Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-06-06
tain Plum's puzzled brain.

| I'll show it to you. I'll pay you the
whole sum tonight. Then you'll take
| the stuff where l tell you to. Eth?
| Isn't that so?" He darted ahead of
Captain Plum with quick alert move
D .nent "Will you please follow me,
sir?"
For an instant Captain Plum's i'm
| pulse was to hold back. In that in
slant it suddenly occurred to him that
| he was lending himself to rank inn
| position. At the same time he was
filed with desire to go deeper into
the adventure. and his blood thrilled
with the thought of what it might hold
| for him.
Are you coming. sir?"
The little old man had stopped a
dozen PAGES away and turned ex-
| pectantly.
Il tell you again that you've got the
wrong man, dad!'
"Will you follow me, sir?"
"Well, if you'll have it so-damned
if 1 WON'T" cried Captain Plum. He
felt that he had relieved his con-
science, anyway. If things should de-
velop badly for, him during the next
few hours no one could say that he
had lied So he followed light-heart-
eddy after the old man, his eyes and
ears alert, and his right hand, by force
| of habit, reaching under his coat to
the butt of his pistol. His guide said
not another word until they had tray
| eled for half an hour along twisting
! path and stood at last on the bald sum-
nit of knoll from which they could
look down upon a number of lights
twinkling dimly qu'. ter OF mile
away One Of these lights cleaned
I above all the others, like beacon set
among freflies.
That's ST James, said the old
man. His voice had changed. 1t
was low and soft, as though he feared
to speak above whisper.
est james,
The young man at his side gazed
down silently upon the scattered lights,
his heart throbbing in a sudden tu-
multi of excitement. He had set out
that day with the idea OF resting his
eyes On ST. James. III its silent Inys-
terry the town, now lay at his feet.
And that light" spoke the old
ward the glare that shone more power
fully than the others. THAT light
marks the sacred home of the king!"
His voice had again changed. A me-
tallic hardness came into it, his words
We're vibrant with a strange excite
ment which he strove hard to con-
ceal. 1t was still light enough for
Captain Plum to see that the old
mans black, beady eyes were startling
. ly alive with newly aroused emotion.
you mean"
"Strang!"
He started rapidly down the knoll
and there foated back to Captain
Plum the soft notes Of his meaning
less chuckle. A dozen rods farther on
i his mysterious guide turned into by
! path which led them to another knoll.
/ capped by good-sized building made
of logs. There sounded the grating
of a key in lock, the shooting OF a
T. bolt, and door opened to admit them
"You will pardon me if don't light
up" apologized the old man as he led
the way in "A candle will be sufi
cient. You know there must be
privacy in these matters-always. Eth?
Isn't that so?'
Captain Plum followed without re.
ply He guessed that the cabin was
made up of one large room. and that
at the present time, at least, it pos
singular creature who had guided him
to it.
1T is just as well. on this particular
night, that no light is seen at the
window" continued the old man as
he rummaged about a table for a
match and candle. 81 have little
corner back here that candle will
brighten up nicely and no one in the
world will know it. EIo, no. hollow
nice it is to have quiet little corner
sometimes, Eth, Captain PLUMP"
At the sound OF his name Captain
Plum started as though an unexpected
hand had suddenly been laid upon him
So he was expected, after all, and his
name was known! For moment his
surprise robbed him OF the power of
speech The little old man had
lighted his candle, and, grinning back
over his shoulder, passed through a
narrow cut in the wall that could hard.
ly be called door and planted his
light on table that stood in the cen
ter of small room. or closet not
more than five feet square. Then he
coolly pulled Captain Plum's old let
ter from his pocket and smoothed il
out in the dim light
"Be seated, Captain Plum; right
over there-opposite me. Sol"
He continued for moment tc
smooth out the creaSes in the letter
and then proceeded to read it with as
much assurance as though its owner
were a thousand miles away instead
of within arms reach of him. Cap
tain Plum was dumbfounded. He felt
the hot blood rushing to his face AID
his first impulse was to recover the
crumpled paper and demand some
thing more than an explanation. In
the next instant it occurred to him
that this action would probably spoil
whatever possibilities his nights ad.
venture might have for him. So he
held his peace. The old man was sc
intent in his perusal of the letter that
the end of his hooked nose almost
scraped the table. He went over the
dim, partly obliterated words line by
line, chuckling now and then, and ap
, raptly uttarly Obliyip1S Of the ut h