Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-06-26
CHAPTER XII.
The First Wayfarer Accepts al Invl-
tdtion.

tdtion.
Barnes insisted that the first thing
to be considered was the release of
Miss Cameron.
IF we can't think of any other way
to GET her out of this devilish predica-
ment. Sprouse, / shall apply to Wash
ingt0n for help"
And be laughed at, my friend" said
the secret agent. at is not a matter
for the government to NEEDLE in at
ALL
We'll, something has to be done at
once said Barnes doggedly. "She is
depending on me. If you could have
seen the light that leaped into her glo-
rious eyes when l."
"Yes, I know. I've heard she is
quite a pretty girl. You needn't
quite a pretty girl!" exclaimed
Barnes. Why. she is the loveliest
thing that God ever created. She has
the face Of
II am beginning to understand
O'Dowd's interest in her. Mr.. Barnes.
He has probably fallen in love with
her with as little difficulty as you have
experienced, and almost as expedi-
tiously. He has seen a little more of
her than You, but !
Don't talk nonsense. I'm not in
love with her. 7
"Can you speak with equal author
ity for Mr.. ODowd? He is a very sus-
ceptible IriShman. | am told"
81 don't believe he will get much en-
cOuragement from her, Mr.. Sprouse,"
said Barnes stifiy.
"If she is as clever as I think she
is she will encourage him tremendous
ly. l would if | were in her place.
Mr.. O'Dowd is only human. He isn't
immune"
II cstch the point. Mr.. Sprouse,"
said Barnes. rather gloomily. He did
not like to think of the methods that
might have To be employed in the sub
~iugation of Mr.. ODowd. There is q
rather important question I'd like to
ask. Is she even remotely eligible to
her cCuntry'S thrOne?' ,
Remotely. yes" said Sprouse. !
$50 remotely that she could marry
a chap like ODowd without giving
much thought to future complica-
tions:' he ventured. 1
shed be just as safe in marrying
O'Dowd as she would in marrying
you," was Sprouse's unsatisfactory re-
Spouse. The mans brow was wrin-
Killed. in thought. See here. Mr..
Barnes, l I'm planning a visit to Green
Fancy tonight. How would you like
to accompany me?"
I'D like nothing better" said
Barnes. with enthusiasm.
will you agree to obey instruc-
tons? l can't have you muddling |
things up, YOU know"
THE grounds are carefully guard
ed said Barnes. after they had dis
cuSSed the project for some time.
Miss Cameron is constantly under
the watchful eye of one or more of
the crowd" 4
Il know. l passed a couple of them
last night said Sprouse calmly. "By'
the way. don't You think it would be
very polite of You TO invite the Green
Fancy party over here to have an old
fashioned country dinner with you to-
night:" :
1T would be useless, Mr.. Sprouse. :
They will not come" /,
Il am perfectly aware of that, but
1t won't do any harm to ask them,
will it,"
Barnes chuckled. ~ see. Establish
ing myself us m innocent bystander.
eh?"
Get O'Dowd on the telephone and
ask him if they can come" said
Sprouse.
But there is Jones to consider. The
telephone is in his office. What will
he think"
Jones is all right" said Sprouse
briefly. Come along. You can call
up from my room" He erinned slyly.
such Il thing as tapping the wire,
you know"
SprouSc had installed a telephone In
his room. carrying a wire upstairs
from an attachment made in the eel
lar of the Tavern. He closed the door
TO his little room on the top floor.
with the landlords approval" he
explained. pointing TO the instrument,
but unknown to the telephone COM
pany, YOU may be sure. Call him up
about half past ten. O'Dowd may be
up at this unholy hour, but not she.
Now | u be off to discuss literature
with Mrs. Jim Conley. The hardest
part "t my job is to keep her from
subscribing for Il set of Dickens. Con-
ley's house is not far from Green
Fancy. Savvy?" 4
Barnes. left to his own devices,
wandered from taproom to porch,
from porch to forge. from forge to
taproom, his brain far more active
than his legs, his heart as heavy as
lead and as light as air by turns.
More than once he felt like resorting
to Il ~well-kuown expedient to deter
mine whether he was awake or dream
ing. Could all this be real?
Ten minutes later he was In +;
SprouSe'S room, calling for Green
Fancy over an extension wire that had
cost he company nothing and yielded
nothing in return. After some delay
oDowd's mellow voice sang out:
Hello! How are you this morn
ing?' \
"~Grievously lonesome" replied
Barnes. and wound up a doleful ac-
count of himself by imploring O'Dowd
to Il v his life by bringing the entire
Green Fancy party over to dinner
that niyhf