The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-18

dangers III lER- nlAnI. Dut he possessed keen ear and a sharp pair of eyes being a good hunter. A poacher. pos sibly. At any rate. he determined to go forward and ring the bell
 Both the park and the house were old Some of those well trimmed pines had scored easily a hundred and fifty years. and the oak standing be fore the house and dividing the view into halves was older still No iron deer or marble lion marred the lawn which he was now traverSing A sign of good taste, Gardeners had been at work here. men who knew their business thoroughly. He breathed the odor of trampIed pine needles mingled with the harsher essence of the sea. It was tonic.
 In summer the place would be beau t1fOL The house itself was built on severe and simple lines. It 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 It was exactly o'clock when he stepped up to the door and pulled the auClenI WDG DSll- A once uG Eaw signs Of life. The broad door opened. and an English butler. .hav- ing scrutinlsed his face. silently mo- toned him to be seated. The young man in search of an adventure select ed the far end of the hall seat and dandled his hat An English butler was a good beginning. Perhaps three minutes passed. then the door to the library opened and a young woman came out. Fitzgerald stood up. Yes. it was she
 ''So you have comeT There was welcome neither in her tone nor face. nor was there the suggestion of any other sentiment
 "Yes. I am not sure that I gave you my uame. Miss Killigrew." He was secretly confused over this enig- nautical reception
 She nodded. She had been certain that. did he come at all. he would come in the knowledge of who she was.
 CT am John Fitzgerald" he said
 She thought for a space. Are you the Mir. Fitzgerald who wrote the long article recently on the piracy in the Chinese seasP'
 "Tes," full of wonder.
 Interest began to stir her face. 'fIt turns out, then. rather better than expected 1 can see that you are pug zled. I picked you out of many yes terday on impulse because you had the sang froid necessary to carry out your jest to the end.''
 'I am glad that am not here under false cOiors. What 1 did yesterday was, as you say. jest. But. on the other hand. are you not playing me one in kind1 1 have much curiosity.
 "I shall proceed to allay it some what. ThisSSvill be no jest Did you come armedT'
 "Oh. indeed, nor' smiling.
 She rather liked that. ''I was won derinx if you did not believe this to be some silly intrigue"
 ''I gave thought to but two things. that you were testing or that you were In need of gentleman as well as a man of courage. Tell me. what is the danger and why do you ask me if I am armed?" It occurred to him that her own charm and beauty might be the greatest danger he could possi- ply face. More and more grew the certainty that he had seen her some where in the past
 s-Ah, if only knew what the dan ger was! But that 1t exists am posi- tive. 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 resided here. It Is really our summer home. 1 am not more than normally timorous- Some one we do not know enters the house at will How or why 1 can't unravel- Moth ing has ever disappeared. either mon ey, jewels or silver. though l have laid many traps. There is the huge fireplace in the library. and my room is above. I have heard tapping like some one hammering gently on stone I have examined the bricks and so has my. father, but neither of us has discovered anything. Three days ago I placed -four thiniy on the dagstone hoforQ tha f1reDIac0. There were foot