Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-06-02
ILLUSTRATED erHarryR. .Grissin&er
SoPTRIe4T -MERRLL CO
.MERRlLLCo

the Carlisle Trust building. It's got
only one entrance, which is lucky. And
you can hardly miss"
'For-him?
For Mr. Estrilla. This is no time
crazy over you. He has an engage
ment there for two-thirty. Let him
go in. He probably won't stay more
than fifteen minutes. You're to meet
him at the front of the elevator. You're
to-encourage him-you know. II he
asks you to take walk, which he
probably will, you accept. and start
him toward the park. This is the
point. At five O'Clock sharp, you're to
have him takin' tea with you in the
Park Casino-you know where that is.
don't you? An you're not to leave un-
til half past five. Then you're to meet
Constance-Mrs. Hanska-as l told
you. Wait a minute" Rosalie
paused. frozen immobile on the birth
OF new thought-"have her pack
suit case and take it with her. You
two register at the Hotel Hamblen an
stay there tonight-stay right there
until you hear from me. Got all that?
Well, repeat 1t after me-"
Betsy-Barbara repeated 1t slowly.
The door ratified; Tommy North was
back.
"Mr. North" said Rosalie, I'm bor-
rowin' your office help for the day. We
want you to do somethin' for US. You
don't understand now. but you will.
Don't you go near my house until to-
morrow--you sleep out tonight an
breakfast out tomorrow. can give
you a rebate II you demand It," she
pursued. dimpling on him.
"All right, take It out of that first
weeks board you stung me so hard
for" laughed Tommy North. Then his
eyes sought Betsy-Barbara's with a
troubled look. whats the answer"
he asked.
"Theres no answer" said Rosalie Le
Grange; mot Just at present. Except
you'll be glad you did it-an' I'll ex.
plain some day myself. Go where you
want tonight. Only don't get drunk"
"Oh. he won't do that. of course!"
put in Betsy-Barbara.
Which defensive assurance quite re-
stored the spirits of Tommy North.
and the smile came back to his face.
"But promise us one thing-you will
never say a word to anybody about
this" put in Rosalie.
II PROMISE" said Tommy. az sol.
emnly as he could, considering that
the cudgels for him!
The two women parted at the cor
ner. No sooner had Betsy Barbara ta-
ken a Fifth avenue stage and started
on her puzzling journey of intrigue,
than Rosalie called a taxicab and set
her course for the East side docks of
lower Manhattan.
Here we must introduce a new char
acter in this story. person who flash
es in and out as people are ever fash
ing in and out of our lives. bearing
service In their hands. At this point
also appears-though ever SO slightly
the element Of coincidence.
The new character is Skipper Matt
Baldwin of the schooner Maud, en-
gagged In the coastwise lumber trade.
The Maud is !y:ng at the dock. prepar-
ing to sail for Halifax on the morrow
with return cargo. A battered and
pleasant old man. the Skipper Bald
win. with an eagle profile which de-
notes his courage and soft eye which
indicates his gullibility. He was a
widower of long and affectionate mem
ory; because of that and because Of
his searchings Of the spirit on lonely
voyages. he became a believer in spir-
ltualism OF the kind which Rosalie LIE
Grange used to practice. Rosalie was
his favorite medium-and his friend.
Toward the schooner Maud she was
now driving her taxicab.
The piece of luck was this: At the