The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1917-06-21

/
the interested nurse.
1t was in the neighborhood of eigh
o'clock when Pearl left the hospita
and entered her waiting automobile a
the curb. Adams occupied the chauf
feur's seat. The car was a brand new
runabout Pearl was trying out at the
earnest request of local dealer anX
ious to obtain her Endorsement
Adams, who had showed surprising
familiarity with the mechanism of au
tomobiles, was only too glad when
Pearl suggested a shore ride celebrat
ed among motorists, before going home
1t gave him a secretly longed-for OPP
portunity to talk privately with Pearl
in more or less unrestrained man
ner.
The night was still and soft. The
two participants in so many recent and
unusual adventures spun quietly along
the smoothly oiled road Swiftly the
city lights receded from view and they
entered a region of thickly -foliaged
trees on one side and clustering river
shrubbery on the other, under a cloud
less and starlit sky. 1t was one of
those nights when nature calms the
senses, suspense is relaxed and worries
and fears are hushed into a sort of
| forgetfulness. So was 1t with Pearl
Dare and t. o. Adams. They glided
away from the troublesome scenes and
memories into a period of reposeful re-
| Election.
They conyersed almost in whispers
and, for. the first time since their re-
turn to Washington, in the Granadian
language, which both spoke fiuently
and in which Adams did not stammer.
.On such a night l like to forget
everything in life but the pleasant"
Pearl murmured, touch of sadness in
her voice.
Adams said something in low
tone about dream nights. Now that
he was alone in this way with Miss
Dare he controlled his rising emotions
with difficulty.
dreams? l once had Dreams" She
was thinking of Ralph Payne.
Il know" he mumbled, sympathetic
cally. Some day they will come true
in quite a different and as altogether
satisfactory way, Miss Dare"
She shook her head. I'm one whose
heart never changes. / have tried to
forget Ralph" with infinitely soft en-
phasis. 81 have tried to make myself
believe that Thornton Brent might
eventually take his place. But know
that he will not. / shall never marry"
she ended abruptly.
You believe now utterly and COM
pletely in Payne's innocence? That he
might have established it had he
lived?"
Utterly"
Il once promised you to assist in
clearing his name" he observed, after
a long pause. I'VE have not succeeded
in our joint efforts. Every day brings
some new and more disturbing compli-
cation. Soon We will find ourselves
drawn tightly into the network of
mystery in which we have been strug
Cling these many weeks. An instinct
far more subtle than our own is bat
thing against US, Miss Dare
Sometimes | think it is not human"
She darted swift glance at the face
bent over the wheel. Sometimes /
think that of you also"
He laughed in a mirthless fashion.
Miss Dare, apart from the fact that |
the government would be grateful, if |
unmask the Silent Menace what will
1t mean to you in personal way?"
She pondered the question. Let me |
you correctly. Have you a
clue to the identity of the Silent Men
ace?"
Il think l have" very abruptly.
IF it is not false one!'
81 think it is not" in the same man
ner.
DO you infer that it would, if true,
solve the riddle about-Captain
Payne?"
cit would prove his innocence abso-
utely."
She regarded him steadily. Here
was man who, from her experiences |
on the Granadian frontier, she knew |
to have somewhere in his life a back
ground of mystery. He seemed to be
an untutored and ordinary American
Of the western plains type; in fact, his
proven pedigree revealed that. But
not only did he converse in a facile
manner in various languages and oc-
casionally drop hints unwittingly of
a wide observance of affairs and Gus
toms, as highly educated and world
Travelled man might hut he also pXhib-
tied a versatility in every other direc-
ton.
Who was he? What was he? Whence
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