Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-12-19

hOSDltaDle SWeetueSb anu qudlhNhNSp'
Tall hollyhocks lifted their flowers to
smile In Mt the old fashioned windows
Here and there on the well kept lawn
peonies glowed, crimson and white. A
great, clambering rese tree had thrown
its arms around the square porch !
softening the uncompromlsing angles
into curves of leafage and bloom,
Along the paths pansies laughed Mt
the sun. and mignOnette scattered its
scented summons to bee and butter
fly. The place was Il loved place; so
much Kent felt with surencss Of in |
ltinct No home blooms except by love,
But the house was dead. Its eyes
were closed. Silence held 1t, The gar
den buzzed and hickercd with vivid !
multicolored life, but there WAS no
stir from the habtation of man. Had
its occupants deserted it?
From the far side Of the mansion :
came the sound OF a door opening aud y
closing again. Moving quickly along .
the sumac fringed course OF the creek, >
Kent made detOur which gave him
view of side entrance and had bare !,
/ ly time to elface himself in the shrub
berry when a light wagon, with spir-
tied horse between the shafts, turned
briskly out into the road. Kent well
sheltered, caught one brief sufficient
glimpse of the occupant, 1t was Dr.
Breed. The medical officer looked, rs
always, nerve beset, but there was
greedy smile on his lips.
Kents mouth puckered He took a,
deep breath of musical inspiration and
exhaled it in painful noiselessness,
aattenlng himself amid the grecnery
as lie saw a man emerge from the rear
of Hedgerow house. The man was
Gansett jim He carried a pick and
spade and walked slowly. Presently
he disappeared in the willow shaded
place Of mounds. The sound Of Ills toll
came, mualcd, to the ears of the hid
den man.
Cautiously Kent worked his way,
now IN the stream, now through the
heavy growth on the banks, until he
gained the roadway Once there he
went forward to the front gate OF
Hedgerow house. Kent paused for
the merest moment. His gaze rested
on the heavy black door. Heavier and
backer against the woodwork a pen
dant waved languidly
10 the normal human being the girls
ly msignium Of death over Il portal is
, provocative Of anything rather than
mirth But Chester Kent, viewing the
, Grape on Hedgerow house, laughed as
: he turned TO the open road.
Meditation fuwOwcd the brow OF
! Lawyer Adam Balm, Nobody versus
Sedgwlck" grumbcd he, Public opln
. ion versus Sedgwick,' he amended,
. "How's n self respecting lawyer going
to earn n fee out Of that? And Len
l SchMgcr standing over the grave Of
u tue corpus delicti with warrant
igulnst searching, so 10 speak, IN his
: hand, For that matter, this Professor
u Kent worries me more than the shcr-
iT"
: A sharp humming rose In the air nnd
brought the idle counselor TO his win
dow, whence he beheId the prime nu'
thor Of his bewlderment descending
, from car A minute later the two
v men were sitting With their feet on one
y, desk, fairly good sign Of mutual re-
- spcct and confidence.
"Blair?' said Lawyer Balm, NO, /
- don't know him, not even to see. Took
y, logg's haven, didn't hef'
" "rhcn he doesn't use this postolllcey'
II "No Might use nny one Of half n
dozen See here" He drew county
p map from n shelf, Here's the place.
- Seven railroad stations on three diff.
ferent roads within ten miles Of It.
n Annuluka would be way out Of his
.. reach
r "Yet Gansett Jim seems to be known
~ here"
"Oh, Is II Blair that the Indian works
,t for? never knew, Closcr'n deaf
n mute with locRjNw, he is, Well, | ex.
pect the reason he comes here occa
o. slonaly is that it's the nearest license
,r town,
NJ "Lo the poor lnlun when he wants 8
10 drink
\, win walk ten miles as easy as you'C
w wink"
,s "Do you know most Of the postoIIiccs
~ around hereY'
: "1hcrc isn't but one postmaster with
J. In twenty miles that don't call by his
l.. hrst name, ana she's postmlstress,'
~ Nv Then YOU could probably lind out by
y =. telephone whore the blair family gel
W their mail"
~ "Easy"
q, "And perhaps what newspapers the,
w, Take"
wy. "lt'm! Yes, | guess so"
" "rry It ~ soon us YOU get back"
Il, Rack from whcrcy
." "Bnck from the medical officer
place think he must have rcturnc,
%, by this time"
~, "You want to see Thu BrcrdT
" NO; Just his records, Burial per
M mIts suppose, are matter Of publ
+. record
IN "irs An you've got 10 do II to g
anl ask for cm. lou won't need me.
"Rcweltublc ns his Ind taste ls.
ny said Kent with a solemn face, 81 fen
that Dr breed dopsnt regard me wit
,ut That confidence nud esteem which on
Il. b.. =. h..