Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-01

tho same movements with their lips. 50
that, without hearing sound you only
have 10 watch them very closely to know
what they are saying. or course, this
needs practice. and some people do It
better and quicker than others. | sup
pose l must have b special sort OF knack
in that direction, because ] do not re-
member time when. by merely watch
ing people speaking Mt distance, no
matter at what distance if I could see
them clearly. did not know what thoy
were saying.
When people nv they often dc, think
my skill at it borders on the marvellous
1 always explain to them that il is moth
ing OF tho kind. that mine is simply
case OF 'pracice makes perfect" This
knack OF mine. in a way, lie almost equiv
alent to another sense. II has led me
has been the cause of many really ex-
traordinary adventures I will tell you
Of one which happened to me when was
quite q child. the details OF which have
never faded from my memory.
Ny father and mother were abroad.
and I was staying, with some old and
trusted uervants. in n little cottage which
we had IN the country. I suppose I must
have been between twelve and thirteen
years Of age. ! vas returning by train
to the cottage from n short visit which
had been paying to some friends In my
compartment there were two persons be-
sides myself-an elderly woman who eat
In front OF me, and man who was at
the other end of her seat. Al n station
not very far from my home the woman
got out: man got in and placed him
self beside the one who was already
there. I could see they were acquuaint-
ances-they began to talk to each other.
They had been talking together for
come minutes in such low tones that
you could not only not hear their words,
you could scarcely tell that they were
speaking But that made no difference
10 me; though they spoke in the tniest
whisper 1 had only to look at their faces
70 know exactly what they were saying.
AS a matter of fact. happening to glance
up from the magazine l was reading, !
saw the man WHO had been there first
say to the other something which gave
me quite a start. What he said was this
Il only saw the fag-end of tho sentence)
Myrtle Cottage: it's got 6
great, old myrtle in the front garden"
The c'-" nan said something, but at
7
not see what; the tone in which he spok,
was so subdued that hearing was out OF
the question The first man replied
Whose face was to mel:
His name is Collegiate. He's an ole
bachelor, who uses the place as sum
mer cottage. He's got some OF tho fnes
old silver In England, There's a Charlel
ii salt-cellar in the place which woulc
fetch twenty pounds an ounce any
where"
The other man sat up erect and shool
lis head, looking straight In front o
him, so that I could see what he said
though he spoke only in a whisper.
"Old silver is no better than new; 70,
can only melt it."
The other nan seemed to grow quit
warm.
only melt it, Don't be a fool; 70,
don't know what you're talking about
That stuff at Myrtle Cottage is worth T.
rs we'll over a thousand; I shall be sur
prsed if ! don't get more for tt
The other man must have glanced n
me while l was watching his companion
speak. lie whispered to his friend:
That Internal kid Is watching us a
n she We're all eyes"
THO other sale: Let her watch. Mucl
GOOD may It do her; she can't hear
word gosgle-eyed brat"
What he .neart by google eyed"
don't know, and II was true that coul,
not hear! but, as It happened It wa
not necessary that should. 1 think tn
other must have been suspicious. be
cause he replied, II possible In smalle
whisper than ever:
Il should like TO twist her skinny nee
ana throw her out on to the line"
lie looked as II he could do Il too, sue
IN unpleasant look came into his eye
that II quite frightened m. 90 glance
back Mt my magazine. and left tho re.
CT their conversation unmatched.
But had heard. or rather seen, enoue
to set ne thinking. l knew Myrtle Co
tage quite well. and the big myrtle tire,
It was not very far from our own CO
tage And l knew Mr.. Collegiate and n
collection of old silver-particularly tn.
Charles II salt-cellar Of which he ws
so proud. What interest had II for the.
two men? I was go young and 30 sin
ole that It never occurred to me tn,
there could be anything sinister abo,
hese two whispering gentlemen.
They both of them got out at the at
lion before ours. / thought no mo
about them, but did think OF MI Col
gate and Of Myrtle Cottage. So aft
tea / went for stroll without saying
word to any one. My stroll took me
Myrtle Cottage.
II stood all by itself in a most seclud
situation on the other side of Woodba
row Common. When I got into the ga
den and saw that the front room windo
was open I Jumped to the very natur
conclusion that some one must be ther
went quickly TO the winfow and look
in. What I saw did surprise mo.
In the room was the man OF the train
the man who had been in my compal
ment first He had what seemed to I