The Irish standard., 1910-03-12
CHAPTER X.
Prof. eriswoId Takes the Field.

| w WIG VHCNutlNo lliASioAl, tuu "cle'
met with news that the sheriff of
Mingo had refused to receive Girls
wold's message.
His private lines of communication
with the capital are doubtless well es-
tablished," said Griswold, land Bos-
worth probably warned him. but it
isn't of great Importance. It's just as
we'll for Appleweight and his friends,
high and low. to show their hands"
When they were again on the YER
anda. Griswold fingered for a moment
with no valid excuse for delay beyond
the loneliness of the night and his
keen delight in Barbaras voice and
her occasional low laughter. which
was so pleasant to hear that he held
their talk to light key, that he might
evoke 1t the more.
you have done all that could be
asked of You, Mr.. Griswold. and can
not permit you to remain longer. IA
Their will certainly be here to-mor
row."
He Is officially present and In the sad
de-" laughed Griswold. You must
not admit. even to me, that he is not
here in full charge of his office. And
as for my leaving the field, have not
the slightest intention of going back
to Virginia until the Appleweight
ghost is laid. the governor of North
Carolina brought to confusion, and
the governor of South Carolina Wis
IDLY present and laundering his edicts
again, so to speak, ex cathedra. My
own affairs can wait. Miss Osborne.
The Joy Of having a hand in a little
affair like this, and of being able to
tell my friend Tommy Ardmore about
it afterward, would be sufficient Ard
more will never speak to me again for
not inviting him to share in the
game"
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 or
pretty we'll; but underneath he's real
~ clever. The most amazing ideas
take hold of him. You never could
imagine what he's doing now! met
him accidentally in Atlanta the other
day, and he was in pursuit of face
n 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 information with which woman
utterly eXtingushes sister.
II shouldn't have told you that"
said Griswold, guiltily aware Of falling
temperature. ole is capable OF fol-
lowing winking eye at a perfectly
respectful distance for hundred
years, and Of being entertained all
the time by the joy Of pursuit.
"1t seems very unusual" said Bar
bara, with cold finnlity.
| 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 WE'LL
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 @: 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 Ardmoro had made 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 4ardmore 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 Ardmore's reply to his message,
reply which was plainly enough
dated at Ardsley, but which, he could
not know, had really been written in
caboose 0186 az it lay on siding in
the. southeastern. yards at Raleigh.