Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-04-17
CHAPTER II, Continued. }

Jn6C n0r DrOtler ana sister ulu ihe'
wise. It was a characteristic develop
ment of every crisis in the Brooke
family. They would have scorned to
acknowledge it, but the older brother
and the younger sister had unconscl-
Ously fallen into the habit of waiting
to see what Constance would do. Mr..
Hedge sensed the situation. He had
eyes only for the central figure OF the
trio.
She met his glance quite steadily,
with slight narrowing Of her eyes,
as though making a swift mental cal
culation. Her poise had returned to
her; even at the first she had not
been frightened, although undeniable
startled
Constance was not so pretty as her
fifteen-year-old sister; that would have
been difficult, for Alice was pretty be-
yond all reason None the less, the
young chatelaine of the Brooke man
sion presented to the world counter
ance of which only the most exacting
could make complaint. It was the kind
that photographs with mysterious eff
feet, because it held something more
than mere comelness, something
elusive yet discernible. something
that, for want of more successful
description, is usually called char
acter.
John w. Brooke always insisted that
Constance was her mother, over again.
Yet sometimes he saw himself in the
straightforward glance Of her gray
eyes, and others saw it, too. Mr.,
Hedge did not see it. because he had
never beheld John w. Brooke. Never
theless he saw enough to convince
him that he had made no mistake in
addressing himself chiefly to the
young woman who stood before him.
Certain; we will dine" said Con-
stance abruptly.
Certainly: we will dine" said con-
stance abruptly.
She led the way from the library,
down the broad hall and into spaci-
Gus room that lay on the opposite side
of the house. Alice followed her close
~, then Billy. Mr. Hedge brought up in
the rear making swift note Of his
surroundings and occasionally frown-
ing slightly.
The dining room in the Brooke man
sion was all that Fifth avenue din.
ing room should be. 1t was almost
banquet hall Mr.. Brooke he'd paneled
1t in walnut. because he could easily
afford to: he had placed no check up
on his architect. either in this or any
other apartment under his roof.
The family table, always employed
when there were no guests, seemed abb
surdly small in the great room. 1t was
not placed in the center, but drawn
close to an open fireplace. wherein &
few logs of high-priced driftwood were
burning with strange flames of green
and blue and yellow.
It was quite walk to the table, and
Gk acassion moved in single file.
Mr.. Hedges active glance fitting from
side to side. Even Horace, the butler.
from his place behind Constance's
chair. could discern that the stranger
was completely at ease. He neither
hurried nor loitered; he did not carry
his hands in his pockets, nor rub his
nose furtively. nor straighten his tie.
He moved as nonchalantly toward the
table as John W. Brooke himself.
my fathers chair" said Constance
with a brief gesture.
Mr.. Hedge seated himself in 1t.
You may serve dinner, Horace"
AhuA Aulc GU SoAotohSC'
Eyes, Miss Brooke" and Horace.
the stranger, disappeared on his err
rand.
There was half a minute Of silence.
broken only by an embarrassed cough
from Billy. Then Mr.. Hedge spoke.
Now that we've all plunged in. the
water isn't SO cold, after all, is it,
The three Brookes looked at him
sharply and with obviously surprised
faces. Constance and her brother ex-
changed fleeting chances. Alice pursed
her lips. The observation had sounded
rather human, quite different from the
Hedge OF the library. He was smiling.
too.
You see," he continued easily, "the
first shock was not in the fact that I
arrived on the scene, but in the fact
that your father didn't"
Constance was not wholly sure Of
II can readily understand your sur
prise" said Mr.. Hedge ut is entire
~ natural. We are all more or less
creatures of surprise. But surprises
are not necessarily unpleasant or at
tended by any unfortunate conse
quences."
Constance made note Of the fact
that the stranger thought well of him.
self
I'm simply your fathers agent for
short time. I've no doubt in the world
that you will all take keen interest
in the experiment, as soon as the ma
ture OF 1t Is clear to you"
Experiment! The Brookes looked in
terested. What sort Of an experiment?
But II Mr.. Hedge was aware Of the
interest he did not at that time crafty
curiosity. Instead, he branched off in
to things that were quite irrelevant.
things that ordinary folks talk about |
He was a rather good talker, yet he
did not do all the talking He mauaged
to lead the Brookes into it. and pres
emily they found themselves convers.
ing with this strange person as though /!
he were actually familiar member of
the household
Still mystified beyond measure at
the extraordinary disappearance of
Brooke, senior, the younger Brookes. |