Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-01-17

His next move was to test the depth
of the partition by inserting his finger
/ in the hole he made. He found it
stopped by some obstacle before il
had reached half its length, and anX-
ious to satisfy himself of the nature
of the obstacle. he gently moved the
tip OF his finger to ard fro over what
was certainly the edge of a book.
This proved that his calculations
: had been correct and that the open
ing so accessible on his side. was
completely yelled on the other by the
books he had seen packed on the
shelves. He had even been careful
to assure himself that all the vol
umes at this exact point stood tar
enough forward to afford room behind
them for the chips and. plaster he
must necessarily push through with
his auger and also-important coD5id-
eration-for the free passage of the
sounds by which he hoped to profit.
But it was days before he could
trust himself so far. Meanwhile their
acquaintance ripened. though with no
very satisfactory results. The detec-
tive found himself led into telling sto-
ries of his early home-life to keep
pace with the man vino always had
something of moment and solid in
terest to impart This was undesir-
able. for instead OF calling out a cor
responding confidence from Brother
son, it only seemed TO make his con-
versation more coldly impersonal
In consequence, Sweetwater sudden
ly found himself quite well and one
evening, when he was sure that his
neighbor was at home he slid softly
into his closet and laid his ear to the
opening he had made there. The re-
suit was unexpected. Mr.. Brotherson
was pacing the floor and talking soft
~ to himself.
At first, the cadence and full mu-
sic OF the tones conveyed nothing to
our far from literary detective. The
victim of his secret Vaccinations was
expressing himself in words, words
that was the point which counted
with him. But as he listened longer
and gradually took in the sense of
these words. his heart went down
lower and lower till it reached his
boots. His inscrutable and ever dis
appointing neighbor was not indulg-
ing in self-communings OF any kind
He was reciting poetry, and what was
worse, poetry which he only half re.
membered and was trying to recall
an incredible occupation for a man
weighted with a criminal secret.
Sweetwater was disguised, and was
withdrawing in high indignation from
his vantage-point when something oc.
CURED of a startling enough nature to
hold him where he was in almost
breathless expectation.
The hole which in the darkness of
the closet was always family visible.
even when the light was not very
strong in the adjoining room, had
suddenly become a bright and shining
loop-hole, with a suggestion of move
ment in the space beyond. The book
which had hid this hole on Brother
sons side had been taken down-the
one book in all those hundreds whose
J GluONdl lui tdltHtu oWeSlWGIGT
schemes, if not himself.
For an instant the thwarted detec-
tive listened for the angry shout or
the smothered oath which would nat
urally follow the discovery by Broth
erson of this attempted interference
with his privacy.
But all was still on his side of the
wall A rustling of leaves could be
heard, as the inventor searched for
the poem he wanted, but nothing
more. In withdrawing the book, he
had failed to notice the hole in the
plaster back of it. But he could hard
ly fail to see it when he came to put
the book book Meantime, suspense
for Sweetwater
1t was several minutes before he
heard Mr.. Brotherson's voice again. |
then it was in triumphant repetition |
of the lines which had escaped his !
memory. They we're great words !
surely and Sweetwater never forgot !
them, but the impression which they |
made upon his mind, an impression so |
them, months afterward to Mr.. Gryce. |
did not prevent him from noting the |
tone in which they were uttered, nor |
the thud which followed as the book |
was thrown down upon the floor.
FOOL" The word rang out in bit |
ter irony from his irate neighbours |
lips. What does he know of woman! |
Woman! Let him court a rich one |
and see-but that's all over and done |
with. No more harping on that string, |
and no more reading of poetry. I'll |
never" The rest was lost in his |
throat and was quite nnintelligible TO
the anxious listener
Self-revealing words. which an in
slant before would have aroused !
deepest interest, But
they had suddenly lost all force for
the unhappy listener. The sight of
that hole still shining brightly before
his eyes had distracted his thoughts
and reused his liveliest apprehensions.
II that book should be allowed to lie
where it had fallen, then he was in
'or a period of uncertainty he shrank
rom contemplating. Any moment his
,eighbor might look up and catch
sight of this hole bored in the backing
Of the shelves before him. Could the
nan who had been guilty of submit
ing him To this outrage stand tbo