Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-12-11
cHAPTER III.-contlnued.

(r1AF Z " lIfs-OontlnueC.
At half past five | just about gave
up. 1t was dark outside, and nothing
inside but freight. Suddenly |
seemed to feel somebody looking at
the back OF my neck and ! turned
around. There was a man standing
outside one of the windows. staring in.
My first thought, of course. was
that it was Mr.. Dick, but just as the
face vanished saw that 1t wasn't. 1t
was older by three or four years than
Mr. Dicks and bit fuller.
I'm not nervous. I've had to hold
my own against chronic grouches too
long to have nerves, so / went to the
around the corner just then and l
could see him plainly in the freight.
He was covered with snow, and he
wore a sweater and no overcoat, but
he looked like a gentleman.
Il beg your pardon for spying" he
said, but the fire looked so snug!
I've been trying to get to the hotel
over there, but in the dark I've lost
the path"
That's not hotel" l snapped, for
that touched me on the raw. That's
Hope Springs Sanatorium, and this is
one of the springs. You'd better come
in and get warm"
He shut the door behind him and
came over to the fire.
I'm pretty well frozen" he said
Don't be astonished if | melt before
your eyes; I've been walking for
hours"
Now that ! had a better chance to
see him I'd sized up that drawn look
around his mouth.
Missed your luncheon, suppose"
] said, poking the fire log. He grinned
rather sheepishly.
We'll, / haven't had any, and I've
certainly missed it," he said. Fast
ing's healthy, you know"
"Nothing's healthy that isn't nat
ural," ! declared. IF you'd care for
a dish of buttered and sailed popcorn,
there's some on the manteI It's pretty
salty; the idea is TO make folks thirsty
SO they'll enjoy the mineral water"
Think of raising a thirst only to
drown " with spring water!" he said.
But he got the popcorn and he ate
1t all. If he hadn't had any luncheon
he hadn't had much breakfast. The
queer part was-he was a gentleman;
his clothes we're the right sort, but
he had on patent leather shoes in all
that snow and an automobile cap.
/ put away the glass while he ate.
Pretty soon he looked up and the
drawn lines were gone. He wasn't
like Mr. Dick, but he was the same
type, only taller and heavier built
"And SO 1t isn't hotel" he remarked.
"Well. I'm sorry. The caravansary in
the village is not to my liking, and
had thought Of engaging a suite up
here. My secretary usually attends to
these things, but-don't take away all
the glasses, Heb beg your pardon
but the thirst is coming"
He filled the glass himself and then
he came up and stood in front of me,
with the glass held up in the air.
"To the best woman / have met in
many days." he said, not hooking but
serious. 81 was about to lie down and
let the little birds cover me with
leaves" Then he glanced at the empty
dish and smiled. ITO buttered pop
cornl Long may 1t wave!" he said,
and emptied the glass.
Well, l found couple of apples In
my pantry and brought them out, and
after he ate them he told me what
had happened to him. He had been a
little of everything since he left col
lege--he was about twenty-fve-had
crossed the Atlantic in catboat and
gone with somebody or other into
some part Of Africa-they got lost
and had to eat each other or lizards,
or something like that--and then he