The Madison journal., 1913-07-05

.G.G CT VINO WAS back OF thel |
sCh>me?"
NO. no;hiag: o. very little. There
WIS n,cnoy involved. could tell that
PEt 10 names were mentioned. nol
any places :hat can remember. Iop
see. VAS i'll from the effects OF the
chlo-oform. and frightened. too.
think"
u don't wonder" said Aleck. wrink-
! ling his hcmely face. He remained
! silent while he searched, mentally,
, for a clue.
II found out, through my maid. who
arrived today, that some one OF the
KIDNAPPING party had been clever
enough to send false message to the
hotel, explaining my sudden depar
ture."
Il see. | see" said Aleck, going over
the story in his mind. And presently,
Where does Hand come In! And
how did Jim happen TO be aboard the
Jeanne D'Arc?"
Hand was some sort Of henchman
to Monsieur Chatelard. i believe. And
he told me that your cousin was
picked up In New York harbor. swim
ming for life. it appeared. No one
seemed to know any more"
Aleck stopped short, looked at
Agatha. pursed his lips for a whistle
and remained silent. They had arrived
|, at the porch steps, and were tacitly
waiting for the doctors to descend and
give them, II possible. some encour-
, agement for the coming night. But
, the story OF the Jeanne DArc had
grown more complicated than Aleck
had anticipated. and much was yet TO
, be explained. Aleck was slow, as al.
) ways. in thinking 1t through, but he
. figured 1t out, finally. to certain
point. and expressed himself thus:
q That's the way with your steady fel
!. lows: they're all the bigger fools when
they do jump"
Pardon me, didn't catch"
= "Oh, nothing" said Aleck. half ir
ritably. 81 only said Jim needed
q poke, like that heifer over in the ne1'
L field" ,
Agatha understood the boyish frri
!, tation. cloaking the love OF the man
;. You may be able to get more infor
% nation about your cousin nom MI
Hand" she said. He would be likei!
10 to know as much as anybody.
= = We'll. however it happened. hei
u here now!"
a Though II It had not been for hi
- fearful struggle for me he would no
have been so ILL.," said Agatha mfsei
. ably. Aleck. with one foot on the io'
:, step Of the piazza. stopped and turne
souarely toward her. His face was n
less miserable than Agathas, but bt
~ hind his wretchedness and anxfet
was some masculine reserve OF power
). and a longer view down the corridor
"A of time. He held her eye with a loo
of great earnestness.
u love old Jim, Miss REDMOND
~ We've been boys and men togethe
and good fellows always. But don
., think that I'd regret his struggle II
:, you. as you call II, even II 1t shoul
mean the worst He couldn't hay
!, done otherwise, and / wouldn't hay
~ had him. And II it's to be "a hon
run-why, then, Jim would like tn
,A far better than to die of old age
" liver complaint It's all right, Mi
Redmond"
on Alexis slow words came with
N double meaning to Agatha She heal
through them. echoes of James Ha
. blaton's boyhood; she saw q picture
No. his straight and dauntless youth. 8
, held out to Aleck a hand that tre
H. bled. but her face shone with gra
-, tude.
NV Aleck took her hand respectful
W We kindly, In his warm grasp. Beside
w he said simply, I'VE won't give
VIZ He's got a ffghting chsuce yet"
CTo BE CONTTNUED)