The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-06-26
Monday. June %.
1911
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@NM MYSTERY ZNN,
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@EM Wells HASTINGS Nxy
~ !" nRIAN HOOKER

face, and blue tattoomarks on his
hairy hands.
Public opinion, led by the bartender,
was against him TO the point OF throw
Ing him out or sending for the police:
and his attempts at defense were
rendered unintelligible by volubility
and by the strangest mixture OF Ian
guages | ever heard In my life. Imag-
Inc a slightly drunk and thoroughly
excited Neapolitan speaking broken
English with an Irish brogue. and you
may have some faint impression or
the effect His moody blur Of intona-
lions was impossible TO follow: and
tried him In Italian, becoming there
by a person OF authority and interest.
He understood me readily enough, but
his own spatering patois gave me .
good deal OF trouble. BY what could
make out. he was sailor. formerly on
ships owned by Mr.. Tabor; and Mr..
Tabor had discharged him and had
kidnapped his wife. This sounded
puzzling enough; but could get moth
ing else out Of him; and my further
questions brought forth only angry
reiterations and indefinite vows TO
have justice at any price. Finally
persuaded the bartender to give him
one more drink on condition that he
went away Immediately, and satisfied
the crowd with some patched-up
story of hated employer whose re-
, semblance to Mr. Tabor has caused
an unfortunate mistake.
CHAPTER ".
II l had been at my wits end before,
| was now beyond 1t, In such a chaos
of puzzled anger that could not even
think reasonably, much less come to
sensible conclusions. The Italian
sailor with his impossible charge
against Mr.. Tabor's own impossible
charge against me, were new elements
which might or might not work into
the situation; but at least could not
place them now; nor, for want of n
motive that would bear dissection, was
/ ready to confess my own desire to
stay on the ground until had seen
the matter through. l would go away
to the sanity OF the seaside, and give
the vexations of the last few days time
to clear. The whole experience had
been SO strange that must have more
perspective through which to view II
clearly; and I could see nothing to
gain by haste. For all that, was per-
fectly clear that at length everything
must come out right. Not that could
define to myself exactly what coming
out right" would mean, except making
Mr.. Tabor admit himself outrageously
mistaken, and his daughter-but It was
better not to think about his daughter;
unless I was ready to risk thinking too
much about her. The very memory Of
her vivid face In the car-window. OF
her quizzical impertinences on the way,
the sight OF her lying motionless in
the unnatural meadow, and most poig-
nant OF all. her distressed and shroud-
ed beauty In the dim hall, lit up the
( last few hours as with the glamour OF
dream broken suddenly by a night
mare monstrous and unconvincing
| She must be put aside, II possible, with
the rest until l could see clearly. Bob
Ainslie and Mrs. Bob, boating, bathing,
golf, and tennis, should be my devour-
ing interests for the next week. After
that-we should see.
! For a couple OF miles my car travel
ed through open country; then with
the Sound on its left, passed through
small wooded patches that gave way
continually to open glades where
1 lawns liOh httiC COltdbCS bItdb
ran down to the waters edge. My
destined hostelry, remembered, -four
ished under the original name OF
Bellevue" did not especially pine
for It, with its green-lined mating,
white enameled furniture, and chat
tering piazzas; but 1t had the unques-
tionable advantage OF being only a
couple of hundred yards from the
Ainslies' cottage. There hurried
into my fannels and set forth In
search OF Bob, whom I found playing
the gentle game OF croquet with him
self, the pink ball against the green.
When he saw me, he gave viking
yhoop that brought Mrs. Aiwue from
her chair upon the veranda, lille he
executed q solemn war-dancaY around
me.
Where. o where are the Hebrew
children7'' he chanted, Safe now In
the promised land-where's your
bag"
why, how do you do. Mr.. Crosbyr
said Mrs. Ainslie. Bob, what on
earth will the neighbors think OF you?
And Mr.. Crosby will hardly like being
called a Hebrew-not that have any
/ thing against the Hebrews. They are
really very fine people, but"
(To he continued).