The Ozark spectator., 1916-07-21

on my chain on the dressing table 1 had to leave it behind, for l couldn't leave any clews to breed suspicious. The gentry who are after me are pretty bright eyed citizens. You'n have to take me on trust for the night, and tomorrow you'll get proof of the corpse business right enough"
 1 thought for an instant or two.
 Right! I'll trust you for the night I1l lock you Into this room and keep the key. Just one word Mr. Scudder l believe you're straight, but if so be you are not I should warn you that I'm handy man with gun"
 ''Surew he said. jumping up with some briskness. Il haven't the privi- lege of your name sir; but let me tell you that you're a white man. I'll thank you to lend me a razor"
 I took him into my bedroom and turned him loose
 In half an hours time a figure came out that l scarcely recognized. Only his gimlety. hungry eyes were the same He was shaved clean his hair was parted in the middle. and he had cut his eyebrows.
 Further: He carried himself as if he had been drilled and was the very model. even to the brown complexion. of some British officer who had had long spell in India He had mono cle, too, which he stuck in his eye, and every trace of the American had gone out of his speech
 My hat! MT Scudder'- I stan mered
 Not MT. Scudder," he corrected Captain Theophifus Digby of the Seventh Goorkhas presently home on leave I'll thank you to remember that, sfr.''
 | made him up bed in my smoking room and sought my own couch more cheerful than l had been for the past month. Things did happen occasion ally even in this God forsaken me tropoIis.
 woke next morning to hear my man Paddock making the deuce of row at the smoking room door.
 Paddock was fellow I had done . good turn to out on the Selakwi. and had inspanned him as nay servant as soon as got to England. He had about as much gift of the gab as Il hip popotamus and was not a great hand at vaieting. but I knew I could count on his loyalty.
 Stop that row, Paddock" I said sHNhnrn'S frianH nf nina Captain q couldn't remember the name) 'dossing down in there. Get breakfast for two, and then come and speak to me"
 1 told Paddock 1ne story about how my friend was great swell, with his nerves pretty bad from overwork, who wanted absolute rest and still ness. Nobody had got to know he was here or he would be besieged by com munications from the India office and the prime minister, and his cure would be ruined.
 I am bound to say Scudder played up splendidfy when he came to trsak- fast.
 He fixed Paddock with his eyeglass. just like a British officer; asked him about the Boer war and slung out at me q lot of stuff about imaginary pals of whom I had never heard. Paddock couldn't learn to call me sir" but he "sirred" Scudder as If his life depend ed on it
 left him with the newspaper and box of cigars and went down to the SsIt ha.aL aLr the porter had an important face
 "Nawsty business ere this morning, sir Gent in No. Is. been and shot 'isself They've just took i'm to the mortuary The police are up there now
 ascended to No. 15 and found a couple of hobbies and an inspector busy making an examination 1 asked a few idiotic questions, and they soon kicked me out Then I found the man that had valeted Scudder and pumped him. but could see he suspected noth- ing.
 He was d whining fellow with churchyard face, and half crown went far to console him.
 attended the inquest next day. A partner of some publishing firm gave evidence that the deceased had brought him wood pulp propositions and had been, he believed, an agent of an American business. The jury found 1t a case of suicide while of unsound mind, and the few effects were hand ed over to the American consul.
 gave Scudder a full account of the affair, and it interested him greatly He said he wished he could have at tended the inquest, for he reckoned 1t would be about as spicy as to read oue's own obituary notice