The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-04-23
CHAPTER Xl.--Continued.

Wonders will never cease!" said
the young man easily, Struggling.
Wen, our quarry is here somewhere.
From the way the dogs act l should
say he's bolted into the house With
your permission I'll take one of them
in and see He stopped and snapped
a leash on dog-collar
I'm really very sorry" said Valiant,
hat I'm living in it at present
The edge of smile lifted the care
fully trained mustache over the
others white teeth. 1t had the per-
fectly courteous air of saying, "Of
course. if you say SO. But
Valiant turned, with a gesture that
Included all. If you care to dismount
and rest he said, Il shall be honored,
though I'm afraid l can't offer you
such hospitality as | should wish
The Judge raised his broad soft hat.
'1'lank you, SIR he said, with a soft
accent that delightfully."- disdained the
let er r." But we mustn't intrude
an; further AS you know, of course,
tbs place has been uninhabited for
any number Of years, and we had no
idea II was to acquire a tenant. You
viii overlook our riding through, |
hope I'm afraid the neighborhood
has got used to considering this sort
OF no-rnan's land. It's a pleasure to
knuw that the Court is to be re-
claimed, sir. Come along, Chilly he
a0oed. Our fox has a burrow under
the house, | reckon-hang the cunning
little devil.''
He waved his hat at the porch and
tArGed his horse down the path, side
by side with the golden chestnut.
After them troopeG the others, horses
Walking YEARLY, riders talking in low
voices, the girls turning often 20 send
swift bird-like glances behind them
TO where the straight masculine figure
stiit stood with the yellow sunshine on
his face. They did not leap the wall
this time, but filed decorously through
the swinging gate to the Red Road.
THIN, as they passed from view be-
hind the hedges, John Valiant heard
the younger voices break out together
like the sound of bomb thrown into
a poultry-yard.
John Valiant stood watching till the
last rider was out of sight There
was warm flush of color in his face.
At length he turned with a ghost
OF a sigh, opened the hall door wide
and stalking a hundred yards away,
sat down on the shady grass and be-
gan to whistle, with his eyes on the
door
Presently he was rewarded. On
sudden, around the edge of the sill
peeced sharp, suspicious little muz-
gle. Then, like a flash of tawny light,
the fox broke sanctuary and shot for
tho thicket
The brown ivied house in the vii
Iase was big and square and faced the
sleepy street one-storied wing con-
tanned a snail door with doctors
brass plate on the clapboarding be-
side it. Doctor Southall was one of
MRS Merryweather Mason's paying
guests-for she would have deemed
the word boarder a gratuitous insult,
no less to them than to her Another
was the major, who for a decade had
occupied the big old-fashioned cor
"ner-room on the second floor, com
pa:,icned by INDUSTRIOUS gray cat and
waited on by an ancient negro named
Jeeeboam, who had been slave of
his fathers.
che doctor was a sallow taciturn
man with saturnine face, eyebrows
like frosted thistles, mouth as if
made with one quick knife-slash and
q head nearly bald, set on neck that
would not have disqualified year
hing OK.
OE this particular morning neither
the major nor the doctor was in evil
deuce, the former having gone out
early, and the latter being at the mo-
nlent in his Office, as the brassy buzz
of a telephone from time to time an
nounced Two of the green wicker
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