Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-04-28

dlcatlOnS tnat MISS FlOSSle was 10
entirely in the coquettish or charm
ingly idle mood her manner seemed tC
imply. But Mr.. Bolger had no specia
training in this direction. He hac
never attended that college where wo-
man constitutes the textbook, the
primer. the abecedary and all the rest;
he was no master of arts feminine. He
could, however, in a crude, inartistit
masculine fashion appreciate that out
ward semblance which, in common
parlance, constitutes a 'good-looker.'
His truant eyes occasionally paid lin
! gering. but respectful, tribute to Miss
F'lossie's perfections. Her dartine
glances seemed to draw him somewhat
from himself.
Yes" he said; lit is my opinion
they are in New York; that they were
taken there by the Chinese servant
who disappeared"
She regarded the speaker tentative
ly; again passed caressing fingers over
| the bag. Bruce, from the side of a
newspaper he held before him, OBJ
served the gloved fingers moving soft
ly over the leather. The movement
held, fascinated him. He could not see
her face now; he saw only an ear
which peeped like pink sea-shell
| from threads of gold.
suppose" the girls tone had be-
come abruptly, irresistibly hard,
though she still used the battery of
her light glances-"that paper, left in
my uncle's box when the bonds were
taken, should again turn up? And
suppose it really contained some dis
tinguishing mark pointing directly to
one person, only one? Suppose all
this, l say; could you convict that
person OH this paper?" She bent
involuntarily little closer to Mr..
Bolger; the green eyes burned some
what brighter.
That gentleman seemed to shrink
back. He remembered a certain con-
| versation with Mr.. Samuel Page in the
latter's office. The elderly financier
had spoken of having lost the scrap of
paper referred to by his niece. The
detective had, on that other occasion,
concluded Mr.. Page had mislaid it.
But now? Mr.. Bolger continued to
study Miss Flossie: his gaze more
critical, steadier, full of a growing
knowledge of her. of all her words
implied. 1t may be that she began to
feel slightly uncomfortable.
"Of course" she laughed rather ner-
vously, this is all 'supposing.' / have
supposed a thousand such theories,
most of them just as wild, no doubt"
He slowly opened his lips. What he
had intended saying, however, was
not uttered; the train had come grad
ually to a stop. People looked out
over a hOuseless landscape. A little
accident ahead of them, said the por-
ter, passing at that moment down the
aisle. Number Eight, the Wells-Fargo
express, had met with slight mishap
to a car-coupling, a defective spring,
or something of the kind. They
would have to wait here few mo-
ments; the eleven thirty accommoda-
tion was also held up, farther down
the line Bolger rose with an express
sion of annoyance. Bruce held the
newspaper before his face, but neither
the detective nor Miss Burke looked
back at him. Both moved toward the
front and stepped out upon the plat
form to peer ahead; all the other oc-
cupants, except Bruce, sooner or later
followed their example.
That young man fingered a brief
while longer in the Pullman, then
Through the window he could see
James, the valet, on the green; far
ther toward the front of the train, Mr..
Bolger and Flossie. The breeze swept
the latters skirts eXhilaratingly
around her, the loose bits of blonde
| hair seemed to dance in consonance
with the daisies in the field. Bruce
noticed. however, the young woman's
lips were set hard with a determined
expression that rather marred their
vivid fullness. Miss Burke had finally
and irrevocably made up her mind to
something-to what?
Not long before, Bruce had consid-
cred a seemingly unconsidered pawn;
now, into the game, had been uneX-
| pectedly introduced new and more
important piece-a queen, full of CO.
| gency and power. The contest, already
sufficiently acute, on the face OF 1t.
suddenly developed a very one-sided
aspect, with Bruce, apparently hoping
against hope, looking for some happy
chance to extricate himself from the
constantly enlarging circle of hostile
forces.
You didn't hear any details at the
| last station?" he now asked the con-
ductor as that individual, with a look
of superior uncOncern, approached
Whether any damage was done to the
| messengers Or-the car carrying the
| express parcels? BY the way, what
would become of the latter, in case the
train should have been somewhat bad
ly wrecked"
"Oh, l suppose they'd he transferred
to the accommodation"
| Bruce's long, shapely fingers moved
slightly on the edge of the cane seat;
the accommodation, that Caglioni had
taken. Was it very close to the train
that was delaying them? 1t might be
came the reply.
Bruce forgot about Miss Burke now;
he had no room in his thoughts, on the
| instant. for Sir Archibald's valet. lr
his minds eyes he could see only one
r6gure; a little brown man, very use
ful. very helpful, anxious to he OF any
| assistance to the express employees
moving about vivaciously among the
parcels and packages, big and little
prying. peering, peeping, in the con-
fusion, the crowding about, securing
possibly one of the packages. Bruce
leaned back and half-clOsed his eyes.
How long they had remained here
stationary, already! He took out his
watch. Only five or six minutes, a,