Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-10-26

duu pIepdTo Lie Ill the Ol0neT IN the
establishment, lest an evil fate over
take YOU"
1T is written" returned Sum Fat,
that die after eight-seven years of
honorable life, from heart failure on
receiving long-deferred raise in wages"
He shuff1ed of. chuckling.
81 fancied / saw the flutter Of pet
ticoat through the trees, as I came up
to the house"
Acquaintance of yours, l believe
Miss Ffske."
Miss Fiske!" There was unfeigned
amazement in the echo.
Anything wonderful about that?"
inquired Whitaker, sharply. II 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"
"Oh? 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. Shed merely run
my ankle, and couldn't wait. I say,
who are the Fishes, anyway"
swell the Fishes are the
people who own the next cottage"
81 know, but"
"Oh, 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 herr
"Oh, mere accident. Over on the
beach this morning. l 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, l er
how should II"
81 merely wondered. You see, I
Well, to tell the truth, l took the lib
erty of camping on his trail, while in
town. But couldn't find any trace of
him."
"Oh, sayw Whitaker expOstulated,
touched by this evidence of disinterest-
ed thoughtfulness. "You persuade
yourself too much, old man. You set
up an inference and idOlize 1t as an
immortal truth. Why, you had me
going for q 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 / got a 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 restgnedly 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
yawneG and rose.
what are you going to do about ttY'
Whitaker inquired with irony.
"Wash and make myself fit to eat
food" was the response - may pos
sibly think little It's an exhiIarat-
ing exercise which / don't hesitate 10
recommend to your distinguished con.
sideration."
He was out of earshot, within the
bungalow, before Whitaker could think
up an adequately insolent retOrt. He
could, however, do no less than smile
incredulously at the beautiful world
so much, at least, he owed to his self
respect.
In the deepening twilight a mental
shadow came to cloud the brightness
of Whitaker's confident cOntentment.
Neither good food nor good company
seemed able to mitigate his sudden
seizure of dependency. He sat gloom
ing over his plate and glass, the bur-
den Of his conversation yea, yea and
nay, nay. His host diagnosed his COM
plant from beneath shrewd eyebrows.
Whitaker" he said at length, "a
pessimlst has been defined as dog
that won't scratch"
"Well?" said the other sourly.
"Come on. Be a sport. Have good
scratch on me-"
Whitaker grinned reluctantly and
briefly.
where's my wife?" he demanded
abruptly.
"HOW in blaZes-p
There you are!" Whitaker COM
planned. you make great pretens,Ons,
and yet you fall down fiat on your fool
fsh face three times In less than as
many hours. You don't know who the
Fishes are, you've lost track Of your
pet myth, Drummond, and you don't
know where can find my wife"
"My dear man, l myself am begin
ming to doubt her existence
81 don't see why the dickens she
doesn't go ahead with those divorce
proceedings % Whitaker remarked mo-
rosely.
'Tye met few men so eager for full
membership In the Alimony club.
What's your hurry?"
"Oh, I don't know" Which was
largely truth unyeneered. I'D Ike to
get 1t over and done with"
Ember pushed back his chair and,
rising, strOlled to the door. "Moonrise