The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-03-15

For a time, however. this promised TO
be a 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 Hoteh-
kiss umbrella turned inside out,
stopped
Il don't know whore you are going
| snarled, and don't care. Bit I'm
going to get under cover inside of ten
seconds. I'm not amphibious."
] ducked into the next shelter,
which happened to be the yawning en-
trance to livery stable. and shook
myself. dog fashion Hotchkiss wiped
his collar with his handkerchief. 1t
emerged cleaning and unwllted
This will do as well 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.
out a back, just inside the door, and
stared out at the darkening street
The whole affair had an air OF unreal
ity Now thar ! was there ! doubted
the necessity or the value of the jour
ney. was wet and uncomfortable.
Around me, with Cresson as a center
stretched an irregular circumference
of mountain with possibly ten-mile
radius, and in it was to find the res
idence of a woman whose first name
] did not know and a man WHO, SO
far, had been a purely chimerical per-
SON
Hotchkiss had penetrated the steam
ing interior of the cave and now his
voice, punetuated by the occasional
thud of horses hoofs. came TO me.
Something light will do" he was
saying. "A runabout perhaps" lie
came forward rubbing his hands. fol
lowed by thin man in oyeralls MIR.
Peck says he hegan-"this is Mr.
Peck es Peck & Peck says that tho
place We are looking for Is about
seven miles from the town It's clear
ing. isn't it,"
TT is not" | returped. sayagely.
And we don't want 9 runabout, Mr
Peck. What we require is an hermet.
ically sealed diving suit suppose
there isn't a machine to be had2' Mr..
Peck gazed at ne in silence machine
to him meazt other things than mo-
tors automobile" l supplemented.
His face cleared
None but private affairs can
give you good buggy with a rubber
apron. Mike. is the doctors horse
in?
am still uncertain as to whether
The rawbonod roam we took out that
night over the mountains WAS the doe.
tors horse or not If it was the doc
tor may be a good doctor, but he
doesn't know anything about horse
And furthermore l hope he didn't
need the beast that miserable evening
While they harnessed The horse
Hotchklss told me what he had
learned
Six Curtises in the town and vi
entity" be said sort of family name
around here one OF them is telegraph
operator at the station Person we
are looking for IS was wealthy
widow with a brother named Sulli-
van Both supposed to have been
killed on the Filler"
Her brother" repeated, shpdly.
You see" lIotchkiss went on.
three people in one party took the
train here that night, Miss West. Mrs.
Curtis and Sullivan The two women
had the drawing room. Sullivan had
lower seven What we want 10 find
out is just who these people We're.
where they came from. II Bronson
knew them. and how Miss West be
came entangled with them She may
have married Sullivan. for one thing
fell into gloom after that The
roam was led unwillingly into the
weather. Hotchkiss and | eclpsed be
hind the blanket The liyeryman stood
in t4e doorway and called directions
10 us. you can't miss it he finished
Got the name over the gate anyhow,
The Laureis. The servants are still
there's .leastways. we didn't bring them
down. He even took step into. the
rain as Hotchkiss picked up The lines
n''If you're going to settle the estate,
he bawled, don't forget us. Peck &
Peck. A half.bushel Of name and a
bushei OF service"
liotchkiss could not drive Born a
clerk, he guided the roam much as
he would drive a bad pen And the
roam spattered through puddles and
splasbed ink mud. that is until !
was in a frenzy Of irritation
"What are we going to say when we
get there asked after had finally
taken the reins in my one useful hand
Get out there at midnight and tell the
servants we nave come 10 ask a few
questions about the family? It's an
idiotio trip anyhow; | wish had
stayed at home"
The roam fell just then and we had
10 crawl out and help him up. BY The
lime We had partly Embarrassed hin
our matches we're gone and the smal
1.cre'c 'aiup ~ ihe buggy was wa
aeriae only toA certainly. We were
covered with mtd painting with exer
lion ana eyen iidthkiss showed dis