The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-22


 strangely fat had stepped with him What if there had not been that ad- vertisement 1T a private secretary : How then sb ouId he have gained a footing in thi house7 Well, here he was, and spec lation was of no value. save in a co: gratulatory sense. The fly in the nm CT was the presence of the young American Fitzgerald shrewd and clever. might stumble upon someth nR. We'll, till against that tiIneI
 "Pirates!"' is laughter broke forth, not loudly. bu. deeply. fired by a broad and ready seE of humor-a perilous gift for a mar who is seeking fine haz- ards. It was droll; 1t was even fam tastic. To CT tse about the world in search of pira treasures. as if there remained a siI gle isle. shore. promon- tory, known to have been the haunt of pirates whIrh had not been dug up and dug up again And here. under the very hand He struck his palms. '@Why n0t?"
 He ran to the window. The sleek white yacht lay tugging at her cables like an eager houL d in the leash. ''Sea- worthy from stem to stern. Why not? No better cloak ii an thls. I may not make you a good secretary. admiral. but, the gods proI itiOuS. can. if needs say must. take you treasure hunting. It will be a fine stroke. Is ft possible that fortune begins to smile on me at last7 We'll, ! have had the patience fo wait. The hour has come, and for tune shall not fln1 me laHgard. Tt has been something 10 wait as l have. nev- CT to have spoken never to have for -a..Sak A. IR--aw- me to crime. Wa [, fools, waitP'
 He drew his ar 1s tightly over his Aea wing breast. fIr he was deeply moved. while 0ve1 his face came that Indednablo light which. at times. H. tuminates the cor Ntenance of a great man It came and went. as a flash of lightning betrays the oncoming storm.
 The chimney! His heart missed a beat. He had forgotten the chimney. The reaction affected him like blow. A snarl twisted his mouth. What was the chimney to any other man2 Only he of all men knew. And yet here was some one stealthily at work. fore stalIing him. kno king the bottom out of his great dream. There wa noth- ing pleasant in the growing expression in his face. 1t was the tiger. waking. There could be only one way
 Swiftly he dashed to his trunk. iknelt and examined the lock. unEcrewed 1t and took out the documents more precious to him than the treasures of a hundred Captain Kidds- Instantly he returned to the window. Nothing was missing. But here was something ne had never noticed before On Che face of the slip of parchment-a diagram. dim and faded-was an oily thumb mark. The oil from the lock. nothing more. Doubtless he himself had touched 1t. How many times had his few belongings7 How often had he smiled7 Stin. to quelI ali rising doubts. he rubbed his right thumb on the lock and made a second impres- sion- The daylight was now insufh- cient. so he turned on the electricity and compared them Slowly the scars deepened i'll they were the tint of cedar. Deaths hand itself could not have fascinated him more than the dIssimilarify of these two thumb prints. He said nothing. but a queer little strangling sound came through his lips.
 Who7 Where7 His heart beat so violently that the veins in his throat Bwelled and threatened to burst. But he was no weakIing. He summoned all his will He must act and act at once. immediately. Fftzgerald7 No. not that clever. idIIng fool. But who. Who7 He replaced the papers and the lock hidden menace. Question as he would there was never any answee.
 He practiced the. pleasant deceit that the first mark had been there when the diagram had been given to him It was not possible that any enc had discovered his hiding place. Had he not with his own hands contrived it. alone and without aid. under that ac- cursed mansard roof7 Not one of his coadventurers knew. They had ad- vanced him funds on his word His other documents they had seen These had sufnced them Still back 1t came with deadly insistence. Some one was digging at the bricks in the chimney. The drama was beginning to move. Had he waited too Iong7
 Mechanically he proceeded to dress for dinner. Since he was to sit at the family table he must 1t his dress and manners to the hour. He did not re- Sist the sardonic smile as be put on his fresh patent feathers and his new din 1CE GOdIs ne rCCAAicu lt1kGtdA0 H 40AA concealed glances of pity the last time they had dined together.
 In the room across the corridor Fitz- gerald was busy with a similar occupa- tlOn- The only real worry he had was the doubt of his luggage arriving be- fore he left He had neither tennis clothes nor riding habit. and these two pastimes were here among the regular events Of the day. The admiral both played and rode with his daughter. She was altogether too charming Had she been an ordinary society girl he would have stayed bis welcome thread bare perhaps; but. he repeated. she was not ordinary She had evidently been brought up with few Illusions. These she possessed would always be bers.
 'SO much for suppositions and analy- sis?' panted Fitzgerald. reknottIng his silk kia ssAM fnP VVan | -avn Nr Nh. rr-