got your aunt herself"
responded Mercer, with his Virginian
survival of the formal civility Of an
earlier generation. Yes, sub; but
regret to say Archie is not there"
where is he?" The soldiers voice
was curt.
Honestly declared Mercer, "I wish
I knew, sub, certainly do. But"
MERGERS jaw fell; he turned sharply at
the soft whir of an electric stanhope
gently entering the patio through the
great arched gateway. It stopped
abreast of the group, and its only &C.
cupant, handsome young man,
jumped nimbly out of the vehicle. He
greeted them with polite removal Of
his cap, a bow, and flashing smile
which made the circuit of the behold
ers. Birdsall and the colonel recog-
nized the travelling enthusiast of the
Fireless Stove.
The colonel took matters into his
own hands.
II think you're the young gentleman
who took my nephew away" said he.
"Will you kindly tell us where he is"
"And don't get giddy. young gentle
man." Birdsall chimed in, because we
know perfectly we'll that you are not
the agent of the Peerless Fireless
Stove"
I've got one here on trial, and I've
come back to see il they like it," ex-
planned the young man, In silken 40,
cents, but with dancing CLEAN of the
eyes.
I'VE are going to keep it," said Mer.
Ger. "Kito,' calling the unseen Jap.
fetch that Fireess Stove this gentle
man left us. and show it to this gentle.
man here"
"Oh, cut 1t OUT" Birdsall waved him
off. Its only ten minutes before our
fellows will come. You can put the
Police court wise with all that. Try
it on them; 1t don't go with us
Where is the boy?" said the
colonel.
Tell him, If you know" said Mer-
Ger. "This gentleman" he explained.
left stove with us to test He was
here about it this morning, and we
gave Archie to him to take to the
Palace hotel
"And he is there now" said the
young man.
did you leave him there?" asked
the colonel.
Eyes. did YOU" insisted Mercer.
The young man looked from Mercer
to the other two men. There was no
visible appeal to the southerner, but
Winter felt sure of two things: One.
that the newcomer was MERGERS con.
federate whom he was striving to
shield by pretending to disavow; the
other. that for some reason Mercer
was as anxious for the answer as we're
they.
"Why.y." hesitated the stove pro.
moter, you see, Mr.-ah, gentlemen,
you see, was told to take the boy to
the Palace hotel, and set out to do
it. We weren't going at more than an
eight-mile-an-hour clip, yet some fooz.
Ter OF cop arrested us for speeding.
1t was perfectly ridiculous, and l tried
to shake him. but it was no use. They
carried us off to a police court and
stuck me for ten dollars. Meanwhile
my machine and my passenger were
outside. When I got outside couldn't
find them. / skirmished around, and
finally did get the machine. I'd taken
the precaution to fix it so 1t couldn't
be run before left it-took the key
out Won knOW-it must have heen