Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-01-13

Win pSlAOuS OI STEADY,
strong blowing. At times the shining
lances of the rain seemed to drive
almost horizontally. Whitaker poked
his head into the kitchen. In that i'm
maculate place, from which every
hint of breakfast had disappeared as
If by magic, Sum Fat was religiously
cleaning his teeth-for the third time
that morning, to Whitakers certain
knowledge.
When he had finished, Whitaker put
a question:
"Sum Fat, which way does the wind
blow, do you known
Sum Fat flashed him a dazzling
smile.
Easily" he said in a cheerful,
clucking voice. II think vely fine
three-day blow"
Eat least" said Whitaker, "you're a
high-spirited prophet of evil. l thank
you"
He selected a book from several
shelves stocked with a discriminating
taste, and settled himself before the
fire.
The day wore out before his patience
did, and with every indication of full
filling the prognosis of Sum Fat; by
nightfall the wind had developed into
an enthusiastic gale, driving before 1t
sheeted rain and great ragged wastes
of mist.
And the second day was like unto
the first. The third day broke full of
the spirit of the second; but toward
noon the rain ceased. In the evening,
weary of the sedulous attentions of a
cloud of famished mosquitoes, Whita-
ker sat in darkness, not tired enough
to go to bed, too tired to bestir himself
and seek distraction from a tormenting
train of thought.
A pool of limpid moonlight lay like
milk upon the floor beneath a window
and held his dreaming gaze while men,
DRY marshaled for his delectation q
pageant of wasted years, infinitely des-
Clate and dreary in his vision.
How long he sat urstirring, preoccu-
pied with fruitless inquiry. he did not
guess. But later he reckoned it could
not have been long after ten o'clock
when he was disturbed. The sound of
a football, hushed and stealthy on the
veranda, reused him with start, and
almost at the same instant he became
aware Of q shadow that troubled the
pool of moonlight, the foreshortened
shadow of a mans head and shoulders.
He sat up, tense, rigid with surprise
and wonder, and stared at the silhou-
cited body at pause Just outside the
window. The fellow was STOPPING to
peer in. Had Drumm0nd hunted him
down to this isolate hiding placer On
the thought he leaped up, in two
strides slammed out through the door
II say!" he cried loudly. But he
cried, apparently, to empty air. The
man was gOne-vanished as strangely
and as quietly as he had appeared.
Pausing and glazing round the clear
Ing in complete bewilderment, he de-
tected or else fancied a slight move
ment in the shadows on the edge Of the
accomplishing woodland. Instantly
l.
were indeed Drummond and If Drum
mOnd were indeed guilty Of the assault
now four nights old, Whit. .er broke
for the spot. 1t proved to be the en-
trance to one of the woodland paths,
and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. or no his mag
inati0n We're in fault-there was no
body waiting there to be caught.
But if anyone had been there, he had
unquestionably fed along the trail.
Whitaker in a rage set himself to fol
low. Before he realized he could have
covered half the distance, he emerged
abruptly into the clearing of the Fiske
place.
Here he pulled up, for the first time
alive to the intrinsic idiocy Of his con
duct, and diverted besides by the dis
covery that his impression of the early
evening, that the cottage was tenanted,
had been well founded.
The ground floor windows shone with
dim but warm illumination. He could
see distinctly part Of a living room
rather charmingly furnished In a sum
merry way, At It's farther end a dark
haired woman In a plain black dress
with a short apron and lace cap sat
reading by mpight-evidently
maid. Her mistress-judging by ap-
pearances-was outside on the lawn
below the veranca, strolling to and fro
in company with a somewhat short and
heavy man who wore an automobile
buster and visored cap. BY contrast,
her Whitehead figure. invested with
the Illusion Of moonlight, seemed IN
usually tall. Her hair was fair, shin
ing like headdress Of paIest gold az
she bent her head. attentive to her
companion. And Whitaker thought to
dlscern an unusual onahtv In her