Middletown transcript., 1909-11-20

b;onel's boots itch TO kick him.
he temptation was SO strong
hat he had to turn on his heel
and depart briskly lest he should
succumb to it. He came back TO-
Peter and explained with some
heat to what extent Mr.. Epp.
STEMS loss had brought out his
natural offensiveness. Peter
condoled with him on bis repulse
and some twenty minutes later,
at the end of bis game, he went
to the grocer prince.
Assuming o pazzled air, he
said, You haven't by any chance
seen Brown?
Yes, I've seen him, said Mr..
Eppstein darkly.
Um-er-did he try to get
you away from your post9 Did
he suggest game Of billiards!
said Peter, reluctantly.
Yes, he did, said Mr.. Epp-
stein yet more darkly.
He's been talking to me, too.
He seemed quite put out by your
refusing, said Peter.
/ saw through it at once!
cried Mr.. Eppstein triumphantly.
Then, stepping toward, he
gripped Peters arm, fixed him
with small, but burning eyes, and
said, That's the man! He's
got my emerald /!
Oh, come now, you don't think
that! Browns the last man in
the world
Leopold Eppstein does not
think, he knows. said the grocer
prince with a splendid air.
Peter was plunged in anxious
thought, frowning; then he said,
Well, oughtn't you to be keeping
an eye on him, instead of watch
ing here, il you're 80 certainG
He might slip away through the
park.
By Jove, yes! you're right!
said Mr.. Eppstein, starting off at
full speed up the drive. -.
Colonel Brown was walking up.
and down the croquet lawn, still
disconsolate. The house had en-
quilted Helen and seemed unlike
ly to disgorge her. Mr.. Epp-
stein sat on the bank and watch
ed him with the eye Of lynx,
until presently he strolled into
the shrnbbery. Mr.. Eppstein
sprang from the bank and follow
ed him with what he knew to be
the ssealthy gait of a sleuth
hound. He followed him close;
the Colonel soon became aware of
his presence, so checking to self
communing, and turned into a
path to the right. Mr.. Eppstein
followed him.
The Colonel stopped short and
said, Which Of these shrubberies
do you want to walk in, Mr.. Epp-
stein ?
His tone was uncompromising,
and Mr.. Eppstein said, hastily,
Oh, they re all one to me, Colonel.
Then | 'Rwalk ia the Yelling
tonia shrubbery, and you can
stop here, said the Colonel; and
he left him.
His tone set Mr.. Eppstein's
heart futtering. It confirmed
his belief that the Colonel meant
to steal away.
Yet he dared no longer follow
him openly. He danced gently
first on one foot, then on the
other. Then his resolution stiff.
ened; and he stole through the
shrubs till he came among the
Wellingtonias and in sight Of the
Colonel walking up and down be.
tween them. With keen eyes he
marked the Colonel's changing
face, his brow frowning and grow
ing smooth again. He saw
plainly that his rivals guilty
mind was wrestling with the
dificulty of disposing of the
emerald-that now il seemed
insuperable, that now he saw the
way. He was wrong; the Colonel's
facial contortions we're due to
the fact that he was enjoying a
lovers self.communings
Presently, however, the Colo
mel was invaded BY an uneasy
feeling that eyes we're on him.
He scanned the cedars as he
came along; then, withastartling
yen; be leaped in among them
ana extracted the grocer prince
by she acrutf Of the neck.
What 40 yon mean BY dogging
ne and spying on me. yon little
b0unaer roared the Colonel,
king him
saaeskal Mr.