Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-16
CHAPTER XVII.

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When Andrew Forress err reaehet
his rented home ii was late after
noon. The sidewalk was crowded
with supplies arriving FROM the ca
tere s-cases Of wine, tins Of ices
box-trees and ported plants wreath'
of greens from the florist'ss carpen
ters were carrying in scatfolding
others were erecting the awnings
rolling down the carpet. When ht
picked his way up the steps, through
I the struggling confusion, a heavy
set man in dark clothes barred the
door to him.
'sWhat business, piease?"
FJust the husband he said, with
sQap of his jaw
AZ beg your pardon, sir, I'm from
the agency. We have to be careful
who ,Somes in" said the detective
who Continued, however, to watch
him douPtfully.
Il see-~and it's up to me to prove
my identity" said Forester so
brusQuely chat the detective retreat
ed a step. "Well, there's certain
element of hnmor in'the situation"
I'm Gully doing my duty, sir"
At this moment Laracy, hatless
and coatless, pi9oting a barricade of
palms which moved like Birnam
Wood, perceived him and came up
putting. .
won't shake hands, Mr.. Forces
Ter. I'm covered WITH CRIME. Lord,
I don't know how we'ne ever going
to be ready, but it's going to be
smasherp'
"Kindly recognize me as TIL. mas
ter of the house to this model
Watchdog" said Forester grimly.
"Whatl Oh, | say, that's a good
one!" said Laracy, bursting into
laughter. cts all right, JiIu," he
added, with a wave of his hand,
which satisfied the detective. s'Ex-
cuse me, won't your I'm overseeing
the decorations. .--..-
THANK you for the service" said
Forester, with an irony which was
lost. /
He entered the antechamber and
thrust his way up through the bed
lam to the salons and the ballroom,
which swarmed with decorators and
carpenters, tracking and purposeful
stage-ants, under whose industry
the scene was growing from chaos.
Half a dozen young fellows whose
names he did not know, comman-
deered by his wife, were rushing in
and out under the direction of Stein
gall, the artist, a short electric man |
of enthusiastic RACES, who was ev-
erywhere, drumming up laggards, |
rearranging and directing. And the
first person he saw, nonchalant, at
home, thoroughly self-possessed, |
was Tody Dawson. The young fell
low perceived him. wheeled and
came up with an appearance of cas-
ualness.
How do, Mr.. Forester It's go
ing to be marvellous. Be back in q
minute. I've got to telephone for
more box-trees."
|, Forester bowed without shaking |
hands. His jaw shut with q snap.
The answer had come, He, the hus-
band, was to be sacrificed. 1t struck
him as sublimeiy ludicrous that he,
Forester, should be beaten thus by
a youngster who wasn't worth a
clerks salary i
"For she's beaten me-" he said |
grimly. Il am the intruder" |
Steingall, who was an enraged
purist, stopped a moment in his
GREATNESS turning to explain. Every
thing would be Louis XIV, even to
the paintings on the walls which he
had rented from the Caxton gall
leries, and the ornaments and APP
pliques from Bootheby's. The ball
room was to be transformed into an
orange garden; the open windows
and doors were to be boxed in and
lighted by invisible electric lights,
to give the impression of moonlit
vistas; a great star-strewn canopy
was to be let down from the ceiling
to represent the armament, while
coiored lanterns would twinkle
among the branches.
"Very fne-very clever" said
Forester. nodding without visualiz-
ing anything in the confusion.
He wandered into the dining
room, which was being transformed
into a tent to represent a fair in the
days of the Grand Monarque. In
one corner Pardee was passing on
the liveries to be used. Steingail
flashed in to approve of two little
pickaninnies decked out in turbans
and glittering red-and-gold cos