The citizen., 1919-07-24

aushcroft Took the Whole Affair With
the Most Noteworthy complaeeney.
10 stay. Perhaps you will allow me
TO talk Il over with you little later
on. You will be Interested, TN sure.
Egad, sir, I'll read the play to you.
Tll-What no, landlord. Have your
best automobile sent around TO the
door as quickly as possible. A couple
Of my men are going to Hornville to
fetch hlther my"
"Just minute" interrupted Put
nam Jones. wholly unimpressed. "A
man just called you up on the phone,
MFR. Barnes. told him you was en-
tertnining royalty at lunch and
couldn't be disturbed. SO he asked
me TO have you call him up as soon
as you revived. His words. not mine.
Call up Mr.. ODowd at Green Fancy.
Here's the number"
The mellow voice of the Irlshman
soon responded to Barnes call.
II called you up to relieve your
mind regarding the young woman who
came last night" he said. "You OBJ
serve that | say came She's quite
all right, safe and sound. and no cause
for uneasiness. I thought you meant
that she was coming here as a guest,
and so | made the very natural mis-
take of saying she hadn't come at all,
NJ all. The young woman In question
Is Mrs. Van Dykes maid. But. bless
me soul. how was | to know she was
even in existence, much less expected
by train or motor or Shanks' mare?
Wen. she's here. so there's the end of
our mystery"
Barnes was slow in replying. He
was doubling his own ears. II was not
conceivable that an ordinary-or even
an xtraordinary-ladys maid could
have possessed the exquisite voice and
manner OF his chance acquaintance OF
the day before. or the temerity ia
order that sour-faced chauffeur about
as If The chauffeurl
'But ] thought you said that Mr.
Curtis chauffeur was moon-faced
and"
"He Is. bedad," broke In Mr.
O'Dowd. chuckling. "Thats what de
celved me entirely. and no wonder. II
wasn't Peter at all. but the rapscallion
washer who went after her. He was
instructed TO tell Peter to meet the
four O'Clock train. and the blockhead
forgot TO give the order. Bedad, what
does he do but sneak out after her
himself. scared out of his boots fol-
fear Of what he was to get from Peter
| had the whole story from Mrs. Var
Dyke"
swell. I'm tremendously relieved. >
said Barnes slowly.
"And so am l." said O'Dowd with
conviction. IL have seen the heroin,
Of our busted romance. She's a good
looking girl. I'm not surprised thai
she kept her veil down. II you wer,
to leave 1t to me. though. I'd say
that it's sin to carry discretion 81
far as all that. You see what l mean
don't your" His rich laugh came ovei
the wire.
Perfectly. Thank you for letting
me know. NY mind Is M rest. Good
by" As he hung up the receiver he
said to himself. "You are most af-
fable. convincing chap. MIR. ODowd.
but | don't believe a word you say.
That woman is no lady's maid. and
you've known all the time that she
was there"
At four o'clock he set out alone for
tramp up the mountain road in
which the two men had been shot
down. His mind was quite clear.
Room and Paul were not ordinary rob
bers. They were, no doubt honest
men. He would have said that they
were thieves bent on burglarizing
Green Fancy were II not for the dis
closures OF Miss Thackeray and the
very convincing proof that they were
not shot by the same man.
II was not beyond reason-indeed,
II was quite probable-that they were
trying TO cross the border; In that
event their real operations would be
confined TO the Canadian side of the
line. He could not free himself of the
suspicion that Green Fancy possessed
the key to the situation. Room and his
companion could not have had the
slightest interest In his movements up
to the instant he encountered the
young woman at the crossroads. His
busy brain suddenly suffered the shock
OF Q distinct conclusion. Was she a
fellow consplratorf Was she the In
side worker at Green Fancy In we'll
laid plan TO rife the placer
Could II be possible that she was
the confederate OF these nainstaking