News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1916-11-01
CHAPTER XII.
The Mousetrap.

. body and q canvaS-Seated camp stool
one of his feet; which last was dis
creetly yelled in dripping bath towel.
Otherwise he was fastidiously arrayed
in white flannels and, by his seraphic
smile and gE.le,ess expression, seemed
abnormally at peace with his circum-
stances.
Hating, Ember surveyed the spec
tacle with hooking disfavor.
''Hel-loi" he observed, beginning to
draw off his gantlets as he assembled
the veranda steps and dropped into
another wicker chair. what the
deuce's the matter with your"
''Game leg, thanks. Twisted my
ankle again, this morning. Sum Fat
has been doctoring it with intense en-
thusiasm, horse liniment and chopped
ice. BY tomorrow morning I'll be skip
| ping like the silly old hills in the Scrip
| lures
"Hope so. Well, you must've had
pretty rotten stupid time of it, with
| that storm"
"Oh not at all. l really enjoyed it."
WuIIdheI pIOleSIcN.
"Oh, if you forgive me for leaving
you alone so much, Wen call it square"
Ember lifted his voice: "Sum Fat,
ahoy!"
The Chinaman appeared in the door
way, as suddenly and silently as if
magically materialized by the sound of
his name.
"You're a sulphur-colored wizard
with pigeon-toed eyes," said Ember Sc
verely. go away from here instantly
and prepare me all the dinner in the
establishment, lest an evil fate over
take you"
ut is written" returned Sum Fat,
shat | die after eight-seven years of
honorable life, from heart failure on
receiving long deferred raise in wages"
He shuflled off. chuckling.
81 fancied l saw the flutter of pet
to the house."
Acquaintance of yours, l believe
Miss Fiske."
Miss Tislle!" There was unfeigned
amazement in the echo.
Anything wonderful about that?"
inquired Whitaker, sharply. 81 fancied
from what she said that you two were
rather good friends"
"Just surprised-that's ALL" said
Ember, recovering. you see, l didn't
think the Fiske place was open this
year."
He stared suspiciously at Whitaker,
but the latter was transparency in
genuous.
'She expressed an unaccOuntable
desire to see you-told me to tell you"
ooh? Such being the case, one
would think she might've waited"
"She had Just started home when
you drove in" Whitaker explained with
elaborate ease. "She'd merely run
over for a moment to inquire after
my ankle, and couldn't wait. 1 say,
who are the Fishes, anyway"
"Well the Fishes are the
people who own the next cottage"
81 know, but"
ooh, l never troubled to inquire;
have a hazy notion Fiske does some
thing in Wall street." Ember passed
smoothly over this flaw in his profess
sional omniscience. "How did you
happen to meet her?'
"Oh, mere accident. Over on the
beach this morning. 1 slipped and
hurt my ankle. She-ah-happened
along and brought me home in her
motor boat"
"You haven't seen Drummond-or
any signs of him, have your
"Eh-what?" Whitaker sat up,
startled. mo, 1 er i
how should r.
81 merely wondered. You see, / /.
Well, to tell the truth, 1 took the lib
erty of camping on his trail, while in
town. But couldn't find any trace of
him."
"Oh, sayl' Whitaker expostulated,
touched by this evidence of disinterest-
ed thoughtfulness. you persuade
yourself too much, old man. You set
up an inference and idolize it as an
immortal truth. Why, you had me
going for a while. Only last night
there was a fellow skulking round
here, and l was just dippy enough,
thanks to your influence, to think he
resembled Drummond. But this morn
ing l got good look at him, and he's
no more Drummond than you are"
Ember sat up, eyes swapping. ''Who
was he, then? Tell me about him |
everything"
Whitaker resignedly delivered him
self of the tale of the mare's-nest-as
he still regarded it. When he had come |
to the lame conclusion thereof Ember |
yawned and rose.
Ito Be Continued)
Zeal lap0nid uaal r1n dounO Head /