The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-10-27
[coNT1NUED.l
CHAPTER Nv.
HALF A DISCOVERY In THE WOODS

W dWdkC Oh ShG AAAOAA AA6 AVA-
N lowing their arrival at Pay
toms mysterious lodge. and
immediately she called Susan.
II am SO in hopes that my friends
have arrived" she said. II want to
get downstairs as soon as possible"
Susan hastily dressed herself, her
mistress in her impotence performing
her toilet unaided. and then they de-
scended. 1t was not, much after 8
o'clock, but Payton, as usual. met them
In the hall.
"Please send Susan back at once to
get your wraps. Miss Grayman," he
said. 1T is cold this morning. but you
will enjoy spin on the water to give
you IAN appetite for breakfast"
But my friendsT"
"Oh. not so earlyv' he said, laugh
ing. "They have laid up for the night,
not being as familiar with the woods
as I am, but they'll be along in the
course Of the morning. Send, / beg
you, for your wraps. You cannot d.
vine how charming the woods are at
this hour. Every bird is awake, and
the trout are leaping for JOY"
Miss Grayman concealed her disap-
pointment and sent Susan for the
wraps. Once more in Payton's COM
pany. she felt her spirits revive. He
was more entertaining than ever. And
the air, the water and the forest were
equally delightful-so cool. fresh, fra.
grant and musical. 1t was a new life
for Miss Grayman. and she began to
feel the zest Of it. Her thought of
yesterday came to her again, and once
more her face flushed.
If her friends really had intended to
throw her into the company of Com
modore Brown and get her interested
in him in this unconventional way be-
fore a formal presentation she was
hardly disposed to find fault with them
for the indiscretion.
He padded them up the stream to
pool below the rapids. The trout were
flashing on all sides in the bright
morning air. and here and there along
the shore strange birds rose and hut-
tereu OH Ut their apprOdcn.
They landed in little blight among
the rocks and stepped out on the elas-
tic bed of brown pine needles.
''See here" and he pointed to de-
preston alongside huge stump; "a
bear slept there last night"
"A bearw
Eyes. Look; here are some Of its
hairs. And just come this way Bit"
and he approached sandy spot on the
shore. "Do you see those hoof prints?
Three deer have taken a drink here be-
fore you were up"
"Oh,1I should so love to see a real
wild deerp'
'Then perhaps I'll show you one be-
fore you are day older. And If you
are skillful in the sports of Diana we
may have some vension of your kill
ing.".
81 believe I can fire a gun without
shutting my eyes," said Miss Gray
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
she had seen on the Chameleon ap-
preached and handed a slip Of paper to
>Payton. He read 1t and, frowning,
snapped his fingers, exclaiming, half
under his breath: by Jove, that's
really too bad! / am sorry to have to
announce slight mishap. which.
while 1t accounts for the delay of our
friends, also makes it certain that they
cannot reach us this morning"
The blood fed from Miss Grayman's
face. She felt an inexplicable premo-
milton Of evil.
"Oh. don't let 1t 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
1.-THE secret isn't open yet, you
know" he said with deprecatory
smile, land Of course l can't 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.
AS he finished he cunningly and as
II totally unaware slipped aside his
thumb. and she saw that II had COW
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 60 to the rescue.
I would by all means have you go
along in order that you might the SOON
er meet your friends; but, unfortu-
nately, I 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