The Monticellonian., 1915-09-09

 Jameson, he said, Idusing. We shall see a great deal of each other l hope"
 I had not yet had time to say good by myself when a slight exclamation at my side startled me. Turning sud denly, 1 saw a very brisk, fussy old gentleman who had evidently been hur- rying through the crowd. He had slipped on something on the sidewalk and lost his balance, falling near us.
 We bent over and assisted him to his feet. As I took hold of his hand, 1 felt a peculiar pressure from him. He had placed something in my hand. My mind worked quickly. l checked my first impulse to speak, and, more from curiosity than anything else, kept the thing he had passed to me surreptitiously.
 Thank you, gentlemen he puffed, strengthening himself out. "One of the infirmities of age. Thank you, thank you
 In a moment he had hustled off quite comically.
 Again Del Mar said good-by, and scarcely gone when 1 looked at the thing the old man had placed in my hand. It was little folded piece of paper. opened it slowly. Inside was printed in pencil, disguised:
 Be Careful. Watch Him.
 ! ,+ ff; mean?
 At the La Coste, Del Mar was met by two of his men in the lobby and they rode up to his room.
 Imagine their surprise when they opened the door and found the valet lying bound on the floor.
 "Who the deuce did this?" demand ed Del Mar as they loosened him.
 The valet rose weakly to his feet. "A little old man with gray whiskers, " he managed to gasp.
 Del Mar looked at him in surprise. Instantly his active mind recalled the little old man who had fallen before us on the street.
 NhC-%hat was ne
 Come" he said quickly, beckoning his two companions, who had come in with him.
 Some time later, Del Mars car stopped just below the Dodge house.
 You men go around back of the house and watch." ordered Del Mar.
 As they disappeared he turned and went up the Dodge steps.
 
 I walked back after my strange ex- perience with the fussy little old gen. tleman, feeling more than ever, now that Craig was gone, that both Elaine and Aunt Josephine needed me.
 As we sat talking in the library, Rusty, released from the chain on which Jennings kept him, bounded with rush into the library.
 Good old fellow" encouraged Elaine, batting him.
 Just then Jennings entered, and a moment later was followed by Del Mar. who bowed as We welcomed him.
 Do you know" he began, T be- lieve that the lost torpedo model Is somewhere in this house, and l have reason to anticipate another attempt of foreign agents to find it. If you'll pardon me, I've taken the liberty of surrounding the place with some men we can trust"
 While Del Mar was speaking Elaine picked up a ribbon from the table and started to tie it about Rustys neck. As Del Mar proceeded she paused, still holding the ribbon, Rusty, who hated ribbons, saw his chance and quietly sidled out, seeking refuge in the con servatory.
 Alone in the conservatory, Rusty quickly forgot about the ribbon and began nosing about the palms. At last he came to the pot in which the tor pedo model had been buried in the soft earth by the thief the night it had been stolen from the fountain.
 Quickly Elaine recalled herself, and, seeing the ribbon in her hand and Rusty gone, called him. There was no answer, and she excused herself, for it was against the rules for Rusty to wander about.
 In his haste the thief had left just a corner of the handkerchief sticking out of the dirt. What none of us had noticed, Rusty's keen eyes and nose discovered, and his instinct told him T T,, hn " cred the torpedo and handkerchief and sniffed.
 Just then he heard his mistress call ing him. Rusty had been whipped for digging in the conservatory, and now, with his tail between his legs, he seized the torpedo in his mouth and bolted for the door of the drawing room, for he had heard voices in the library. As he did so he dropped the handkerchief and the little propeller, loosened by his teeth, fell off.
 Elaine entered the conservatory still calling. Rusty was not there. He had reached the stairs, scurrying up to the attic, still holding the torpedo model in his mouth. He pushed open the attic door and ran in. Rusty's last refuge In time of trouble was back of a number of trunks, among which were two of almost the same size and appearance. Behind one of them he had hidden a miscellaneous collection of bones, pieces of biscuit and things dear to his heart. He dropped the tor pedo among these treasures.
 Del Mar, meanwhile. had followed Elaine through the hall and into the