The Holly chieftain., 1910-06-10
CHAPTER x.-Continued.

CHAPTER x-continued.
He was more buoyant than she had
seen him, and she liked the note Of
affection that crept into his tone as
he spoke of his friend.
"Ardmore is the most remarkable
person alive" Griswold continued.
you remember spoke of him this
morning. He likes to play the in
scrutable idiot. and he carries 1t OF
pretty well; but underneath he's real
ly clever. The most amazing ideas
take hold of him. You never could
imagine what he's doing now! l met
him accidentally in Atlanta the other
day. and he was in pursuit of face
a girls face that he had seen from a
car window for only an instant on a
siding somewhere. He declared to me
most solemnly that the girl winked at
him!"
Griswold was aware that Miss Os-
borne's interest in Ardmore cooled
perceptibly.
"Oh!" she said, with that delight
full intonation with which a woman
utterly extinguishes a sister
81 shouldn't have told you that"
said Griswold, guiltily aware of falling
temperature. "He is capable of fol-
lowing winking eye at perfectly
respectful distance for a hundred
years, and of being entertained all
the time by the Joy of pursuit"
1T seems very unusual" said Bar
bara. with cold finality.
Griswold remembered this talk as,
the next day, aboard the train bound
for Turner Court House, the seat of
Mingo county, South Carolina, he pom
dered a telegram he had received
from Ardmore. He read and re-read
this message. chewing cigars and
scowling at the landscape. and the
cause of his perturbation of spirit
may be roughly summarized in these
words:
On leaving the executive mansion
the night before, he had studied maps
in his room at the Saluda house, and
carefully planned his campaign. He
had talked by telephone with the
prosecuting attorney of Mingo coun-
ty, and found that official politely re-
sponsive. So much had gone WELL
Then the juxtaposition of Ardmore's
estate to the border. and the possible
use of the house as headquarters,
struck in upon him. He would, after
all, generously take Ardmore into the
game, and they would uphold the
honor and dignity of the great COM
monwealth of South Carolina togeth.
er. The keys of all Ardmores
houses were. SO to speak, in Girls
wold's pocket. and invitations were
unnecessary between them; yet, at At
lanta Ardmore had made a point of
asking Griswold down to help while
away the tedium of Mrs. Atchison's
house party, and as matter of form
Griswold wired from Columbia, ad-
vising Ardmore of his unexpected de-
scent
Even in case Ardmore should still
be abroad in pursuit Of the winking
eye, the doors of the huge house
would be open to Griswold, who had
entered there so often as the owners
familiar friend. These things he
pondered deeply as he read and re.
read Ardmores reply to his message,
reply which was plainly enough
dated at Ardsley, but which. he could
not know, had really been written in
caboose 01S6 as it lay on a siding in
the southeastern yards at Raleigh,
and thence dispatched to the manager
at Ardsley. with instructions to for
ward 1t as new message to Girls
void at Columbia. The chilling words
thus flung at him were:
Prof. Henry Maine Griswold,
saluda House. Columbia. 8. c.:
am very sorry. old man, but I can not
take you in just now. Scarlet fever is
epidemic among my tenants. and I could
not think of exposing you to danger. As
soon as the accursed plague passes
want to have you down.
An epidemic that closed the gates
of Ardsley would assume the proper
tions of national disaster; for even
If the great house itself were quar-
aatued, there were lodges and bunga-