The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1912-07-05
The Man in the
Brown DerbV
q Great Summer Story of New YOx
BY Wells Hastines

After all. I was tired and nerves.:
even this sudden chance awois my tears
again vaulted the whitswaahsd raii
fence and started running across che
nelds, biundering through bits OF bog.
tearing impationtly through brisrs. and
once or twice almost failing on the de-
ceptivc. uneven ground.
made the veranda steps In . rush
the front door was open and I paused
. second. gasping In the hall
Nancy called. Nancy" and
stood sickly afraid.
Though my voice echoed holloway
through the house and knew. even o.
! called. that ] was all alone there. that
Nancy was Gone. nevertheless, I ran up
TO her room. only to md It empty. and
then started searching the rest Of the
mouse with an Abandonment OF terror
which has since made me heartily
ashamed. Empty room after empty
room Knocked and msnaced me. A b.,
OF embroidery lay on the dining room
table. and ] snatched II up. A. u. some
how. u might help mo md her. Ithrew
open the back door and called, and ran
out OF the house and through the or
ohard. calling Nancy. Nancy" to the
empty world. 80
Then. 40 when once or twice In my
NE have had to night. grew Of a SUD
den quiet. collected and cold. and went
back to mako . more methodicai search
OF the house. II was barely possible. ]
rejected. that she had made an excur-
eion to one OF the neighbors' places
taxing her hslper with her a. q guide.
Then. before making the rounds OF
the nsiShborhood. I determined to loos
our own house over thoroughly; for
unless indeed ahe had gone somewhere
with Nancy. ! could not account TO
employed.
was not to seek her long. however,
Tor ~ I re-entersd the kitchen, I
heard . sound which must have
heard before. save for the extremity
Of my PAM. the drumming Of asts
on the inside Of . closet door. The
door had been locked and bolted from
the outside. and my heart sank within
mo a. ] undid the lock. for I know
now that Nancy was surely gone. The
woman. whom had thought so secure
guardian. burst out upon me wruth-
fully.
what did you mean by that" Oh.
asked, her voice rising almost 70 .
ono"
Exactly what happensd," I sshsd
her. when ] had Gained her indisna-
tion somewhat.
Il don't know what did happen" ne
said. II thought Il was you. Your
young lady had gone upstairs for cone
time. and left me to put paper on the
closet shelves. While I wss werhhs
IN thsre some one slammed the door
behind mo and locked II. II frtGhtsasd
me nearly out of my senses. ana then
] thought As perhaps you were one Of
those young cut-ups. and had done II
for q Joke"
did you hear any noise n Ns
house" I asked her.
NO; ! heard nothing at all. sAs
replied dryly. I've been mskihG al
time. wnyr' 81. added d o: "H.s = -. ~:
thing happenedr'
I saw she had no information ~ os
and decided against letting her hnov
of Nancy's disappeAranca
NO" stammsred. nothing -
happened. really must apologize I
blunderod on. feeling that was iyipg
clumsily. but I am afraid that really
absent-minded, I don't remember "a
ing It. but I suppose I must have. We
had . closet at home very much like
this. and we had to keep continually
locking II to keep tho cat out must
have Just shut the door and turned the
key from force OF habit. when I went
through the kitchen; but give you
my word of honor. Mrs. Blake. that
didn't sec you"
Clumsy a. tho falsehood was, II struck
. fortunate chord.
That's Just like my father used 90
be-" she said. Tong about when ne
was ninety. lie was so bscnt-nhhded
he'd 20 upstairs to change his shoes
and 90 to bed risht In tho middle Of the
day"
She launched into q long series OF her
fathers peculiar and ent-minded
doinss. which In my agony I had 10
strive to listen to quietly for I was
very anxious to get her out OF the
house suspeoting nothing. a feat which
I finally accomplished by saying that
Nancy was mred out and resting and
that she wanted Mrr. Blake to he home
in time TO coof her own supper Then
] mounted the stairs again to Nancy's
room.
The late sun came ieveliy through the
windows. lighting It's furthest corner.
One chair lay on It's side. lace Won1
dow curtains were dlsarrsnged anl o
curtain cord had been ripped away W.T.
. force that had broken Its oM-tasps'
toned hook. That was all. But that .
was enough. Nancy had not soae pu
her own free will, and with muP1ss A.
my heart !. laughed aloud IN tie "
Gent roo0.