The Washington herald., 1911-02-10

and the oak, standing before the house
and dividing the view into halves. was
older STILL No iron deer or marble lion
marred the lawn which he was now ira
versing: sign of good taste. Gardeners
had been at work here men who knew
their business thoroughly. He breathed
the odor of trampled pine needles min
gled with the harsher essence Of the sea.
1t was tonic.
In summer the place would be beau
tiful. The house itself was built on
severe and simple lines. 1t was quite
apparent that in no time Of its history
had it been left to run down. The hall
and lower left wing were lighted. but
the inner blinds and curtains were drawn.
He did not waste any time. 1t was ex-
actly o'clock when he stepped up
to the door and pulled the ancient wire
bell. At once he saw signs of life. The
broad door opened, and an English but
Ter, having scrutinized his face. silently
motioned him to be seated. The young
man in search of an adventure selected
the far end Of the hall seat and dandled
his hat An English butler was good
beginning. Perhaps three minutes passed,
then the door to the library opened and
young woman came out. Fitzgerald
stood up. Yes; it was she.
so you have Gomez" There was well
come neither in her tone nor face, nor
ment.
Yes. I am not sure that 1 gave you
my name. Miss killigrew." He was
secretly confused over this enigmatical
reception.
She nodded. She had been certain that
did he come at all, he would come in the
knowledge OF who she was.
Il am John Fitzgerald" he said.
She thought for a space. Are you the
Mr.. Fitzgerald who wrote the long article
recently on the piracy in the Chinese
seas?'
YES full of wonder.
| Interest began to stir her face 1T
turns out. then. rather better than
expected. I can see that you are puzzled.
l picked you out of many yesterday, on
impulse, becS use you had the sang-froid
necessary to carry out your jest to the
end
Il am glad that ! am not here under
false colors What | did yesterday was.
as you say. a jest But. on the other
hand. are you not playing me one in
kind? ! have much curiosity
! II shall proceed to allay it. somewhat.
This will he no jest. Did you come
armed?'
''Oh. indeed. no." smiling.
She rather liked that. Il was wonder
ing if you did not believe this to be some
silly intrigue"
that you We're jeSting, or that you were
in need of d gentleman as well as man
of courage. Tell me, what is the danger,
and why do YOU ask me if ] am armed?"
1t occurred to him that her own charm
and beauty might be the greatest danger
he could possibly face. More and more
grew the certainty that he had seen her
IL newhere in the past
"Ah. if I only knew what the danger
was. But that it exists l am positive.
Within the past two weeks. on odd
nights, there have been strange noises
here and there about the house. especially
in the chimney. My father. being slightly
deaf. believes that these sounds are
wholly imaginative on my part This is
the first spring in years We have re-
sided here. Ii is really our summer home.
I am not more than normally timorous.
Some one We do not know enters the
house at will. How or why l can't un-
ravel. Nothing has ever disappeared,
either money. jewels. or silver. though
| have laid many traps. There is the
huge fireplace in the library, and my
! room is above. / hove heard tapping.
like some one hammering gently on stone.
have examined the bricks and so has
my father. but neither of us has dis
covered anything. Three days ago l
placed -four thinly on the flagstone be-
fore the fireplace. There were footprints
in the mornng-of rubber shoes. When
I called in my father. the maid had un-
| fortunately cleaned the stone without
observing anything. So my father still
holds that | am subject to dreams. His
secretary. whom he had for three years.
has left him. The buffers and servants
quarters in the rear of the other
wing. They have never been disturbed" "
Il am not a detective. Miss killigrew,"
he remarked, as she paused.
% hrt To no afi in
vention and of good spirit. Will you
help me?'
! In whatever way l can His Opin-
ion at that moment perhaps agreed with
that of her father. Still, test could
be of no harm. She was charming
young woman. and he was assured that
beneath this present concern there was
lively. humorous disposition. He had a
month of idleness. and why not play
! detective for a change? Then he recalled
the treSpaSser in the park. By George,
| she might be right.
Come, then. and I will present you
to my father. His deafness is not so
bad that one has to speak loudly. To
| speak distinctly will be simplest
She thereupOn conducted him into the
! library. His quick glance, thrown here
and there absorbingly. convinced him
| that there were at least five thousand
| volumes in the cases. magnificent pri-
| vate collection, considering that the
| owner was not a lawyer. and that these
books were not dry and musty precedents
| from the courts of appeals and supreme.
! He was glad to see that some of his old
| friends were here. too, and that the
! shelves We're not wholly given over to
! piracy. What hobby to follow! What
adventures all within thirty square feet!
! And a shiver passed over his spine as he
! saw several tattered black flags hang
| ing from the walls: the real articles. too,
now faded to a rusty brown. Over what
smart and lively heeled brigs had they
f1oated. these sinister jolly rogers? For
! in room like this they could not be
! other than genuine. All his journalistic
| craving for stories awakened.
| Behind a broad. fiat. mahogany desk,
with a green-shaded student lamp at his
! elbow. sat a bright-cheeked. white haired
man. writing. Fitzgerald instantly recog-
nized him. Abruptly his gaze returned to
the girl. Yes: now he knew. 1t was stu
pid of him not to have remembered at
! once. Why, il was she who had given
the bunch of violets that day to the old
veteRn in Napoleon's tomb. To have
! remembered the father and to have for
! gotten the daughter,
| Il was wondering where I had seen
! you. he said lowly
/ Where was that
| I'm Napoleop's tomb. nearly a year