Putnam patriot., 1916-02-25

| want you to take me over to king-
 sson right away
 ml Miss Wynne's is not among them Cat it wouldn't matter lot if it was
 "Nonldht:"
 No, of course not. What the deuce is on your min1?s
 Well" began Uncle Billy ditiidently. twiadins the serew of the wrench ill his hand and eying it severely ely-"well s.,sAe O tn dinged females 've ben $. ain tn missus that Miss Wynne's an actress. | told 'em she wasn't"
 would 1t make any difference if shd was?e
 Not f me. But t9em kinI e folks aint thought much Of in tn village"
 Why"
 Lord, dunno whyr'
 "Bily." said Graniord when he had done laughing. "the real actress thesl days is parsonage and nearly alwaya d well bred gentlewoman The TO your females have been reading about actresses concerns the chorus lady She is troublesome.
 "I didn't know they was any differ ence. Couple O years ago some ac tresses stayed up at tn hotel an cut ul high jinSs. But, ding it, actress r not Miss Wynne's tn finest lady l evel see" And he dumped the nearest cyl. inder to emphasize the declaration.
 But l wish y would git her out O this pidgin idee. l dunno whut 'tis, but seems [ me they's sumpin more'n fish out there. You know, n 1 know tn game is lishin' all tn known places. tryin' your luck evefywheres, T'day was tn first time she's tished anF where's but Pidsin. An by golly. that makes your uncle think, l got t tiX them bass this very night. Ain't sh0 some fisherman. though? Mebbe that five pounder wasn't wrastlin' match! Oh. my All in when she got th' net under i'm. l had t hist i'm in myself. A peffeck fish Anyhow. you como out t pidgiu, too; it'll be safer all around. Don't tell her. but my ol' bones T. whisperin' there's goin' t be d blow before mornin'."
 "so much the better. I'll follow if II takes me out to Duck island.
 It was q mile and a half out to the farm Cranford covered the ground with the swinging stride of man who knew how to walk.
 A great ruddy September moon was clearing the tops of the trees in the east A silvery blue haze dimmed the outline of the river.
 Smead He had really seen the man. Imagination never played such tricks; fancy could never have created that bulk, the cane. and the bad limp.
 He had seen him, and in turn Snlead had seen him and taken to cover Dev iltry of some order was afoot. It hung about Smead as miasma hangs about swamps
 Reprisal? Were they after him? He laughed. If it came to physical con test they would have their hands full Smead was not q man to ignore, how. ever: strong daring. resourceful, teem ing with the facile cunning of the ac. eomplished blaekleg
 Filibusterer. gambler. smugger, bookmaker at the race tracks. owner of strine of gambling houses that reached from New York to San Fran cisco. What had he not turned his predatory hand to?
 Well he had cut smead's claws 1T one direetion bis smuggling days were over. The eoniiscation the heavy fnt and the suspended sentence would keeI him to other affairs for some years to cone
 Lucky thought, that, to take a jaunt Into Kingston. They might have sur prised him. Now he was on guard. And immediately he forgot all about Smead.
 Love He paused and looked at the moon. And ten days ago she hadn't existed to his knowledge.
 Ten wonderful days. He went on, lightly humming the aria from Mar tha' A glorious night; opal mists lay upon tie meadows, and the black shad- oss were the kins: the tops of the cornfelds were like silver plumes; a rabbit seurVied across tie road; an owl booted to iss mate, and there were strange rust.lngs anai fiutfefings in tae leaves about.
 Presently he saw the lights of the farm tWinksins ia and out If the grove of pines fhat stood like senfinels be fore the house.
 His keen rowing eye discovered il white patch HaaiAat the misty crab of the old Gocl,, and his heart bothered him: there was a thickness iii hIs throat. anI fAe backbone of his courage was nowhere.
 Yet. with the llshlness and sureness of the hni. er that he was. he crossed the rubble and shaie between him and the dock almost noiselessly.
 Good gracioas.r she exclaimed.
 But that was the woman of 1t. for she had seen him approaching-not that she had been watching-some five min utes back. The eagerness of the stride hau made her tremble little, she knew not exactly why.
 (To D Conk1nuedl.