The Mena weekly star., 1909-05-06

@ANsAiNN ANhPOiA WiAAbit | hiAi uR against 1t. She looks like good woman: she seems like good wom. an; but 1 have only my impressions and Aunt Rebecca's against the ap- parent facts in the case. Well. Aunt Rebecca Is a shrewd one!" He sat down and thought harder Finally he rose, smiling. He had threshed out his problem; and his conclusion, in audibly but very distinctly uttered to himself, was: Me for my own i'm pressions! If that girl is in with this gang, either what they are after isn't so bad--or they have made her believe 1t isn't bad"
 He looked idly about him at the arched doorway of the outer court. It was carved with a favorite mission design of eight-pointed flowers with vase-like fiuting below There was a tiny crack in one of the flowers. the tiniest crack in the world He looked at 1t without seeing 1t. or seeing it with only the outer half of his senses, but--he could not have told how into his effort to pierce his own tan gle there crept a sudden interest. a sudden keenness of scrutiny of this minute, insignificant crack in the stone. He became aware that the crack was singularly regular, preserving the form of the flower and the fluting be- heath. Kito, the Japanese, who was sitting at the far end of the court, con versing in amity with Haley, just here rose and came to this particular pill lar. The Irishman sat alone, trimmed by the sunset gold, little spangles of notes drifting about him. for the mer- him ere 1t went to the Jap. who passed him, courteously saluting.
 After he had passed, the colonel looked again at the column and the crack-it was not there.
 "Chito, chitol" muttered the colo nel. 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 well hidden by his body; no hol- low sound rewarded him; but all at once his groping 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 alA 4,, ha bo 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 a groan, and a voice said more wearily 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 frownlng brows on the stylo- bate of another when Birdsall and Mercer entered together, Mercer, with a shrug of his shoulders at the detect ives dogged suspicion, preceding the latter.
 Well" said the colonel, "did you get my aunt?"
 "Yes, suh, I got your aunt herself" responded Mercer, with his Virginian survival of the formal ciyility of an earlier generation. Yes. suh: but l regret to say Archie is not there.'
 "Where is he?" The soldiers voice was curt.
 Honestly" declared Mercer. q wish knew, suh, l certainly do. But Mercers 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 it's only oc- cupant, handsome young man, jumped nimbly out of the vehicle. He greeted them with a polite removal of his cap, a bow, and a flashing smile which made the circuit of the behold CTS. Birdsall and the colonel recog- nized the travelling enthusiast of the Priceless Stove.
 The colonel took matters into his own hands.
 q think you're the young gentleman who took my nephew away" said he. ''WiIl you kindly tell us where he is?"
 And don't get giddy, young gentle man." Birdsall ohimed in, because we know perfectly well that you arc not the agent of the Peerless Priceless Stove"
 i've got one here on trial, and I've come back to see If they like it, ex- plained the young man, in silken ac- cents, but with dancing gleam of the eyes.
 We are going to keep it," said Mer- cer. "Kito." calling the unseen Jap. fetch that Priceless Stove this gentle man left us. and show 1t to this gentle man here"
 "Oh, cut it outl" Birdsall waved him off. Its only ten minutes before our fellows will come. You can put the police court wise with all that. Try 1t on them; 1t don't go with us."
 Where is the boy?" said the colonel.
 ''Tell him. if you know" said Mer- cer. This gentleman" he explained, left a stove with us to test. He was