New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-07-19

eleventh EPISODE
The Missing Chapter.

When Christopher Race came bac
from his latest adventure an engage
ment which he had expected to take u
fell through owing to unforeseen bus
ness which detained his would-b
client; therefore. he was not to
pleased to find himself free for NOR
than a fortnight.
But when, after he had been idle TO
n day or two, the card Of Mr.. Jane
Hardness was brought to him, h
could not regard 1t as the preface t.
an adventure.
Neither the card nor the name sug
gested anything exciting, or even in
teresting. However, he told the serv
ant to show Mr.. Hardness up to hi!
sitting-room.
The maid who, during the last few
months, had brought to christopher
Races door so many strange people
now produced one whom no wildest
stretch of Imagination could fit witt
that adjective.
He was small in stature, with q neat
slender figure clad in II gray tweed
suit that boosted the american shoul'
der" He walked into the ugly lodg,
ing-houSe sitting-roOil with an air that
was briskly businesslike, yet oddly
apologetic.
GLOW do you do, sir? I'm very
pleased to have the honor Of meeting
the celebrated Mr.. Race; and l hope
that. if you're not engaged, l can get
you to take me Il trip in your automo-
cent that proclaimed him from the
middle West of America.
Christopher replied that he and Scar
let Runner were disengaged for the
present, and invited his caller to sit
down and talk business. There was
something in the combination Of Amer
lean briskness and-perhaps-an Amer
lean shyness which pleased him and
James Hardness had Il winning smile !;
winning because it vas like a school
boys, and had no self-consciOusness in
it. He might have been old-lOoking
for thirty, or young looking for thirty
five, and there vas grave, business ex-
perience in the firm set of his jaw.
But the eyes were a boys eyes; and
Christopher liked him.
Sorry I can't offer you a cigar or
cigarette" said Race. ITO my dis
gust, I've just found that I'm out of
everything"
"Oh. | never smoke, thank you" re-
turned the American. 81 used to, but
l saw it was going to get on my nerves,
sc I quit"
: Christopher said that he was quite
right, and invited him to have Il whis-
ky and soda. He did not touch alcO-
hol. In his opinion there was nothing
better than ice water, unless it was
lemonade, for a hard worker.
THAT'S just it," he went on. 'It's
hard work that's brought me over to
this side. I'm taking a vacation; it's
the first one I've ever had since l left
school, and that was when l was four
teen years old. I've had my nose to
the grindstone yer since-but l like
it well enough. Mrs. Hardness is
travelling in Europe with some lady
friends Of hers-has been for the last
eighteen months-and it was her idea
I should take this vacation and meet
her. l just landed yesterday, and took
train right to London. So, you see, l
haven't lost much time In giving my
self the pleasure of calling on you,
sir"
II shall be delighted to take Mrs.
Hardness and you for n tour. if you
don't want to be gone longer than a
fortnight" replied Christopher, pleased
in spite Of himself by the genuine ad-
miration in the brown eyes.
1.-TWO weeks is just what I was
thinking Of" said Mr.. Hardness. but
my wife won't be In the party. The
reason l can go is because | had u
Marconi on board ship saying she'd
been invited to stay awhile in n French
chateau, and she thought she'd like to
the experience. She hasn't been
cquainted with the baron and baron
IS lo~ng-they're friends of her friends
she couldn't ask them to invite
me too; ard her idea was for me to
Just fool around, seeing sights in Eng
land, till she was through visiting. The
people who've promised to go auto
MODELLING with me I met IN the steam
pr. l suppose three passengers and
their baggage wouldn't be too much
Of a burden to you. sir?"
Christopher set Mr.. Harkness' mind
ut rest on this point.
The start was to be made next day,
rs there was nc time to waste, and
Christopher was asked to bring Scarlet
to an Old-fashiOned hotel in
street.
Though he had a liking for Mr..
lanes Hardness, Christopher was not
forward to the trip with any
1eenress of interest. He had pic I
.ured to himself the sort of friends
he kindly, provincial American would I
AVE been likely to pick up on the ship. q
There were two. he knew, and that ]
vas all he did know; but he imagined t
hat they would be tired business men
ike Hardness himself. though prob
IDLY without Hardness simple charm. I
seldom had he been more surprised. /