Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-20
oHAPTER XII.
AReprIsve.

AReprIsve.
Smiths blood ran cold and there was
a momentary attack Of shocked con-
sternation, comparable to nothing that
any past experience had to offer. But
there was no time to waste In curious
speculations as to the why and where
fOres. Present safety was the prime
consideration. With Josiah Richland-
or and his daughter In Brewster, and
guests under the same roof with him,
discovery, Identification, disgrace were
knocking at the door. He could har-
Dor no doubt as to what Josiah Rich.
lander would do IL discovery came. For
so long time as should be consumed
in telegaphing between Brewster and
Lawrenceville, Smith might venture to
call himself free man. But that was
the limit.
One minute later he had hailed d
passing autocab at the hotel entrance,
and the four miles between the city
and Colonel Baldwin's ranch had been
tossed to the rear before he remem-
bered that he had expressly declined
dinner invitation for that same eve.
ming at Hillcrest, pleading business to
Mrs. Baldwin In person when she had
called at the Office with her daughter.
Happily, the small social offense
went unrenaarked. or at least unre-
buked. Smith found his welcome at
the ranch that Of q man who has the
privilege Of dropping in unannounced.
the colonel was jocoseiy hospiiaDie. Nj
he always was; Mrs. Baldwin was gra-
ciously lenient-was good enough, In
deed, to thank the eleventh-hour guest
for reconsidering at the last moment /;
and Corona
Notwithstanding all that had come
to pass; Notwithstanding, also, that his
footing In the Baldwin household had
come to be that Of family friend.
Smith could never be quite sure Of the
bewitchingly winsome young woman
who called her father colonel daddy"
Her pose. II it were q pose, was the at
titude Of the entirely unspoiled child Of
nature and the wide horizons. When
he was with her she made him think
Of all the words expressive of trans
parency and absolute and utter uncon-
cealment. Yet there we're moments
when he fancied he could get passing
glimpses Of subtler personality at the
back Of the wide-open, frankly ques-
tioning eyes; wise little soul lying in
walt behind its defenses: prudent, all
knowing. deceived neither by its own
prepossessions or prejudices, nor BY
amy Of the masqueradings Of other
souls.
Smith, especially in this later incar.
nation which had 90 radically changed
him. believed as little in the psychic as
any hardheaded young business icono-
clast of an agnostic century could. But
on this particular evening when he
was smoking his er-dinner pipe on
the fagstoned porch with Corona for
his companion, there were phenomena
apparently unexplainable on any pure
~ material hypothesis.
II am sure I have much less than
half Of the curiosity that women are
said to have, but, really, do want to
know what dreadful thing has hap
pened 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
the laugh scarcely rang true. what
makes you think that anything has
happened7"
IT don't think-I know" the small
seeress went On with calm assurance.
"You've been telling us In all sorts Of
dumb ways that you've had an upset.
ting shock Of some kind; and I don't
believe It's another lawsuit Am I
right, so farT'
II believe you are witch, and It's a
mighty good thing you didn't live in
the Salem period" he rejoined. "They
would have hanged you to dead
moral certainty"
"Then there was something's" she
queried; adding, jubilantly: II knew
.it!''
go on" said the one to whom 1t had
happened: Ego on and tell me the rest
Of IT.
"Oh, that isn't fair; even profess
sional clairvoyant has to be told the
color Of her eyes and hair"
"Wha.whatl" the ejaculation was
fairly Jared out Of him and for the.
moment he fancied he could feel cool
breeze blowing up the back Of his neck.
The clairvoyant who did not claim to
be professional was laughing softly.
ssYou told me once that woman
was adorable in the exact degree in
which she could afford to be visibly
transparent; yes, you said afford and
I've been holding It against you. New
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 man; .wha-what'
always means that, you know; so 1t
must be woman. Is it the Miss Rich
lander y0u were telling me about not
long ago7'
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. 1T u.s." he said.
@Sheis In Brewster p
sYes. She came this evening"
sAnd you ran away? That was hor-
ribly unlrind, don't you think-after
she had come so far?"
'Hold on" he broke in. Don't let's