Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1916-12-21


| 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 surprsed-that's ALL" said
Ember, recovering. "You see, 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. "She'd merely run
over for q moment to inquire after
my ankle, and couldn't wait / say,
who are the Fishes, anywayT
swell the Fishes are the
people who own the next cottage"
81 know, but"
vi, never ITOuDleu 10 llQuiTer
have q 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"
ooh, mere accident. Over on the
beach this morning. | slipped and
hurt my ankle. She-ah--happene
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, er :.
how should II"
II merely wondered. You see, :. :.
Well, TO tell the truth, 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 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"
Bmber 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.
"What are you going to do about It'll"
Whitaker inquired with irony.
"Wash and make myself fit to eat
food" was the response. ~ may pos
sibly think a little. It's an exhilarat-
ing exercise which don't hesitate to
recommend to your distinguished con-
slderation."
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
lncredulously at the beautiful world
so much, Mt least, he owed 20 his self
respect.
In the deepening twilight n 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 Vt his conversation yea, yea and
nay, nay, His host diagnosed his COM
plant from beneath shrewd eyebrows.
whitaker" he said Mt length, "a
pessimist has been defined as a dog
that won't scratch"
"Well2' said the other sourly.
Come on. Be sport. Have "A good
scratch on me-"
Whitaker grinned reluctantly and
briefly.
where's my wifef" he demanded
abruptly.
| HOW IN DldZeS-l
"There yous are" Whitaker COM
planned. "You make great pretensions,
and yet you fall down fiat on your fool
Ish face three times in less than 40
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 l can find my wife"
MY dear man, l myself am begin
| ming TO doubt her existence"
Il don't see why the dickens shs
| doesn't 20 ahead with those divorce
proceedings /" Whitaker remarked mo-
/ rosely.
1--WE met few men so eager for full
/ membership in the Alimony club.
What's your hurry3"
"Oh, l don't know" Which was
largely truth unveueered. "rd like to
get II over and done with"
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