The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-28
BIOOERS
CContinued5g
Copyright. 1915. by the Bobbs-kerri1l
 Company

(Continued1
 AfaEee -.I must visit Baldpate next summer. Shall shall you be here ?''
 ssItss so amusing" she smiled, ignor- ing the question. You'll enjoy it. And it isn't all fleet and admiral. There's happiness and romance and tWhispering on the stairs At night, NsvThen the lights are all blazing and the band is playing waitzes in the Casino nand somebody is giving a dinner in the grill room and the girls fit about in the shadows, looking too sweet for Words-well, Baldpate inn is rather enfrancfng spot I remember those nights very often now. ,
 Many men have loved you" he said. ~Are you reading my palm? she asked, laughing
 tsNo-your face,'' answered Mir Ma gee Many men have loved you, for very few men are blind I am sorry was not the man on the stair or on the mountain in the moonlight, Who knowg7 might have been the favor ed one for my single summer of joy.i'
 s@The autumn always came, 7 smiled Ethe girl
 stIt would never have come for me, . he answered. Wont you believe me when say that have no part in this strange drama that is going on at Baldpate2 Won't you credit it when I say that have no idea why you and the professor and MT. Bland are here nor why the mayor of Reuton has the fifth key2 Won't you tell me what it all means 2,
 eI mustn't she replied, shaking her head '.I can trust no one, not even you. F mustn't believe that you don't know-itss preposterous I must say over and over-even he is simply ywiH you pardon flirting, trying to learn what he can learn [ must-''
 You can't even tell me why you wept in the statIong'
 For simple silly reason I was afraid I had taken upSa task too big for me by far-taken it up braveIy when T was out in the sunlight of Reuton. But when saw Upper As- quewan Falls and the dark came and that dingy station swallowed me up something gave way inside me. and I felt was going to fail Sol cried. A womans way
 If were only permitted to helpv- MT. Magee pleaded
 Nc, I must go forward alone. II can trust no one now. Perhaps things will change hope they wills'
 .Idsten,D said MT Magee. q am telling you the truth. Perhaps you read a novel called aThe Lost Lfmou- sine 7 He was resolved to claim it's authorsf1ip. tell her of his real pur- pose in coming to Baldpate and urge her to confide in him regarding the odd happenings at the inn.
 Kes, said the girl before he could continue. sI did read it. And it hurt me It was so terribly insincere. The man had talent who wrote it, but he seemed to say It's all great biz joke I don't believe in these people myself. I've just created them to make them dance for you. r Don't be fooled only a novel I don't like tnat sort of thing. want writer really to mean all he says from the bottom of his heart
 MT Magee bit his lip. His deter naination to claim the authorship of .sFhe Lost Limousine, was quite gone. z1d want him to make me feel with his people the girl went on seriously. And he can't do that if he doesn't feel himself, can he7o
 William HaIIowelI Magee actually hung his head
 s.He ,can't,'' he confessed softly. You're quite right. like you inn mensely-more than I can say. And even IT you 1eei you can't trust me want you to know that I'm on your side in whatever happens at Baldpate inn You have only to ask and am your ally
 Thank you,' she answered. q nay be very glad to ask I shall re- member" She rose and moved to- ward the stairs. we had better dis perse now The rocking chair fleet will get us if we don't watch out 7 Her small slipper was on the first step of the stair when they heard a door slammed shut, and the sound of steps on the bare floor of the dining room Then g husky voice called .sEIand
 MT Magee felt his hand krasped by a much smaller one, and before he knew it he had been hurried to the shadows of the landing "tEhe fifth key" whispered a scared little voice in his ear. And then he felt the faint brushing of finger tips across his Hps A mad desire seized hin to grasp those fingers and hold them on the lips they had scarcely touched. But the impulse was lost in the thrill of seeing the din ing room door thrown open and a great bulk of a man cross the floor of the office and stand beside Hands chair. At his side was q thin waif who had not unjustly been termed the mayor of Heuton's shadow.