River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-05-01
(Which is impossible


should die-in that case Stephen
inherits the money. And there is no
doubt but that Stephen needs money"
Aleck pondered for several minutes,
while grave shadows threatened his
face. But presently his smiling, un-
quenchable good temper came to the
surface, and he gleefully tucked Me-
lanie's hand under his arm.
las l said before, you need hus-
band very badly"
"Oh, don't know" she laughed.
The result of Alexis moment OF
grave thought came few days later
with the arrival of two quietly-dressed
men. He told Melanie that one man
was her chauffeur for the white ma
chine, and the other was an extra hand
he had engaged for the return trip
on the Sea Gull The chauffeur, how
ever, for one reason or another rare
ly took the wheel, and could have
been seen walking at a distance be-
hind Melanie whenever she stirred
abroad. The extra hand for the Sea
Gull did just the same as the chauf-
feur.
From the day of the arrival of the
manager, Mr.. Hands rather mysteri-
Gus but friendly temper underwent
change for the worse. He not only
continued silent, which might easily
be counted virtue, but he became al
most sulky, which could only be called
a crime. There was no bantering
with Sallie in the kitchen, scarcely a
friendly smile for Agatha herself Mr..
Hand was markedly out Of sorts.
On the morning following Mr..
Straker's request that Hand should re-
pair the car, the manager found him
tinkering in the carriage shed near
the church. The car was lacked up on
horseback, while one wheel lay
near the road. Mr.. Hand was as grimy
and oily as the law allows, working
over the machinery with sort OF
vicious earnestness. Mr.. Straker how
cred around for few moments, then
addressed Hand in that tone of
pseudo-geniality that marks certain
type of politician.
Look here, colonel, I understand
you were in the employ of that French
anarchist
1t was an unlucky moment for at
tack, though Mr.. Straker did not at
once perceive it. Hand carefully wip-
ed the oil from a neat ring of metal,
slid down on his back under the car
and screwed on a nut AS Mr.. Strak-
er, hands in pockets and feet wide
soSn
came through the silence and the
sweet air the sound Of thrushes call
ing from the wood beyond. Mr.. Strak-
er craned his head to look out at the
church, then at the low stone wall,
as if he expected to see the SOngsters
performing on stage before row Of
footlights He turned back to Mr..
Hand
That's right, is it? You worked for
the slippery Mounseer?"
"Uh-m," Hand grumbled, with a
screw in his mouth Something like
that
"What'd you do?"
"I've found where she was wrenched
in the turnover Got to have new
pin IOT Lulb OIL WHEEL USlOIc 6OS0
much farther"
"All right, I'll order one by telegraph
today. What'd you do, I asked"
Hand wriggled himself out from un-
der the car and got on his feet He
thrust his grimy hands deep into his
pockets, stood for a moment con-
templative and belligerent, as If un-
decided whether to explode or not,
and then silently walked away.
AS Mr.. Straker watched his figure
moving slowly toward the kitchen, he
started long low whistle, expressive
of suspicion and doubt. Midway, how
ever, he changed to a lively tune
whose title was 1--WE got him on the
run"-a classic just then spreading up
and down Broadway. He took few
turns about the car, looked at the gear
ing with knowing air, and then went
into the house.
If he had been small boy, his
mother would have punished him for
stamping through the halls; being a
grown man and visitor he may be
described as walking with firm, bold
| LICdO II AAnAAy hO Woo oOAO ~ uA
down Agatha, who was comforting
with Sallie in the library.
Sallie shifted in scorn of Mr.. Strak-
er. whom she disliked far worse than
Mr.. Hand; nevertheless, as she left
! the room she twisted up her bingham
apron and tucked it into it's band in a
vague attempt at company manners.
Mr. Straker lost no time in attacking
Agatha.
What d'you know about that chauf-
| feur-nurse and general roustabout
that's taking care OF your young gen.
tleman upstairs" he inquired bluntly
Innocent of subtlety as Mr.. Straker
was, he was nevertheless keen enough
to see that Agatha's instincts took
alarm at his words. Indeed, one skilled
in reading her face could have detect
ed the nature of the uneasiness writ
| ten there. She could not lie again, as
she had unhesitatingly lied to the
sheriff; neither could she abandon her
| position as protector to Mr.. Hand.
| She wished for cleverness of the sort
! that could throw her manager off the
scent, but saw no way other than the
direct way.
Nothing know almost nothing