Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-07-08

agreeable. that's all. She has been so
nice to me about Miss Sinnox's-and
about everything else. too. Why are
you SO mean to herr"
Il must go up to say goodbye to
her" he said, shifting his gaze sud
denly.
And what's worse, l dom under
stand you. We used to go out OF Stone
wan every day or two. They We're
jolly times for me. Blu now-why, now
you won't &C near the dear old place
with me. You never get any farther
thar Uncle Jabe's, and I'm tired of
feeding the squirrels, If you must know
1t. We must get over being children
some time. Eric. We can't always feed
squirrels and listen to ghost stories.
Now. you're going away next week. and
| shan't see you till Christmas time.
Won't you just try to be nice and
agreeable for awhile? Be nice to Joan,
for my sake"
To her establishment, he turned
abruptly n almost a away from
her. She heard the sob that broke
through his drawn lips after his back
wa turned, and she saw the onvul
siVe movement of his shoulders. Then
she cried out in wonder n dismay,
her dear little heart instantly filled
with love and pity, but he did not turn
back. Her warm, adorable face went
very pale and the tears sprang to the
lovely eyes.
The long expected letter from Adam
Carr came that same afternoon. Great
ly agitated, Eric %refrained from open
ing it at the house. or in the presence
of others, but hurried off to the seclu-
sion of the woods above the town.
Here he had spent many hours during
the past few weeks, alone with his med
ltations. The broad green meadows
stretched out below the borders of the
forest, sinking gently toward the rock
/ Jyf C To t1~ nyt1 ~ 10 vii -~
the Point. Here at the edge of the
woodland the shade was most inviting
on the hot summer days, cooled by the
breezes from the sea, and moist with
the breath of ferns and the moses.
The blazing sun of midday never pen
etrated this sheltered area. nor We're
its rays intense enough to hriv the
bright green grass that carpeted the
sunken meadows.
Eagerly he devoured the news from
his strange adviser and accomplish.
Adam wrote from New Orleans. where
he had gone, he said. in connection
with a matter quite foreign to the Blag-
den affair. He was writing, however,
to the president of the bank to inform
him that the defaulter had sailed for
a port at present unknown to him, but
that time would tell There was a
grim, relentless humor in his reference
to Chetwynd's whereabouts. OF course
VIC nChL oi), LilS lldd Kept liIIlSGll
Informed as to the earlier features of
the investigation and the chase. He
must have seen in the newspapers that
Bunnie De Winnie QUITE readily salts
fled the authorities, as we'll as himself,
that she knew absolutely nothing of
eager to have it known that she had
not been keen about HIM at any
time. Indeed, she averred, in a Ian
guage of her own, Chetwynd mad her
tired and she had chucked him weeks
before the smashup. She admitted that
he had spent a neat bit of money on
her, but that 1t wasn't a marker to
what other girls We're getting. In fact
it really wasn't much more than pin
money, as the wind was blowing in 9th.
err quarters. Miss De Winnie, with an
asperity that did not go very we'll with
belief that Chetwynd had taken ur
with a girl named Blanche Something
or other, she couldn't recall her last
name, which wasn't her own, anyway.
Adam went on to say that he had
made 1t a point to ferret out Miss
Blanche Something or other. He found
her on the road with a big burlesque
show, making Philadelphia and Boston
as side steps from Broadway. Her con-
tract, it seems. stipulated that she was
to go 10 farther away from New York
, than these two cities, and she was tc
play in no one-night stands. She had
a very small salary. but diamond pir
money. 1t was not difficult for hel
to prove that she knew nothing OF
young Blagden's whereabouts. He GER.
tanly was not trailing her"
In the concluding paragraph of this
unsatisfying letter, Adam very briefly
expressed the hope that Eric's first
year in Harvard would De a splendid
one. Rather grimly he suggested thai
the first year is always the hardest tc
get through. 10 matter what you're
Undertaking. After that. it's easy
Proceeding, he urged him to allow nc
outside influences to worry him, but tt
devote all his time and energies to the
work ahead. Then he signed himself
Your staunch friend until death. Ad
am Carr undermining the words "un.
til DEATH"
1t was Adams way of convincing his
friend that his secret was safe.
Eric reread the letter several times
conscious of a primal disappointment,
that gradually gave way before a sense
Of security in view of the really subtle
, wording of the epistle. Adam told him
I everything, and yet to the casual OBJ
server there was nothing to be seer
; between the lines. OF one thing Eric
could be sure-the man meant to keel
: Blagden's son until he tired Of thu
sport. after which 1t would be a simple
: matter to end it all by producing evi
; dence of his quarry's death in some OBJ
. scure corner of the world.
The young man folded the sheets ant
; was restoring them to the envelope
when his attention was attracted by {
sound near at hand-a sound Of some
( one stealthily moving in the fern bank!
!, beyond the tree against which he Leaned
: his back. He whirled and partially ros,
to his feet, a vast sense Of alarm as
E sailing him.
/ Not 20 feet away stood Joan Bright
her gaze full upon him. Something il
her eyes told him that she had beer
/ standing there for some time, shy an
uncertain as to whether she SHOULD &C
cost him or flee the place in confusion
t He am to his feet in an instant, pal
ing M flushing by turns. Her seriou.
=. dark eyes wavered and the lids wer,
lowered for a second; then she me
e his gaze r%esolutely.
ii saw you from the road, Eric sh,
1 said simply. He was struck by tn
hurt. appealing ook in her eyes. 1
t shamed him. What rave 1 DONE, Eric
What has happened Toto Sh'
t flushed piteously and could not go IN
8 He sprang forward, clasping tn
$ hands that were raised as if to ware
him of.
t "oh, JOAN he cried. casting his re
solve to the winds, 'I haven't changed