Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1915-06-29
lcopyright. 1914. By harold MacGrashj

messengers and printers with sticky
galleys in their hands; reporters were
banging away at their typewriters,
and intermingling you could hear the
ceaseless clickety click from the tele'
graph room.
The managing editor came out OF
his Office and approached the desk OF
the night city editor.
Editorial page gone DOWN."
Twenty minutes ago. said the
night city editor.
Il wanted stick on that Panama
rumpus."
TOO late"
where's Jim Norton?"
"At the chamber of commerce ban
quet. The major is going to throw
bomb into the enemy's camp"
Nothing on the Hargreave stuff?"
mo. Guess I'd better put that in
the cubbyhole. He's dead"
mo will found yet?'
mot piece as big as postage
stamp"
THAT will leave the girl in tough
place. No will, no birth certificate:
and, worst of all, no photograph of
the old man himself. l don't see why
jim sidestepped this affair. He the
only man in town who knew anything
about Hargreave."
HE hasn't given it up; but he wants
to cover it on his own, turn the yarn
over when he's got it. no false alarms.
"Ah. So that's the gamer
Eyes; and Jim is the sort every pa
per needs When the time comes the
story turns up. if there is one. Here
he is now. Looks like an actor in the
fourth act OF q drama Good1ookfng
chap, though"
Norton came in through the outer
gates. He was in evening efGShssas. toy
hat. A dead e1gareEra GaagIsG be-
tween his Lips.
How much ia YgsI VALE" azsfsst tie
night cry esffEar
Column and i haIE'
"Cf win Eallr gsftf rIgsH
ANYTHING sgIHdg' HE4iiEzsf Elig H1zE1sE s
ing asfitur
'''EEIH Iiff haH dHan i5lznzne.t en- tight
Va vine IN az1E rssssIsIl'azI1 a41ar G1la
1ilnnniE mieE-Hu ia a-rgludiIu al CIV
eay gInnaan N u1Hu'
''sEnDfl yval.sEs GssD III IT,
II wasE m1e GGiaslf when MsIl-zar
turned In miss iass siiHan OF amy and
sfaItesf fhIT limne Lust nlfsiidts the
entrances to- ttie building mifln with q
8inuGfI hat dfasvtn dmy1n apar Eiia sHga
stamped forward.
"1zr NdI-Dlrg'
''Tas' Norton stepped bath any
pfeiausIg
The orl1er eiillcaleds rzisasd a1f asv-
cred hia bar swiftly
Good LoUd' uurrnursf the ~
porter.
VIII you take rials VIII me m :
taxi?"
"An the way to Syracuse, IL geg say
so. Well, I'll be tinker d.
No names, please"
What took place n that tsxtcsb was
never generally known But AZ ten
o'clock the next morning Norton sur
prised the elevator boy by going oct
Norton proceeded downtown TO the
national bank, where he deposited
$4,000 in bills of large denominations.
The teller had some difficulty in count
ing them. They stuck together and re-
tanned the sodden appearance OF
money recently submerged in water.
Florence was delighted at the idea
OF a coaching party. Often during her
schoolgirl days she had seen the fash
ionable coaches go careening along the
road, with the sharp, clear note of the
bugle rising about the thunder of hoofs
and rafting of wheels. Jones was not
enthusiastic; neither was he a killjoy.
Florence.
Il, Miss Florence"
"The countess invited you especially.
You will go with a hamper"
"Ah, in my capacity as butler; very
good, Miss Florence" To her he gave
no sign of his secret satisfaction.
The hour arrived, and the gay party
DoWled away. They wound in and out
of the streets toward the country to
the crack of the whip and the blare OF
the horn. Florence's enjoyment would
have been perfect had it not been for
the absence of Norton. Why hadn't
he been invited? She did not ask be-
cause she did not care to disclose to
the countess her interest in the re-
porter. They were nearing the limits
of the city, when the coach was forced
to take sharp turn to avoid an auto
mobile in trouble. The man puttering
at the engine raised his head. 1t was
Norton, and Florence waved her hand
vigorously
"A coaching party" he murmured;
"and your Uncle James was not invit-
ed! oh, very WE'LL" He laughed, and
suddenly grew serious. 1t would not
hurt to find out where that coach was
going.
He set to work savagely, located
the trouble. righted it, and set off for
.snA HaEgreaxe bone. He found Susan