Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-06-03
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blue serge coat. The visitors had made
no move to depart, although. strangely
enough, both We're thinking of it at
the very he put the question.
"Goodness!' Mary in
wonder.
The grim face of the newcomer re-
Taxed into a smile of se~lf-praise. He
took note of the curious expression III
Eric's eyes.
No, Pm not Il mind reader" he said,
answering the unspoken question, but
offering no reason for his deduction,
which, after all. was not so wonderful
when you stop to consider that the
Blagden dinner hour vas close at
hand.
It's our dinner time, explained Eric,
arising. Say. Mr.. Adams. you've got
me guessing about certain things
What. for instance?"
"Oh. fancy YOU know"
Il was getting some high class legal
advice" said Adam, again answering
did o happen to see your cousin out
along Stone Wall an hour or so ago?'
NO. cried the Midthornes.
Adam leaned back in the rustic
bench and blew smoke n the air. Il
just wondered. that's ALL" he observed.
WAS he out there? demanded Eric.
FL asked me to meet him out there
at four-thirty. Guess he forgot about
it," said the other. more complacently
than you would expect OF a man who
had taken a long walk to no purpose.
AS a matter of fact, he knew that
Chetwynd had gone to the rocks to
keep tho appointment, but had slipped
away on discovering that his cousins
were there before him Whatever his
business with Adam Carr may have
been. he did not choose to nave them as
possible Wit esses to the transaction.
What did he van to see o for
asked Eric eagerly.
"He didn't say replied Adam Carr
soberly.
What is the mystery?" begged Eric.
There's no mystery about it," said
the other truthfully. 1t had ceased TIC
be a mystery so far as he was con-
cerned. You'd better skip along now,
or your aunt will Jack you up for be-
ing late to dinner There was finality
well to pursue the subject. A few min
utes later. he and Mary took their de-
parture, old JabeZ accompanying them
to the gate.
Adams a mighty curior Teller" the
old man explained alphabetically.
They glanced over their shoulders at
the motionless man on the bench. He
had stopped smoking and was resting
his elbows on his knees, staring in
tently at the ground, apparently
oblivious' to all that was going on
around him.
AT the dinner table that evening,
Chetwynd was unusually sullen and
preoccupied. He chafted at delays
and in two or three instances spoke
sharply to the waitress when she
seemed to be longer thar necessary in
transit from pantry to dining room. For
u wonder, his father did not rebuke
him for this display or irritation, but
was painfully silent himself. Eric,
eovertly watching his cousin, was
struck by the worn peevish look in his
face and the hard line between his
brows. He did not fail to observe that
Gaetwynd deliberately avoided looking
at him.
From time: to time, he shot a
~singularly penetrating glance at
Mary, whose gaze seldom left the plate
before her. Eric felt his blood boil.
There was a mena In every glance
that Chetwynd bestowed upon the girl.
Immediately after the meal came to
an end, young Bladgden took up his
hat, and with a curt word or TWO TO his
mother, left the house. Eric knew
whittier he was bound.
He heard his cousin come in at s
o'clock or Il little after, and go quietly
to his room. without stopping in the
library where his parents were reading,
Later on. Mrs. Blagdep passed down
the hall and tanped on her sons door.
Have you another headache tonight
iear?" he heard her ask, after she had
tried h knob of the locked door. He
could not catch Chetwynd's reply, bu,
aer next words We're significant. We'll
don't snap my head off, please"
Eric lay awake for hours, specializing
on what had transpired at Judge
Of Chetwynd was satisfying in one
sense, but disturbing in another. The
visit plainly was not of a social nature
nor friendly, it might be reasonable to
surmise. He could not have been at
Judge Bright's for more than half an
hour, q circumstance which made ii
plain that there was no pleasure In the
visit.
The conviction grew in Eric's
teverish mind that the judges summons
to CietWynd was the result of the In
terview with Adam Carr.
In that case, there wa something
sinister behind it.
Eric was disturbed by the dread that,
whatever it was, he and perhaps Mary,
were to be dragged into it. Enough
had been said to Joan to convince him
that they were under discussion. Gould
1t be possible that Judge Bright had
called on Adam Carr to investigate the
stories told by his VI and Mrs
lPresbrey? Was the half-hour's inter
view with Chetwynd a part of the ef-
fort to get to the bottom Of ttfese ugly
stories? The occurrence of the last few
days had thrown young Midthorne In
itOsa WretChed state or uncertainty and
doubt. AS he lay there that night. wide
eyed and troubled. he could see naught
but fo%reboding shadows ahead OF
him. It was impossible to go to SLEEP
with that sinister chill creeping through
his veins. a chill that turned him sick
with the nausea Of dread. Near dawn
he dropped off into q ftful doze. but
was aroused at Z by his uncle, who
never missed calling the entire house
hold at that hour, breakfast being Sc,
for 1880.
After breakfast, In a state OF
wretched uncertainty. he made his way
but not without some diffidence, &c
loans home, driven by the desire tc
find out how he stood with her since
the mysterious visit OF his cousin
There was something disquieting IN
1.-The fact that Chetwynd did not appear
tor breakfast, pleading q headache. Mrs
Blagden had her coffee and toast In
her sons room, which left. the two Mid
Lthornes to breakfaot alone with their
uncle. Not more than dozen words
were uttered In conversation during the
meal. Mr.. Rlagden. shade grayer ~
the face than yesterday, II seemed &C
Eric. read the morning paper while he
ISdEankhis coffee Id sharp. 1erky little
IGips.A#Mary. In sa cover glance, made