Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-06-20

o''dnioiiaI Nolu. NdiHti VIC sat anu
watched the recedng landscape and
thought our own thoughts while the
wheels pounded OUT the lengtheniny
miles.
Part of the time | watched the
mountains, and part The girl beside
me. Even yet at times il seemed hard
TO realize that the hope of years. when
| struggled to save enough from he
salary ot a reporter 10 make our life
together thing of reality instead Of
dreams, had Al length been realized,
and that rs man and wife We now
faced the future together.
And yet, thanks To the work of
those other years, and 10 the help OF
my friend Semi Dual WHEN Inspector
Bryce and | had formed our private
bureau Of detention, We drew a stead
lily increasing patronage through our
doors for the credit of clearing up
more than one puzzing tangle was
mine.
real solver of the mysteries which
had more than once baftled the po-
lice. though | must confess that II
was his work which brought them to
an end And il was on his advice that
| opened my offices in the first place.
Always dual led and followed,
and | would have followed no matter
where he led. Some men man make
others feel like that Dual more than
any other. | believe.
What time ia it, Gordon" Con
ME asked at last.
SIX | looked at my watch.
"Goudnrss," said She; "and Mr..
Dual hasn't come outsi | wonder il
il would be all right 10 80 back?
want 10 freshen up Il BIZ for dinner"
| rose and gave her hand. We
went on 10 the second coach, which
2 was our. The door nj our stateroom
stood open. Semi sat in his own see.
ion, porting over u railroad folder
He glanced up and smiled his
pleasant smile as we passed and turn
ed to hiss task AGAIN. Yet in that
fleetine moment | caught something
from him which told me, who knew
him, tina, he had found the thns
winch he had sought. passed on at
Ter Connie mentally questioning
what IL might be he had ltalned.
B'H 1t was not until the first call
for dinner had gone and we We're
seated al a table in the diner and our
order had ben given, that he elected
to speak,
Mrs Glace, ii has been\ my
pleasure 10 find you of sincerely
sympathetic nature. IA Witnessed by
your attitude on several occasions
and lastly in The affair of the spider
ms afternoon
Il hate to see anything suffer"
said CoHnie,
Il too hate to see anything suffer"
replied Semi and lapsed into a mo-
menary silence. Life is life he
went on after that pause in which he
seemed to have decided upon the
course he would follow, and it makes
small difference whether il be that of
Il iy or man, though most OF us
would Judge the life of Il woman for
instance as worth that of several mil
lion flies, and rightly, for the woman
has evolved to q superior plane and
is just so much farther along the
road of attainment. Mrs. Glace,
would you mind if changed the itin.
erary of our trip"
"Why--certainly not" said Con
ME, while sat up and opened my
ears. 1t was coming now felt Ger.
tain. though had no idea what il was
to be- That it was important | knew
If Semi was changing his plans in or
der to meet IT,
Il think then" he was saying, that
instead of stopping at Salt Lake we
will so directly on to GoldIield,
have looked up the schedules, and |
think We may be able TO catch train
out Of there, provided the Western
Limited is late, as it generally is at
this time of year.
whats wrong in Goldfield. that
somebody was wishing you out
there / inquired.
Dual smiled and nodded.
al 4
1T was a telcpathic flash caught this
afternoon. They want us there very
badly right now"
"Who does" | leaned forward
with an odd little feeling of rousng
interest such as had known many Il
time before in the presence OF some
such remark Of my friend
Colonel Sheldon" replied Dual.
Honestly | started II was so
blamed sudden, and Connie and I had
been talking about Colonel Mac. al
you know.
Colonel Sheldon" easped my
y 10 and paused at the sound of her
Ow. dice. "Er--the man who forged
the Ca. t?'
Dual turned his eyes toward her.
THE man who had the check
forged and thety .,,ined a much
needed lesson Mrs Glace. There Is
much in him TO admire"
whats happened to the colonsl?"