The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-12
BIOCERS
EARL DER R
Copyright. 1915. by abe Bobbs-Merrili
 Company

(C0nIluUe0t rI ain't,. sneered the mayor 'sBut no exquisite from your set with his little air gun ever scared me. You try to get away from here with that bundle and you'll find yourself all tan. gled up in the worst scrap that ever happened"
 .sWhere's the money. JoeT' asked Hayden
 ssYou won't wait''- Bland begged. esWait to get my own money-I guess notl Show me where it is.
 4Remember,'' put in Cargan, that moneys mine. And don't. have any pipe dreams about the law-the law ain't called into things of this sort, as a rule. guess you'd be the last to can it. You'll never get away from here with my money"
 MT. Magee opened the card room door farther and saw the figure of the stranger, Hayden, confronting the mayor. Mir. Cargan's title of exquis- ste best described him. The new conner was tall, fair, fastidious in dress and manner. A revolver glearn- ed in his hand
 ..Joe,s he said firmly, take ne to that money at once.
 .Tfs out here" replied Bland. He and Hayden disappeared through the dining room door into the darkness. Cargan and Max followed close be- hind.
 Hot with excitement Mir Magee slipped from his place of concealment. "A battle fit for the, gods was in the air. He must be in the midst of it. Perhaps again in a three cornered fght 1t would be the third party that would emerge victorious.
 In. the darkness of the dining room he bumped into Q limp. cIinging figure II proved to be the hermit of Baldpate mountain.
 s1 got to talk to you, MT. Magee.' he whispered in a frightened tre1nolo. s.I got to have a word with you this min ute.''
 Not nowYs cried Magee, pushing him aside. Later
 The hermit wildly seized his arm.
 ssNo, now,'' he said. There's strange goings on here, MT. Magee< got something to tell you-ab0ut package of money found in the kitchen
 MT. Magee stood very still Beside him in the darkness he heard the her nit's excited breathing.
 Undecided, MT. Magee looked toward the kitchen door, from behind which came the sound of mems voices. The hermit of Baldpate fairly trembled with Esws-
 esince broke in on you yesterday morning. he said in low tone, ''one thing has followed another so fast that I'm a little dazed-"
 s<You have nothing on me there, Pe- ters,v Magee answered.
 AWeu," went on the hermit, Gas I say, through all this downpour of peo- pie, including women, I've hung on to one idea. I'm working for you. That's why feel I ought to give what Information got to you"
 Mfr. Magee agreed timpatiently.
 ssWhere you find women" Peters continued, ssthere you find things be yond understanding. History
 --Get to the point
 ssWen, yes. This afternoon I was hunting around in the big refrigerator with a candle, thinking maybe some little token of food had been left over from last summers rush--something in can that time cannot wither nor custom stale, as the poet says-and away up on the top shelf, in the dark est corner, I found little package.
 There was money in that package lots of it; enough to found a uni versfty or buy woman,s gowns for a year. | was examining it careful-like when shadow came in the doorway. looked up''-
 Who?D asked Magee breathIess1y
 sThat 1ittle, blinky eyed, Professor Bolton was standing there, most owl ish and interested. He came into the refrigerator. That package you have in your hand, Peters, he says, belongs to me I put it in cold storage so it would keep. I'll take it now We'll, MT. Magee, Pm peaceful man. l could have battered that professor into learned sort of jelly if I'd wanted to, but I'm a great admfrer of Mr. Carnegie On account of the library, and go in for peace. I knew it wasn't exactly the thing, but
 You gave him the package7
 s@That's hardly the way I would put it, Mir. Magee- made no outcry or resistance when he took it. I'm just cook I says, fin this house I ain't the trusted old family retainer that re tafns it's fortunes like a safety deposit vault So I let go the bundle. It was weak of me, I know, but I sort Of got the habit of giving up money being married so many years"
 Peters said MT. Magee, 'Pm sorry your grip was so insecure, but I'm mighty glad you came to me with this matter"
 "He told me I wasn't to mention ii to anybody" replied the hermit, @sbut as I say, sort of look on it that we were here first, and if our guests get to chasing untold wealth up and dowr the place, we ought to let each other in on its'
 "Correct," answered Magee s4You are a valuable man, Peters. I want you to know that I appreciate ths way you have acted in this affair ycnr shadowy figures tramped fl through the dining room door.
 CHAPTER XVII.