Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-04-06

to have fresh mind on 1t: l had puz-
zled so much over the incident at the
farmhouse, and the necklace in the
gold bag, that 1 had lost perspective.
He had been interested, but inclined
to be amused. until I came to the
broken chain. Then he had whistled
softly.
But there are tons of fine gold
chains made every year." he said.
why in the world do you think that
the-er-smeary piece came from
that necklace"
had looked around. Johnson was
far behind, scraping tue mud off his
feet with a piece of stick.
II have the short end of the chain
in the sealskin bag" reminded him.
when 1 couldn't sleep this morning I
thought / would settle it, one way or
the other. 1t was hell to go along the
way 1 had been doing. And-there's
no doubt about it, Rich. It's the same
chain"
We walked along in silence until
we caught the car back to town.
WELL" he said finally, you know
the girl. of course, and l don't But
if you like her--and I think myself
you're rather hard hit, old mani
wouldn't give whoop about the chain
in the gold purse. It's just one of the
little condolences that hang people
now and then. And as for last night
If she's the kind of girl you say
she is, and you think she had any
thing to do with that, you-you're
added, that's all. You can depend
on it, the lady of the empty house last
week is the lady of last night. And
yet your train acquaintance was in
Altoona at that time"
Just before we got of the car, re-
verted to the subject again. It was
never far back in my mind.
About the-young lady Of the train,
Rich," said, with what I suppose was
elaborate carelessness, Il don't want
you TO get wrong impression. 1 am
rather unlikely to see her again, but
even if l do, II believe she is al
ready bespoke, or next thing to it"
He made no reply, but as opened
the door with my latch-key he
stood looking up at me from the pave
ment with his quizzical smile.
Love is like the measles" he orat-
ed. "The older you get it, the worse
the attack"
Johnson did not appear again that
day. A small man in a raincoat took
his place. The next morning / made
my initial trip to the Office, the rain
coat still on hand. 1 had short con-
ference with Miller, the district at
torney, at IL. Bronson was under sur
Vigilance, he said, and any attempt to
sell. the notes to him would probably
result in their recovery. In the mean
time, as l knew, the Commonwealth
had continued the case. in hope of
such contingency.
At noon left the Office and took a
veterinarian to see Candida, the in
iured pony. By one o'clock my first
days duties were performed, and a
long Sahara of hot afternoon
stretched ahead. Mcknight, always
glad to escape from the grind, sug-
gested a vaudeville, and in sheer
ennui 1 consented. I could neither
ride, drive nor golf, and my own COM
pcny bored me to distraction.
Coolest place in town these days."
he declared Electric fans, breezy
songs, airy costumes. And there's
Johnson just behind = the coolest
proposition in Washington"
He gravely bought three tickets and
presented the detective with one.
Then we went in. Having lived nor
NAL, busy life, the theater in the aft
ernocn is to me about on a par with
ice cream for breakfast. Up on the
stage a very stout woman in short
pink skirts, with smile that Nc
knight declared looked like slash In
roll of butter, was singing nasally,
with a laborious kick at the end OF
each verse. Johnson, two rows ahead,
went to sleep. Mcknight prodded me
with his elbow.
Look at the first box to the right,
he said, in a stage whisper. | want
you to come over at the end of this
act"
1t was the first time 1 had seen her
since l put her in the cab at Balt1-
more. Outwardly l presume | was
calm, for no one turned to stare at
me, but every atom of me cried out
at the sight of her. She was lean
ing, bent forward, lips slightly parted,
gazing raptly at the Japanese con-
jurer who had replaced what Nc
Knight disrespectfully called the Col
umns of Hercules. Compared with the
draggled lady of the farm house, she
was radiant.
For that first moment there was
nothing but joy at the sight of her,
Meningitis touch on my arm brought
me back to reality.
Come over and meet Them" he
said. That's the cousin Miss West
is visiting, Mrs. Dallas"
But l would not go. After he went
sat there alone, painfully conscious
that l was being pointed out and
stared at from the box. The abomin-
1I~I 20 xvaf 1OTsO