The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-19

Il believe l can ire a gun without shutting my eyes," said Miss Cray man, laughing. But of course we shall postpone the proof until the ar rival of the others"
 "Of course. and they ought to arrive at any moment now"
 Upon their return one of the men shes had seen on the Chameleon ap- preached and handed slip of paper to Payton. He read it and. drowning, snapped his fingers. exclaiming. half under his breath: ''By love, that's really too bad! I am sorry to have to announce slight mishap, which, while it accounts for the delay of our friends, also makes it certain that they cannot reach us this morning.
 The blood fled from Miss Grayman's face. She felt an inexplicable premo- milton of evil
 "Oh, don't let it distress you," said Payton cheeringly. Here, please read this dispatch. just come by wireless. have electric communication with all parts, so we are not lost, you see"
 He held the paper before her. cover ing the lower corner where the sigma ture would be with his thumb.
 "The secret isn't open yet. you know" he said with a deprecatory smile. land of course can's let you see the name'
 She read:
 Brown Camp Bear:
 Aero broke down near Pettytown. Bring repair tools. All send greetings and re- grets to Miss Grayman. t.f..
 As he finished he cunning1y and as if totally unaware slipped aside his thumb. and she saw that it; had GOV cred the name Mitchell"
 "Sorry my pledge compels me to conceal the signature" he said, fold ing the paper. You see. it will, be necessary for me to go to the rescue would by all means have you go along in order that you might the soon- CT meet your friends; but, unfortu- nately, shall have to take all my available men and some machinery so that the Chameleon will be loaded to her limit. So for few hours you will be free from my attentions. which for my part I deeply regret. But you will find Mrs. Williams most entertaining in her way. And in the library there is a stock of the latest novels.''
 At first Miss Grayman did not know what to reply. the thing was so unex- pected. It was really the Mitchells of Washington, then, who were at the bottom of this affair. and she wonder ed that she had not thought of them at the very first, for now she recalled how the two Mitchell girls and their brother were always engaged in some practical joke on their friends with pleasant ending.
 They must have written to her father, letting him into the secret. and. knowing his dislike to having her long out of his sight. she felt sure that he was one of the party on the disabled aero
 "Oh, go by all means" she said. "We shall get along very we'll in this delightful place. provided" she added archly. ''that that bear doesn't come this way.''
 "No fear" said Payton. laughing and secretly rejoicing to see how we'll ev- erything played into his hands. Bears never venture near the lodge. Then there is Indian John. who is dead shot, to say nothing of Mrs. Williams. the two chambermaids and the walters. So you will have garrison capable of withstanding a regular, siege by the bears"
 As soon as the breakfast was finish ed Payton took his leave. and the aero. rising gracefully. f1oated off over the trees and disappeared.
 Miss Grayman was now filled with agreeable anticipation. In few hours she was sure that she should see her father
 Miss Grayman felt that she could paddle the,c we'll enough. and ac- cordingly after they had enjoyed for an hour the scene from the veranda she and Susan embarked. Mrs. Will Hams ran down to the landing. offer .ing to take the paddle or to send for clfned all assistance.
 When they had entered the inlet and were out of view of the lodge Miss Grayman turned to the shore. and they disembarked in delightful lit- tie cove overhung with pendulous branches beside an enormous hchen covered rock which she had noticed and admired during their former trips. Here they sat down on the sweet scented moss and chatted.
 .r@ like to know where Pettytown is," said Miss Grayman. q never heard of the place before. suppose it is some little backwoods town. Commodore Brown said he could go there in an hour and a half. and suppose that means that it is at least 15O miles away. We're somewhere in New York state. I think. and I am still inclined to believe that it is the Adirondacks. But what's the use of guessing? We shall know in a few l. hours. Let's take a stroll. There seems to be kind of path here. Per haps we shall discover something in- teresting"
 "But it might have been made by the bear." said Susan in alarm. "Oh. I'm not much afraid of bears. Commodore Brown said that they were not dangerous. Indeed. I'd real ly like to see one The bears in the geological gardens never interested me. but here it's different-here where they live. And just think. we may 500 daorf Come m and don't he