Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-03
{Mary Roberts Rinehart' S.
Thrilling Mystery of
! s'The Curve of the Catenary",
Continued From Yesterday

|
Now look here, young woman"
said, don't try to talk. You get your
nerves gathered up. If you've lost a
bird, it isn't worth all this. If it's
anything else, and I can help, you
count on me. But just as soon as
you can toddle, you are going over
to Boisseau's with me and have a cup
of Coffee
But knew perfectly well 1t wasn't
bird Why, she lived on one of the
hilltops, three miles from the park
She didn't object to Boisseau's. She
was all in, to tell tine truth. l sup
pose, If she'd known what had hap
pened, she'd have frozen to death be-
fore she went there. But she went
all right ] helped her up and stead
led her by holding her arm. She was
awfully little and helpless. I'm only
middle height, but l lowered over
her.
When we'd gone about a hundred
yards she stopped suddenly.
"I-I've left by bag back there. Mr.,
Oliver" she said. I'm so sorry"
went back for it. But on the way
it occurred to me that, as weak as
she was, she might faint or some
thing, and l stopped and looked back.
Well, the thing beat me. She was
running across the grass, and about
twenty yards from the path she stoop-
ed and picked something up, and
slipped it into her bag.
the thing on her arm right along.
Can you beat it?
l played up for fair. l went back
to the bench and looked on it and
under and around it. When l turn
ed to go back she was in the path
again, and she waved the bag to me,
holding it high. ut was on my arm
all the time!" she called. How silly
of mel"
So L went back and we started for
Boisseaus. She wasn't so weak, by
that time, and her color was better.
But | judged she hadn't found every
thing she'd come for, because | could
see that her eyes were watching the
tree tops
Did you ever read THE Murders in
the Rue Morgue?" Well, with Hazel
Hazeltine yes, that's her name.
Nutty, isn't it? Cloud laughter) -
with Hazel watching the tree tops, /
got the monkey idea in my head. Sis
used to have one. The little devil
put me on the water wagon for a
month once. 1t used to sit on the foot
of my bed and look like twins. HazePs
father was a queer old duck. 1t oc-
Cured to me that it would be like him
to have a tame gorilla and let it go
out skylarking at night. with his
razor. On my honor, L got the tidgets.
1t wasn't very light, even then, and
the idea of having my fair young
throat slit by hairy creature stepping
out from behind tree made me ner-
vous.
All the time she hadn't given me a
word of explanation. She was think
ing up something, / knew. / tried a
bit of badinage, and it came hard,
from an empty stomach, as you may
say. But she ignored me.
She certainly was pretty, poor kid.
You take Lottie Murray, now. She's
not bad to gaze at, believe me, but,
as I've said before, little Hazeltine
had her skinned for looks. 1t was
In the eyes, maybe. Lottie had seen
life and the little girl hadn't. s..
"Ts this your customary time to
rise and take a walk?' l asked.
Il have hardly been to bed"
l whistled.
II was in the city. with a friend,
and-and when the cars stopped rum
ming l couldn't get home. | thought
ia start early and walk here. My
father"
She stopped, as if her voice had
gone back on her.
"1ll put you in a taxi and send
you home as soon as you've had some
hing hot. Now, in you CO."
So we went into Boisseau's Ordin-
arily the place is shut as tight as a
drum at q. m. But it was open,
and believe me, the sight of table
with water bottle in the center look
ed good to me. The breakfastroom
was empty. l put her at a table and
went out to look up some grub. They
know me pretty well and l knew Bois-
seau would give us something.
| found him in the corridor, walk
ing up and down, and 1 told him
what | wanted.
Breakfast" / said. mot the ball
supper, you understand. And if you'll
send in the outfit, I'll make the
coffee"
They have those English coffee pots
there, mostly glass. You boil the stuff
up three times and it's done.
thought it wouldn't hurt to show Miss
Hazeltina l had domestic side.
Do you think Boisseau heard me
He did not. He stared at me and
walked on, with his head down. When
he'd reached the end of the carpet
back he came. It's a patterned car
pet, and he was automatically follow