Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1914-04-02

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narry-slmpiy. am convinced, be.
cause could not insist without fore.
ing myself upon her. No. no; / am
much too fond of her for that. And as
for another love affair, what earthly
reason is there for her making a secret
Of Il? She Is not girl given to ro-
mantle fancies or schoolgirl sentl-
mentality; she is Of age, her own mis-
tress; and were she to learn, as |
havs, that II is possible for either Of
us 10 care for somebody else In way
different from our present feelings to-
ward each other, why, she couldn't let
me know 1t fast enough. That's Paige
If anybody must be hurt, have 1t
over and done with as soon as pos
! sible"
Il am beginning to form a pretty
fair idea OF your cousin" observed Mr.
Flint. Her intelligence, courage and
| Independent character mako II all the
more necessary that learn everything
possible about Max Willard. suppose
that she and Mrs. Devereaux are very
much attached to each other7"
Paige and Josephine? l can't say
they are like mother and daughter
Josephine's heart is much too young
for that-chums would be more nearly
accurate. Yet Mrs. Devereaux has
been q mother to Paige, and the very
strongest ties Of affection and conf
dence bind them together"
Mr.. Flint slowly nodded his head, as
II these disclosures were right in har.
mony with whatever theory he was
| evolving.
"One thing more" said he. at is
strange that it has never occurred to
| you, with your intimate understanding
of your cousin. that nothing at all has
happened to her; that her prolonged
absence without communicating with
relatives or friends is an act of her
own free will"
But It did occur to me-" Van Vech.
ten contradicted. And IT is my knowl-
edge OF Paige that renders such a
hypothesis wholly absurd"
Again Mr.. Flint nodded understand
ingly.
Now" eaid he, "Ill answer your
question as 10 why / attach so much
Importance to finding Max Willard; al
though what have already told you
should supply the explanation. want
to discover the motive that Influenced
Temple Bonner to disregard his own
iron-bound system Of doing business
and establish a precedent by interpos-
ing personally in the case Of the house
across the street. 1t is remarkable
that he should do such a thing for any.
body. II Max Willard is alive, the old
friendship would supply that motive.
Then 1t would be high time to get in
touch with Willard and learn what
he's up to-"
Perhaps" Van Vechten reflectively
offered, Temple Bonner's sentiment
about the house extended to preserv-
ing everything just as 1t was when he
was attentive to Miss Henrietta. But
he has never come back to it,"
THAT was precisely the impression
gathered. Aside from the gold purse,
found nothing whatever of any inter.
est to my Investigation"
Van Vechten asked carelessly:
III one were minded to, could one
get in?"
The detective smiled "Are you
thinking of attempting IT."
Maybe ! shall-if the obstacles in
the way are not insurmountable. You
see, Flint, may stumble upon some
thing Of value as a clue; something
that was meaningless to you with your
scant knowledge Of family traditions"
The detective passed a fiat key
across the table, saying merely: THE
back door; you reach it through the
alley"
Van Vechten pocketed the key.
Turning to Tom, Mr.. Flint had Just
asked him to recount his Rocky Cove
experience, when the arrival OF an
other messenger boy with q fresh
bundle Of cablegrams interrupted
| him.
These messages were the remaining
replies to those sent by Van Vechten
In the morning, and, in addition, a no.
tifcation from the telegraph company
of failure to deliver the cablegram to
Paige at Paris.
They proved to be similar in tenor
to those received earlier in the day
one and all they declared entire igno-
rance of Paige Carew's whereabouts.
CHAPTER TX.
I'm Enfant Perdu.