Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-11-24
CHAPTER III,
THE DRAMA IN THE GARDEN.

/ glanced at my watch, as soon as I
was out Of bed. and saw that it was
after 10 o'clock. All the sleep l had
lost during the hot nights of the pre-.
last nine hours: I felt like a new man.
and when. half an hour later, Iran
downstairs. it was with such an APP
petite for breakfast as I.had not known
for a long time.
There was no one in the hall, and I
stepped o through the open DOR to
the porch beyond, and stood looking
about me. The house was built in the
midst of a grove OF beautiful old trees.
some distance back from the road, Of
which I could catch only a glimpse. 1t
was q small house. a story n a half
in height, evidently designed only as
a summer residence.
Good morning. sir" aid q voice be-
hind me. and l turned to find a pleas
ant faced gray haired woman standing
in the DOORWAY.
Good morning." ] responded. Il
suppose you are Mrs. Hargis?"
Yes, sir; and your breakfasts
ready"
"Has Mr.. Godfrey gomez"
Yes, sir; he left about an hou go.
He was afraid his machine would
waken YOU"
ut didn't" 1 said. as I followed her
back along the hall. Nothing short
OF an WOulu uaNS WOkGIl0u
me. All, this is fine!"
She had shown me into q 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 /
didn't linger to admire it. l don't know
when l have enjoyed breakfast so
much. Mrs. Hargis. after bringing in
the eggs and bacon and setting a lit
tie pot of steaming coffee at. my ell
bow, sensibly left me alone to the en-
joyment of 1t. Ever since that morn
ing. i have realized, that. to start the
fast by himself. amid just such II
roundings. %leisurely and without dis
traction. A copy of the mornings Rec
ord was lying on the table, but I did
not even open it. I did not are what
had happened in the world the day
before!
At last, ineffably content, stepped
out upon the driveway at the side Of
the house, and strolled away among the
trees. At the end of a few minutes,
I came to the high stone wall which
bounded the estate Of the myterious
W%orthington Vaughan, and suddenly
behind it. without much difficulty. I
found the tree with the ladder against
It, which we had mounted the night be-
fore. It was a long ladder, even in the
daytime. but at last I reached the top
and settled myself on the limb against
which 1t rested. Assuring myself that
the leaves hid me from any chance
observer. I looked down into the
grounds beyond the wall.
There was not much to see. The
grounds were extensive and had evil
IDENTIFY been laid out with care. but
there was an air of neglect about them.
as though the attention they received
was careless and inadequate. The
shrubberv was too dense, grass was
invading the walks. here and there a
tree showed a dead limb or a broken
one. Near the house was q wide lawn,
designed. perhaps. as q tennis court or
croquet ground. with rustic seats un-
der the trees at the edge.
About the house itself was q screen
Of magnificent elms. which doubtless
gave the place its NAME. and which
shut the house in completely. All L
could see Of It was one corner OF the
roof. This. however, stood out clear
against the sky. and It va here, evil
IDENTIFY. that the mysterious midnight
figures had been stationed. AZ I looked
ct Il. / realized the truth OF
Godffey's remark that prob.
ably from NO other point NJ vaptags