The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-18

dusk, Of our generally drasgled conAi.
ton. My dragged condition. sAoull
say. for he improved every moment
his eyes brighter, his rudy face ruA-
der, his collar newer and glossier.
Sometime, when 1t does not encircle
the little mans neck, ! shall test that
collar with a match.
was growing steadily more d.
pressed: I loathcd my errand and its
necessity. had always held that .
man who played the spy on woman
was beneath contempt. Then. admit
was afraid Of what l might learn.
For q time, however. this promised to
be q negligible quantity. The streets
Of the struggling little mountain town
had been clean washed Of humanity
by the downpour. Windows and doors
were inhospitably shut and from
around an occasional drawn shade
came narrow strips of light that mere
ly emphasized our gloom. When Hotch-
kiss umbrella turned inside out,
stopped.
II don't know where you are going"
l snarled, land I don't care. But I'm
going to get under cover inside Of ten
seconds. I'm not amphibious."
| l ducked into the next shelter,
which happened to be the yawning en-
trance to a livery stable, and shook
myself, dog fashion. Hotchkiss wiped
his collar with his handkerchief. 1t
emerged cleaning and unwilted.
"This will do as we'll as any place"
he said, raising his voice above the
rattle of the rain. Got to make be-
ginning"
sat down on the usual chair with
stared out at the darkening street
The whole affair had an air of unreal.
ity. Now that I was there l doubted
the necessity or the value of the jour
ney l was wet and uncomfortable
Around me, with Cresson as center
stretched an irregular circumference
of mountain, with possibly ten-mile
radius, and in 1t was to find the res
idence of a woman whose first name
did not know and a man who, sc
far, had been a purely chimerical per
son.
Hotchkiss had penetrated the steam
ing interior of the cave and now hi!
voice, punctuated by the occasional
thud of horses hoofs. came to me.
Something light will do" he wa
saying. "A runabout, perhaps" HI
came forward rubbing his hands, fol
lowed by thin man in overalls. "Mr
Peck says" he began-"this is MI
Peck of Peck & Peck-says that tn,
place we are looking for is abou
seven miles from the town. It's clear
ing. isn't it,"
ut is not" l returned, savagely
And we don't want a runabout, MI
Peck. What we require Is an herme
ically sealed diving suit. I suppos
there isn't machine to be had?" MI
Peck gazed at me in silence: machin
to him meant other things than mt
tors. Automobile" l supplemented
His face cleared.
None but private affairs. l ca
give you good buggy with rubbe
apron. Mike, is the doctors hors
in!"
I am still uncertain as to whethe
the rawboned roam we took out ths
night over the mountains was the do
tors horse or not. II It was, the do
tor may be good doctor, but
doesn't know anything about a hors
And furthermore, hope he didn
need the beast that miserable evening
While they harnessed the hors
Hotchkiss told me what he he
learned.
six Curtises in the town and '
einTty," he said. Sort Of family naH
around here. One Of them 10 tslegraF
operator At the station. Persea v
are looking for is-was-a wealth
widow with a brother-nansd Sui
. vani Both supposed to have bee
killed on the Flisr"
Tier brother" repeated, stupid
You See" Hotehkiss went q
"thrss people, in one party, took d
train here that night, Miss West, Mr.
Curtis and Sullivan. The tive weme
had the drawing rosn, Sullivan h
lower seven. What We went to n
out is Just who these people wer
). where they came from, If Dronsc
. knew them, and how Miss West
: came entangled with them. She mf
! have married Sullivan, for enc thing
:. fell into gloom after that TT
q roam was led uHwillingly into Il
: weather, Hotehkiss and l eclipsed
= hind the blanket The liveryman stoc
a in the doorway and called direction
: to us. You can't miss it" he hnishc
, Got the name over the gate anyho'
\ The Laurels' The servants are ST
\ there: leastways, We didn't bring the
!, down." He even took a step into Il
). rain as Hotchkiss picked up the line
'If you're going to settle the estate
he bawled, don't forget us, Peck
a Peck. A halfbushel Of name and
> bushel of service"
. Hotchkiss could not drive. Born
! clerk, he guided the roam much ;
he would drive bad pen. And IL
roam spattered through puddles al
;, splashed ink--mud, that is-until
zoe in a frarzv of irritation