Gilpin observer., 1913-01-30
CHAPTER vIII.-(contInued.)

bunuhy.
CHAPTER VIiI.-(continued.)
Want 1t fine?" he whispered. Talk
mighty! Say, Mr.. Ellery. don't you
ever tell a soul how it really was. will
your"
mo. of course not"
mo. / know you won't You won't
tell on me and won't tell on you.
That's a trade, hey?"
The minister stopped in the middle
OF his step.
"What?" he said, turning.
Mr.. Pepper merely smiled. winked,
ard shut the door. John Ellery reflect
ed much during his homeward walk
The summer in Trumet drowsed on,
as Trumet summers did in those days,
when there were no boarders from the
city. no automobiles or telephones or
antique" collectors. The Sunday din
ners with the Daniels family were al
most regular weekly functions now.
He lodged them when he could. but
he could not do SO often without tell
ing an absolute lie. and this he would
not do. And. regularly. when the sol
smn meal was eaten, Captain Elkanah
vent upstairs for his nap and the Rev
erend John was left alone with Anna
Eel. Miss Daniels did her best to be
entertaining. was. in fact. embarrass-
fngly confidential and cordial. 1t was
hard work to get away. and yet. some
how or other. at the stroke OF four,
the minister always said good-by and
took his departure.
What is your hurry, Mr. Ellery?"
begged Annabel on one occasion when
the reading OF Moore's poems had
guests sudden rising and reaching for
his hat. II don't see why you always
80 SO early. It's so every time you're
here. Do you call at any other house
on Sunday afternoons?"
NO." was the prompt reply. "Oh.
no."
Mrs. Rogers said she saw you CO.
ing across the fields after you left
here last Sunday. Did you go for e
walk?"
"Er-er-yeS, did"
Il wish you had mentioned 1t. l 1--we
to walk. and there are SO few people
that l find congenial company Are
you going for a walk now?"
why, no-er-not exactly"
I'm sorry. Good-by. Will you come
again next Sunday? or course you
will. You know how dreadfully disap-
pointed I--we-shall he II you dom. !"
Thank you, Miss Daniels. enjoyed
the dinner very much. Good after.
noon"
He hurried down the path Annabel
watched him go. Then she did an odd
thing. She passed through the sit
ting room. entered the front hall, went
up the stairs. tiptoed by the door of
her fathers room. and then up anoth.
er flight to the attic. From here a
steep set Of steps led to the cupola
on the roof. In that cupola was
spyglass.
Annabel opened window a few
inches. took the spyglass from its
rack. adjusted 1t. laid It on the sill
Of the open window and knelt. the
glass at her eye. The floor Of the
cupola was very dusty and she was
wearing her newest and best gown.
but she did not seem to mind.
Through the glass she saw the long
slope Of Cannon Hill. with the beacon
at the top and Captain Mayo's house
near It. The main road was deserted
save for one figure. that Of her late
caller. He was mounting the hill in
long strides.
She watched him gain the crest and
pass over 1t out Of sight. Then she
shifted the glass SO that It pointed
toward the spot beyond the curve of
tho hill. where the top Of thick
group Of silver-leafs hid the parsonage.
Above the tree tops glistened the
white steeple Of the Regular church.
II the minister went straight home she
could see him. But under those silver
leafs was the beginning Of the short
cut across the fields where Didama
had seen Mr.. Ellery walking on the
previous Sunday.
Slowly she moved the big end Of the
spyglass back along the arc 1t had
Travelled. She found q speck and
watched It. It was a man, striding
across the meadow land, a half mile
beyond the parsonage. and hurrying
in the direction Of the beach. She