Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-11-25
CHAPTER III.
THE DRAMA IN THE GARDEN.

I glanced at my watch, as 500 as I
was out Of bed. and saw that 1t was
after 10 o'clock. All the sleep I had
lost during the hot nights of the pre-.
yiOus week had been crowded into the
last nine hours: / felt like a new man,
and when. half an hour later, l ran
downstairs, it was with such an ap-
petite for breakfast as I had not known
for a long time.
There was no one in the hall, and I
stepped out through the open door to
the porch beyond, and stood looking
about me-. The house was quilt in the
midst OF a grove Of beautiful old trees.
some distance back from the road, of
which I could catch only q glimpse. 1t
WA o. small house, q story and a half
In height. evidently designed only as
= summer residence.
Good morning. sir" said a voice be-
hind me. and I turned to find a pleas
ant faced gray haired woman standing
In the DOORWAY.
Good morning" | responded. II
suppose you are Mrs. Hargis?"
Yes. sir; and your breakfasts
ready.
"lIas MT. Godfrey gomez"
Yes, sir: he left about an hour ago.
He was afraid his machine would
waken YOU"
s'It didn't" ! said, as I followed her
back along the hall. Nothing short
OF an earthquake would have Weakened
me. All. this is ane!"
She had shown me into a pleasant
ROOM, where a little table was set near
an open window. 1t made quite a pic
ture. with it's white cloth and shining
dishes and plate OF yellow butter, and
bowl OF crimson berries, and-but 1
didn't finger to admire 1t. / don't know
when have enjoyed breakfast so
much Mrs. Hargis. after bringing in
the eggs and bacon and setting a lit
~ IA mt nj ctnn ~ ~ ny xpnFfNA NJ 49,
bow, sensibly left me alone t. the en-
joymentc.of IT. Ever since that norm
Ing. + have realized that, to start the
day exactly right, a man should break
fast BY himself. amid Just such sur
roundings. ~leisurely and without dis
orr was lying on the table. but I did
ntts ven open it. ! did not care what
had happened in the world the day
hefore!.
At last, ineffably content. I stepped
nut upon the driveway at the side of
the house, and strolled away among the
trees. At the end Of a few minutes,
] came to the high stone wall which
bounded the estate of the myterious
WOrthington Vaughan, and suddenly
b wish came to me to see what lay
behind, 1t, Without much difficulty, /
found h tree with the ladder against
It. which we had mounted the night be-
fore. It was a slong ladder, even in the
daytime, but at last I reached the top
n settled myself on the limb against
which 1t rested. Assuring myself that
the leaves hid me from any chance
Obserss3r. / looked down into the
grounds beyond the wall.
There was not much to see. The
krounds were extensive and had evil
IDENTIFY been laid III with care, but
there WA al mir of neglect about them.
9 though the attention they received.
vas careless and Inadequate. The
shrubbery was too dense. grass was
invading the walks. here end there a
tree showed a dead limb or a broken
me. Near the house was u wide lawn.
PERHAPS. as a tennis court or
croquet ground, with rustic seats uti-
der the trees at the edge.
About the house itscl1 was a screen
OF maEniticent elms, which doubtless
nav h gplnce Its ran1e, and which
shut the house In Gompletely. All 1
c0uld seesof It was one corner OF the
roOf. This. however. stood out clear
AGAINST the s8y, and ii was here, Svi-
Sdcntly, that the mysterious midnight
S09ures had been stationed. AZ looked
Sek%It. Realized the truth of
g00dfrey's remark that prob
IDLY from no other point OF vantage
but Just this would be Visible.
3@S!f did not take me many minutes to
sAxhAust the anterestaof this empty pros
pct. more especially since my perch
$500 slauythtnE but comfortable, and I
N4eSA410nts to descend when two white
EDbedSa11El1re appeared at the edge OF
tie Opsn AK near the house and
SFalkedssg0Wly across IT / settle back
tss ;sas NSseh made me- 1s,.saia'S III s d IL
1usssarssSaGt M thnt these we're the two
eHSsS0rs1lipera&I did mot doubt.
lteaF AlHtan was so great that their
6ess ASs2sre the snlarast b!:lrs but i,