The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-07
THE WHITE CAT
By GELETT BURGESS
Author of ~vIvette.- Of Destiny &c
Copyright
By GELETT BURGESS

tening in new link 1 backed out, look
ed in my tool box. and found that there
were no extra links there
| I can't mend the thing here" I ex-
planned. You and the doctor will have
to get out and walk and leave me here.
You'd better send some one back with a
! horse 10 tow me home"
She almost cried with shame and regret,
but there was nothing for 1t but to do as |
had suggested. noticed a faint smile
on the doctors thin face. He was I'M
| doubleday glad of the dilemma, as II
would temporarily rid him of my COM
pany.
It's too bad can't sew ii up for you, -
| he said dryly. I'm afraid il viii re-
/ Guire a capital operation. Castle. You'd
| better have a consultation with Uncle
Jerdon. But If you need any anesthetic
/ to keep it out Of pain while you're wait
ing. I'll lend you my bag"
'Oh, my machine is used 10 H. you
know" l replied. IF you'll only send
back the coroner it'H be all right"
We'll, Wen hope for a change soon,
he said. l verify believe the man meant
IL for pun. for he closed one eye as he
, got it Off Edna giggled.
So they set out and left me took a
seat lighted a cigar, and waited as pa
tiently as / could, not at all pleased at
| the thought of his having a free hour or
two with her. At last Uncle Jerdon APP
peared on the scene driving a span of
horses.
Hello" he greeted me. Tho same
old. sweet song. Ell? Well, we all have
TO come TO IT, sooner or later. You
ought to lead a boss behind when you
I'd as fr-fs-4 n a afrzhfv
He harnessed his team TO the car. and
We proceeded slowly home 1t was a
humiliating experience, as il always is,
but Uncle Jerdon was plainly hugely
amused at my predicsment
Il guess the doctor want sorry ye had
10 stop here alone" he remarked. He 5
a-makin' the most Of his time, naow.
expect. Nothin' like a little friendly
rivalry for a bashful man"
How long have you been back?"
asked. not caring for his personalities.
''Oh. I jest happened to meet EN- in
the north lane as | come. l guess they
want expectin' 10 see nobody there. by
the way it looked. Miss Fielding amt
SO crazy but what she knows what
she's abaout sometimes. / tell YER At
which he went of into an ebullitiOn
of silent laughter. This was dis
quieting enough information, for I could
guess what he had seen. though I
couldn't afford TO encourage him. SO
changed the subject.
How long have you been down here
with Miss Fielding?"
Coin on two year" he answered.
Il suppose The neighbors talk about
her a good deal?"
u reckon they do, But they don't get
nothin outen me sit an look wise an
chew a straw an let EN- talk. Lord,
how they do try 10 pump me"
Doesn't she ever see any OF themY'
'Oh. yes; sometimes. when she's o. K.
but she don't encourage EN- calm much.
They think she's so high and mighty,
though. that they don't bother her TO any
great extent"
He proceeded now OF his own accord.
shes happy enough alone. I take il
Lord, ] don't mind her at all. / attend
70 my business and she 10 hern. II amt
as If ! was a woman an curious. ye
know But when she abuses dumb crit
tiers then I dc get mad. l jes' see OF
Nokomis in the hazels. as / come past
She had her tail atween her laigs. an
I'm afraid that means trouble / usually
see TO il that the dogs is got outen the
way when she's loOney. but 1 expect
Leah must have forgot to attend 90 EN-.
Funny King didn't. either. But 1t viii
happen on occasion. Some day theys
gOin' 10 be trouble. or NOkomis knows
moren most folks herself. l believe
Kings crazy, too. He's got a heather
idol in his cabin he's all the time wor-
shipin' Burns punk-sticks an a little
peanut-on lamp in front OF It, night an
day. But l get my own quiet fun outen
it all. I'm satisfied"
We got the car safely home. and
spent the rest OF the afternoon. with
Uncle Jerdon's assistance. in mending
the chain and doing other necessary
cleaning and repairs. Miss Fielding and
DR.. Copin stayed shut in the library.
When had gone up to my room to clean
myself. Leah came in. bearing fresh
towels.
'Oh. Mr.. Castle. can't you 20 in and ioin
them?" she said. Il hate 20 have them
alone for so lOng-you don't know how
/ dread it,"
What are you afraid OFF, I asked.
u don't know! I don't know! Only I
don't trust him.
Have YOU seen anything more7"
Enough to make me worried" Then
she brought out painfully, Mr. Castle.
do you think we would have any right to
TO listen?"
You mean really to eavesdrop?"
Yes" There was a look of pain In
her eyes. l saw by this confession how
far she had gone with her fears.
4 hardly think so. yet" l answered.
TT would be pretty hard for US to do.
wouldn't it?"
But you remember that Miss Joy said.
last night. that she would leave it all
10 your judgment Oughtn't we, to pro
tect her. perhaps. find out just what It
is he's doing?"
l thought it over at length. But It
was a resource that / couldn't help
wanting to leave till the last. After ali.
it wasn't as bad as that, yet Except
in Ednas familiarities with me, and
Leah's vague fears, / had no reason for
fearing anything wrong. Ali depended
upon the doctors motives In being alone
with her. He might indeed, be making
love 10 her, but then, perhaps he was
truly in love: he might even want TO
marry her. II was Z maddening thought
for me. but. after all, it was, strictly,
none of my business lie had right 10
try to WOO her, and it couldn't, at any
rate, go far withoutsJoy herself becoming
aware OF it, She would be the first to
acknowledge that EDNA had a right TO
permit it. If, however, he were dis
honest in his motive. if he were. for
instance. after her money, that was
quite another matter, and 1t was obvious
ly my place 10 interfere. We should
have, at least, TO see that Edna could
not get hold of any property.
Lastly, and this seemed, at that time
most probable. he might only be carrying
on a series Of experiments with an inter-