Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-07-27
Copyright By Chas. scribner's sons
CHAPTER xII-continued.

nation which had so radically changed
him, believed as little in the psychic as
any hardheaded young business icono-
clnst Of an agnostic century could. But
on this particular evening when he
was smoking his after-dinner pipe on
the fiagstoned porch with Corona for
his companion, there were phenomena
apparently unexplainable on any pure
ly material hypothesis.
81 am sure have much less than 1
half OF the curiosity that women are |
said to have. but, really do want to
know what dreadful thing has hap |
pcned to you since we met you in the |
High Line Offices this morning
mamma and l." was the way in which |
one of the phenomena was made to oc-
cur; and Smith started so nervously
that he dropped his pipe.
"You can be the most unexpected
person, when you try" he laughed, but
tho laugh scarcely rang true. "What
makes you think that anything has
happenedT"
II don't thlnk-I know" the small
seeress went on with calm assurance.
AOu N6 Bttu AtAiAuk US III uiA SOANo VI
dumb ways that you've had an upset
ting shock Of some kind; and don't
believe It's another lawsuit. Am /
right, so far7"
II believe you are witch, and it's a
mighty good thing you didn't live in
the Salem period" he rejolned. "They
would have hanged you to a dead
moral certainty"
"Then theye was something7" she
queried;. adding. jubilantly: II knew
itr'
"Go on" said the one to whom 1t had
happened; "go on and tell me the rest
of It,"
"Oh, that isn't fair; even a profess
sional clairvoyant has to be told the
color Of her eyes and hair"
''Wha-whatr' the ejaculation was
fairly Jared out of him and for the
moment he fancied he could feel O cool
breeze blowing up the back of his neck.
The clairvoyant who did not claim to
be a professional was laughing softly.
"You told me once that a woman
was adorable In the exact degree in
which she could afford to be visfbly
transparent; yes, you said afford and
I've been holding it against you. Now
I'm going to pay you back. You are
the transparent one, this time. You
have as good as admitted that the hap
pening' thing isn't q man; 'wha-what
always means that, you know; so it
must be woman. Is 1t the Miss Rich
lander you were telling me about not
long agof"
There are times when any mere
man may be shocked into telling the
truth, and Smith had come face to face
with one of them. ut is" he said.
"She is in BrewsterT'
"Yes. She came this evening""
"And you ran awayR That was hor-
ribly unkind, don't you thlnk-after
she had come so faFT'
Hold on" he broke in. "Don't let's
go so fast. didn't ask her to come.
And. besides, she didn't come to see
me-"
"Did she tell you thatT'
II have taken precious good care
that she shouldn't have the chance. !
saw her name-and her father's-on
the hotel register; and Just about that
time / remembered that l could prob
ably get a bite to eat out here"
"You are queerl All men are little
queer, think-always excepting colo
nel-daddy. Don't you want to see herT
Indeed, 1 don'tW
"Not even for old tines sake?'
"No; not even for old tines sake
i.rn,. kbn fnr
completely, II you think there is AM
obligation on my part. 1t might have
drifted on to the other things in th'
course of time. simply because neither
OF us might have known any bette
than 10 let II drift. But that's all
back number. now"
"Just the same, her coming shocke,
you"
"It certainly did" he confessed sober
ly: and then: "Have you forgottel
what told you about the circumstance
under which left homer"
"Ohl she murInured, and as ono
before there was little gasp to 6
with the word. Then: "She wouldn
she wouldn't"
"No," he answered; "she wouldn't
but her father would"
$50 her father wanted her to MARI
the other man, did her"
Smiths laugh was an easing 9
. strains. you've pumped me dry" h
returned the sardonic humor reasser
Ing itself.
A motorcar was coming up the driv,
way. II was high time that an intel
ruption Of some sort was breaking il
and when the colonel appeared an
brought Stillings with him to the loun;
ing end Of the porch, a business confe
ence began which gave Miss Corona u
excuse to disappear, and which a
counted easily for the remainder of II
evening.
Smith returned to Brewster the ne1
morning by way Of the dam, maxim
the long detour count for as much {
possible In the matter of sheer tim
killing. 1t was little before noe
VIII, IN he reached town by the roun
abou,S route, and went to the hotel
recon, cpiter. The roomclerk who ga,
him his &ey gave him also the inform
tion he c. Aaved.
"Mr. Ric hlander? Oh, yes; he lie
early this marning by the stage. He
interested in some gold properties I
in the range bayond Topaz. Fine o
gentleman. Dc you know him, N
SmlthT'
"The name seemed familiar when
saw 1t on the register last evening
was Smiths evasion; "but it is n
such a very uncommon name.
didn't soy when he was coming back
"No."
Smith took a fresh hold upon II
and liberty. While the world is per
ously narrow in some respects, 1t
comfortably broad in others, and
danger once safely averte is a dang
lessencd. Snatching n ha sty lunche