Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-26
CHAPTER XI.
THE MISSING CHAPTER.

Wnen christopher race cdiie pdch
from Amsterdam after his adventure
with the diamond carriers. an engage
ment with Scarlet Runner which he
had expected to take up fell through;
therefore he was none too well pleased
10 find himself free for more than a
fortnight. But when he had been idle
for day or two Adventure presented
itself in a modest card bearing the
name James Hardness"
The maid who, during the last few
months, had brought to Christopher
now produced one whom no widest
stretch Of imagination could associate
with the idea of romance.
He was small In stature, with neat,
. slender figure clad in gray tweed
, suit that boosted the american
shoulder" He had fine head and
would, from the shape of his forehead
and cut of his features, have some-
what resembled provincial Napo-
leon, il instead of Napoleon's eagle
gaze he had not possessed the soft.
wistful brown eyes of a misunder-
stood dog-a dog who has never de-
served kick In his life, but has had
many, and has ceased to hope or
even wish for a caress-indeed, would
be startled and embarrassed II he got
one.
This neat, rather dapper little man
walked into the ugly lodging house
sitting-room with an air that was
briskly business-like, yet oddly apollo
getic.
How do you do, sir? I'm very
pleased to have the honor Of meeting
the celebrated Mr.. Race, and hope
that, II you're not engaged, can get
you to take me on trip in your au-
tomobile," said Mr.. Hardness, with an
accent that proclaimed him from the
middle west of America.
Christopher replied that he and
Scarlet Runner were dlsengaged for
the present ard invited his caller to
sit down and talk business. There was
something In the combination OF
American briskness and--perhaps--an
Aumerican shyness which pleased
him. and James Harkness--not on
shiny pasteboard. but In flesh. and
blood--had winning smile. winning
because II was like a schoolboy's, and
had no self-consciousnes in 1t. He
might have been old-iooking for 30,
or young-looking for IS. and there
was grave, business experience In the
firm set OF his jaw But the eyes were
a boys eyes, and Christopher liked
him in spite Of the fact that James
plain, unromantls, undiluted-James
did not appear an ill-chosen name
to express his personality.
Mr.. Hardness went on: I'm taking
q vacation; it's the first one I've ever
had since / left school, and that was
when / was IA years old. I've had
my nose to the grindstone ever since
but ] like II well enough Mrs.
Hardness goes to the seaside every
summer. which Is the right thing for
a lady to do, and she's had a run out
to California and down to Florida once
or twice, winters Now she's travel
ing in Europe with some lady friends
OF hers-has been for the last eight
cen months--and II was her idea
should take this vacation and meet
her. ! Just landed yesterday and took
n train right to London. SO. you see.
haven't lost much time in giving my
self the pleasure Of calling on you,
sir"
Il shall be delighted to take Mrs.
Hardness and YOU for tour, II you
don't want to be gone longer than
fortnight" said Christopher. pleased
/ IN spite OF himself by the genuine
admiration In the brown eyes
Two weeks is Just what was
thinking Of" said Mr.. Hardness. .tBut
my wife won't be In the party. The
reason l can 20 Is because | had a
Marconi on board ship saying she'd
been invited to stay awhile in French
chateau and she thought she'd like to
have the experience. She hasn't been
acquainted with the baron and baron
ess long--they're friends Of her friends
so she couldn't ask them to invite
Z me. too, and her idea was for me Just
to fool around. seeing sights in Eng
land. till she was through visiting. The
people who've promised to go auto
MODELLING with me met on the steam
er. ] suppose three passengers and
their baggage wouldn't be too much
Of burden to you. slr?"
Christopher set Mr.. Hardness mind
at rest on this point, and then, find.
ing that the American was an ANA.
teur in motoring. he gave him advice
about the luggage. Also, they dis
cussed routes, and it appeared that
Mr.. Hardness. who had never found
time to leave his own country before,
had no preference, All he wanted
was to see some Of the prettiest places
and 1t was finally decided that Scarlet
Runner should conduct the party
through Deyonshire and Cornwall, 20.
ing by way Of the New Forest. The
question OF money lay in allegiance till
the last. and then II was Christopher
who introduced 1t. Il guess car
leave the price to you, sir" said tn,
little man from the west. II dom
hnow anything about the charge fol
automobiles myself, but you're a gen.
tleman. and whatever you say will b,
right"
The start was to be made next day
az there was no time to waste, an,
christopher was asked to bring Scar
let Runner to an old-fashioned hote
in Suffolk street, not at all the sort O
hotel an American would be likely /,
choose unless he had heard of il from
English friends. However, that wa
not Races affair and he and his ca
arrived promptly before the door n
10 O'clock In the morning, accordin,
to arrangement.
Seldom had he been more surprise,
than when his client ushered out from
the hotel two ladies'. Nor was thei
sex the most amazing part of their un
expectedness. That which was par
ticularly astonishing about them wa
themselves
One was elderly, the other young
She who was elderly was English, an,
the thought that flashed into Christie
pher Races head was that II she ha,
a twin brother he would be n fine
brown. hawk-eyed soldier. one o
those brave. unobtrusive men who q
of as a matter OF course to far-away
unheaIthful lands. there to do thei
a.