Omaha daily bee., 1918-12-11
CHAPTER XXI.

Perhaps you'll tell us now what
you were doing in the private stair
case"
Paroles blew a wreath of smoke.
His eyes still smiled, but his voice
was harder:
"Bygones are bygones. Isn't that
so, Bobby"
"Since you wish it," Bobby said.
But more important than the
knowledge Graham desired, doomed
the old question. What was the
mans game? What held him here?
Robinson entered. The flesh
around his eyes was pulitzer than it
had been yesterday. Worry had
increased the incongruous discon-
tent of his round face. Clearly he
had slept little.
Il saw you arrive" he said. Raw
Inns warned me. But l must say l
didn't think you'd use your free
dom to come to u.s.
Paredes laughed.
Since the law won't hold me at
your convenience in Smithtown l
keep myself at your service here
if Bobby permits it. Could you ask
more?"
Bobby shrank from the man with
whom he had idled away so much
time and money. That fleeing sa-
tanic impression of yesterday came
back, sharper, more alarming. Par
edes' clear challenge to the district
attorney was the measure of his
strength. His mind was subtler
than theirs. His reserve and easy
daring mastered them all; and al
ways, as now, he laughed at the
futility of their efforts to sound his
purposes, to limit his freedom of
action. Bobby didn't care to meet
the uncommunicative eyes whose
depths he had never been able to
explore. Was there special power
there that could control the des-
TIMES of other people, that might
make men walk unconsciously to
accomplish the ends of an un-
scrupulous brain?
The district attorney appeared as
much at sea as the others.
Thank" he said dryly to Par
edes.
And glancing at Bobby, he asked
with a hollow scorn:
you've no objection to the gen.
tleman visiting you for the pres
ent?"
IF he Wishes" Bobby answered,
a trihe amused at Robinson's OBJ
vious fancy of a collision between
Paroles and himself.
Robinson jerked his head toward
the window.
1--we been watching the prepare
tons out there. guess when he's
laid away you'll be thinking about
having the will read"
mo hurry" Bobby answered with
a quick intake of breath.
81 suppose not" Robinson sneer-
ed, Since everybody knows well
enough what's in it."
Bobby arose. Robinson still
'neered.
You'll be at the grave-as chief
Bobby walked from the room. He
hadn't cared to reply. He feared,
is it was, that he had let slip his
increased self-doubt. He put on
lis coat and hat and left the house.
The raw cold, the years first
omen of winter, made his blood run
quicker, forced into his mind
cleansing stimulation. But almost
Immediately even that prophylactic
Vas denied him. With his direction
matter of indifference, chance led
lin into the thicket at the side of
he house. He had walked some
distance. The underbrtfsh had long
nterposed a veil between him and
he Cedars above whose roofs
smoke wreathed in the still air like
antastic figures weaving a shroud
o lower over the time-stained, mel
walls. For once he was
grateful to the forest because it had
orbidden him to glance perpetually
Jack at that dismal and pensive pic
ure. Then he became aware of
wigs hastily Topped off, of bushes
,ent and torn, of the uncovering,
through these careless means. of an
I'D path. simultaneously there
cached his ears the scraping of
metal implements in the soft soil,
he dull thud of earth falling regu-
arly. He paused, listening. The
abor of the men was given an un-
;outh rhythm by their granting ex-
,ulsions of breath. Otherwise the
nature of their industry and its SUR
oundings had imposed upon them |
| silence, in itself beast-like and
At last a harsh voice came to
Bobby. Its brevity pointed the pre-
-ious dumbness of the speaker:
Deep enoughw
And Bobby turned and hurried |
Jack along tn roughly restored path, |
S if fleeing from an immaterial
hing suddenly quickened with the
'ower of accusation.
He'could picture the fresh oblong
excavation in the soil of the family
'urial ground. He could see where
he men had had to tear bushes
rom among the graves in order to
insert their tools. There was an
ach Day