The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-12-09
CHAPTER il.-Continued.

had led up to. She couldn't see, if
this was what it amounted to, why
Harry had changed his mind about
telling them at the dinner table. She
could not even understand where this
belonged in the march of events in
their story, but Clara took it up,
clipped it out, and fitted it into it's
place.
"Then there will be pressure
enormous pressure, brought to bear
to recover it,"
"Oh-o-oh!" Butler drew out the syl-
liable with unctuous relish. They'll
rip the, town inside out. They'll do
worse. Therell be a string of detect
ives across the country-yes, and at
intervals to China--so tight you
couldn't step from Kalamazoo to Osh-
kosh without running into one. The
thing is too big to be covered. The
chap who took it will play a lone
game; and to do that-Lord knows
there aren't many who could-to do
IudI uS u nave W w q ~
Farrell Wand?' Flora flung it out
as a challenge among these prosalc
people; but the effect of it was even
sharper than she had expected. She
fancied she saw them all start; that
Harry squared himself, that Kerr met
It as if he swallowed it with almost
facial grimace; that Judge Butler
blinked it hard in the face-the most
bothered of the lot. He came at 1t
first in words.
Farrell Wanda" He felt it over, as
IL, like a doubtful coin, it might have
rung false. Nov, what did I know
of Farrell Wand"
Farrell Wanda" Kerr took it VI
rapidly "Why, he was the great John
ME who went through the Scotland
Yard men at Perth in '94, and got off
Don't you remember? He took
great assortment of things under thu
most peculiar circumstances-took thu
Tiltcn emeralds off Lady Tiltons necl
at st. James,"
"Why, Harry, you" Flora began
"You told us that was what she ha
meant to say, but Harry stopped hel
Stopped her just with a look, with
nod: but it was as if had shaken hi
head at her. His taWny lashes, hal
dropped over watching eyes, gave hlr
more than ever the look Of a grea
still cat; domestic, good-humore
cat, but in sight of legitimate pre-!
Her eyes went back to Kerr with
sense of bewilderment. His voice wa
still going on, expansiyely, Brilliant,
juggling his subject.
"He knew them all, the big-wigs u
in Parliament, the big-wigs on chang
the little duchesses in Mayfair, an
y they all liked him, asked him, dine
him. and-great Scott, they paic
Paid in hereditary jewels, or tt
shock to their decency when the thin
came out-but, poor devil, so did he
And through it all Butler gloome
unsmiling, with out-thrust underlip.
mo, no." he said slowly, that
not my connection with Farrell Wan
What happened afterward. What d
they do with him."
Kerr was silent, and Flora thong
his face seemed suddenly at its shar
est.
1t was Clara who answered with a
other question. Didn't he get to t
colonies? Didn't he die there?"
Judge Butler caught it with sn
of his fingers. Got it," he triumI
ed, and the two men turned squa
upon him. "They ran him to earth
Australia. That was the year | "
there-96. l got snapshot of b
at the time"
It was now the whole table tt
turned on him, and Flora felt, w
that unanimous movement, somethl
crucial, the something that she b
been waiting for; and yet she COZ
in no way connect it with what q
happened, nor understand why Ga
why Harry, why Kerr above all sho'
be so alert. For more tnan al
looked expectant poised, and rea
for whatever was coming,
'.What sort of chap?' ne mu:
and fixed the judge a moment W
the same stare that Flora rememt
ed to have first confronted her.
aWhat sort? Sort of a crimln'
the judge smiled. "They all L
s@ alike 5 :,
"still," Clara suggested, such
man could hardly have oeen
binary" !,
IN the chain-gang-oh, yes $
Butler with conviction.
ooh! Then the picture wa
worth anything?'
"Why, no" Butler admitted slo1
though, come to think Of it, It wa
the Changing either. They W
taking him aboard the ship.
crowd was so thick hardly saw
and-only got one shot at him,