The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-11-30

| SAAoSAOAoA AoIISu VI IIe COuuITy. our
question gave me the opening, and
forgot myself"
Il assure you I was thoroughly
shocked, Miss Farrell
VIII you tell me something's"
IF can"
About the man who wouldn't &C
knowledge knowing you? You remem.
Der saying three people had been mis-
taken about your identity this after.
noon."
mo. only one-the babu. You're
not mistaken"
I knew you must be David Amber
the moment heard you speaking
Urdu"
And the man at the station wasn't
mistaken-unless l am. He knew me
perfectly, I believe, but for reasons
OF his own refused to recognize me"
| yes"
He was an English servant named
| Doggott, who is-or once was-a valet
In the service of an old friend, a
man named Rutton."
She repeated the name: "Rutton?
1t seems to me I've heard of HIM"
"You have?"
II don't remember" she confessed,
knitting her level brows. 1.-THE name
has familiar ring, somehow. But
| about the valet?"
well, l was very intimate with his
employer for long time, though we
haven't met for several years. Rut-
ton was strange creature, man Of
extraordinary genius, who lived a
friendless, solitary life-at least, so
far as l knew; once lived with him
IN little place he had in Paris for
three months and in all that time he
never received letter or caller. He
was reticent about himself, and l
never asked any questions of course,
but in spite Of the fact that he spoke
English like an Englishman and was a
public school man, apparently, l al
ways believed he had strain of Hun
garian blood in him-or else Italian
or Spanish. know that sounds pref
ty broad, but he was enigmatic-a rid
die I never managed to make much
Va <AoAAC ~ Jill IAdL no WAS WOuuST-
full: linguist, speaking a dozen
European languages and more east
ern tongues and dialects, l believe,
than any other living man. We met
by accident In Berlin and were drawn
together by our common interest in
orientalism. Later, hearing l was in
Paris, he hunted me up and insisted
fhaf I STOW v1yffh
ishing my big book-the one whose
title you know. His assistance to
me then was invaluable. After that
lost track Of him."
And the valet?"
"Oh. I'd forgotten Doggott. He was
cockney. as silent and self-contained
as Rutton. To get back to
Nokomis: I met Doggott ut the sta
ton, called him by name, and he re-
fused to admit knowing me-said
must have mistaken him for his twin
brother. ! could tell by his eyes that
he lied, and it made me wonder. It's
quite impossible that Rutton should
be in this neck Of the woods; he was
a man who preferred to live a hermit
in centers of civilization. Gu
rious!"
II don't wonder you think so. Per-
haps the man had been up to some
mischief. But" said the girl
with note Of regret, we're almost
home!"
They had come to the seward
verge of the woodland, where the
trees and scrub rose like a wild hedge
row on one side of a broad, well.
metalled highway.
To the right, on the other side of
the road, rustic fence enclosed the
trim. well-groomed plantations of
Tanglewood Lodge; through the dead
limbs window of the house winkeQ
in the sunset glow like an eye of gar.
net. And as the two appeared a man
came running up the road, shouting.
That's Quaint" cried Amber; and
sent long cry of greeting toward
him.
'Wait!" said the girl impulsively,
putting out OBTAINING hand Lets
keep our secret" she begged. her eyes
dancing-"jus for the fun of it,"
Our secret"
about the babu and the Token: it's
a bit of mystery and romance to me
and we don't often find that in our
lives. do we? Let us keep 1t personal
for while-between ourselves; and
you will promise to let me know If
anything unusual ever comes Of It,
after I've gone. We can say that l
was riding carelessly. which is quite
true. and that the horse SHE'D and
threw me, which again is true; but
the rest for ourselves only. i
Please. What do you say?"
He was infected by her spirit Of IT.
responsible mischief. "Why, yes
I say yes" he replied; and then, more
gravely: II think it'll be very pleas
ant to share a secret with you, Miss
Farrell. l shan't say q word to any
one, until l have to-"