The Ocala evening star., 1911-06-16
The House
of the
Whispering
Pines
By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN
Copyright. 1910. by Anna Katharine
PohIfs
CHAPTER VII.
Il CAN HELP YOU.


"a in and about the clubhouse
~ and Sweetwater was ready for
the road. Musing and nut
tering. he plOdded up the road. his
Insignificant figure an unprOmising
break in the monotonous white Of the
wintry landscape. Under ordinary cir
cumstances Sweetwater would have
met not more than half dozen carts
or sledges between the clubhouse gates
and the city streets. But today the
road was full Of teams carrying all
sorts Of incongruOus people, eager for
q sight Of the spot made forever no
torious by a mysterious crime He
noted them all-the faces of the men,
the gestures Of the wOmen-but he did
not show any special interest till he
came to that portion OF the road where
the long line of half buried fences
began to give way TO few scattered
houses. Then his spirit woke, and be
became quick. alert and persuasive.
He entered houses; he talked with the
people. Though evidently not a dis
sipated man, he stopped at several
saloons, taking his time with his glass
and encouraging the chatter OF all
! who chose to meet his advances. He
! was a natural talker and welcomed
/ every topic. but his eye sparkled at one
/ only This he never introduced him.
/ self; he did not need to. Some one
was always ready with the great
theme and once it was started he
did not let the conversation languish
/ till every one present had given his or
/ her quota of hearsay or opinion to the
! general fund.
/ 1t seemed great waste of time, for
nobody had anything to say worth
+ the breath expended on it.
/ He had left the country road behind
and had entered upon the tumble of
sheds. shops and streets which marked
the beginnings of the town in this di-
rection when his quick and expert
enced eye fell on woman standing
with uncovered head in an open door
way, peering up the street In anxious
expectation of some one not yet in
sight 4 second survey Of the wo-
mans face convinced him that his or
binary loquaciousness would not serve
him here. There was refinement in
her aspect quite out Of keeping with
the locality in which she lived. and
he was hesitating how to proceed
when fortune favored him by driving
against his knees a small lad on an
i'll directed sled, bringing him almost
to the ground and upsetting the child,
who began to scream vociferously.
It was the woman's child. for she
made instantly for the gate. which. for
some reason. she found difficulty in
opening. Sweetwater was at his best
with children, and. catching the little
fellow up, he soothed and fondled him
and finally brought him with merry
air Of triumph straight to his mother J
arms
He had in his pocket an ingenious
little invention which he had exhibited
all along the road as an Indispensable
article in every we'll kept house. He
wanted to show ii to her, but il was
too cold a day for her To stop outside
| Wouldn't she allow him to step in and
explain how her work could be ma
terially lesSened and her labor turned
to play by q contrivance so simple that
q child could run 1t?
II was all SO ridiculous III face of
this woman's quiet intelligence that
he laughed at his own words. and this
laughter. echoed by the child and in
another instant by the mother, made
everything so pleasant for the moment
that she insensibly drew back while
he pulled open the gate. only remark
ing as she led the way in:
Il was looking for my husband. He
may come any minute. and I'm afraid
he won't care much about coutrivances
to save me wOrk-that is. If they cost
very much"
Sweetwater, whose hand was in his
pocket. drew it hastily out.
You were watching for your hus
band! Do you often stand in the open
doorway looking for him."
Her surprised eyes met his with 8
stare that would have embarrassed the
most venturesome book agent. but this
man was of another ilk
If you do he went on imperturb
ably. how much would give if yor
had been standing there last Tuesday
night when certain cutter and horse
went by on its way up the hill"
She was self contained woman
this wife OF a master mechanic in OF,
Of the great shops hard By. but he,
Jaw fell at this. and she forgot t
chide or resist her child when be be
gan TO pull her toward the open kitch
en- door.
You were looking out" venture(
Sweetwater. And you did see tha
horse and cutter What luck, 1t ma,
Have a mans life"
Save" she repeated. staggering baci
few steps and dragging the child
, with her. Save a mans life, Wha
60 you mean by that?"
Not much if il was any cutter an,
any horse and at any hour. But If !
d was the horse and cutter which left III
Whispering Pines at 10 or half past i
that night then it may mean life O
death TO the man now IN Jail unde
the dreadful charge Of murder
Catching UP her child. She slid int
the kitchen and >at down with ii I,
the first chair She came 10. Sweetwi
ter, following her, took up his stand il
the doorway. u"obtrUsive. but patient
iy waiting for her to speak.
Who are you:' she asked al length
You have not told NE your real bus
hess
4 am detective on the lookout 70
evidence in the case have just men
t.0ued- | have 4 theory thar d mos
important witness in the same drov