Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-04-29

| dDHfI dLiOnss That at van Nechten1
intimation that he desired to be left
alone, Tom stalked of to the billiard
room without a word.
! Unluckily for his peace OF mind,
he intruded upon two of his closest
cronies, and interrupted a desultory
game Of billiards. And the instant he
appeared he was assailed by a bonn
bardms At Of questions. all prompted
by eager curiosity respecting Number
1898 tragedy.
Say, YOU fellows. cut It outl" he
cried In desperation. I'm not going
to tell you anything at all I'm not
going to talk about it."
At which they were all the more
curious and eager, concluding that
Tom himself was in some way In
volved-or, at least, that he really
possessed some inside information.
This drew an explosion.
Il don't know a d thing about
it," Tom shouted, beating the air
with his hands. Il saw a lot of fell
lows going into the house, and a wom-
an Confound you chapsl Why
can't you let a fellow alone when he
wants to think by himself!'
"A Toman!" he was quickly taken
up by both. 'Who was she?"
But Tom relapsed into an obstinate
silence. He was angry and morose.
and his two friends left him in hun,
calling him impolite names and guy
Ing him for expressing desire to
put his mental processes through an
unaccustomed exercise. This made
him gloomier still. And when he re-
fiected that, after all, he had men,
toned the mysterious woman in the
taxi, his depression became acute.
He drove the balls around a de-
serted table with vicious jabs of his
cue, the while he too bewailed the
fate that kept him away from the
Carterets yacht. For he could not
think of availing himself of this
pleasure unless Rudy were along.
Toms income did not permit OF his
owning yachts or motor-cars; but
what he did not know about them
was not worth anyhodys time trying
to find out.
He was thus reminded of catboat
over at Rocky Cove, belonging to a
friend who was in Europe. and which
be could use whenever he wanted to.
He threw down his cue, hunted up
a timetable, then hastened home to
toss battered but wonderfully COM
Portable negligee outfit into a bag,
and HE himself over to Long Island.
, AS he passed through the lounging-
room-it is worth recording-Van
Vechten was bSqpding in his corner,
and so did not See him. Tom sur
yeyed him second or so, then con-
Guiding that he had better not break
in upon his cogitations, fastened
away.
While it was set daylight, Tom
found the sail where 1t was stored In
his friends boathouse, shipped the
single mast and rugged it up, then
went up into town after a box of pro-
visions. He meant to cruise around
the Sound for a day or two, thus Civ
ing Rudy plenty OF time to think.
and perhaps learn something definite
about his Cousin Paige's movements
into the bargain; afterwards they
might find time to join the Carterets.
He was profoundly disguated that a
girls caprice was depriving him and
Ruddy of a Jolly good time.
That night. after a couple of pipes,
he went to sleep in his little crafts
cabin, and before daylight he was
aStir and folfro~ a3va,toro - = HI.
off-shore breeze All day he loafed
around the lower Sound, enjoying
himself immensely and incidentally
emptying the provision locker to the
last crumb He viewed this circum-
stance with rueful laugh.
Moses and green spectaclesi And
thought l was laying in supplies
for weeks cruise!"
Then he laughed again -light-heart-
eddy this time-and trimmed about for
home.
Dusk was falling when he drifted
close in toward Rocky Cove. He was
possibly two miles OFF shore when
he heard the muffied exhaust and
warning pipe of motor-boat. And
here is where his adventure may be
said to have begun.
CHANGING back. he made out the
craft bearing down upon him under a
smother of spray OF her own kicking
up. She swept by so close to port |
that. despite the halflight. he was
a distinct view of several OF |
the boats occupants.
CTo BE CoNrINUED)