The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-07-04
Copyright by Dodd. Mead and Company, Inc.

Barnes. arising. by Jove. II is half
past ten. had no idea-good night,
Miss Cameron"
and left her.
She had arisen and was standing.
straight and slim by the corner of the
fireplace, a confident smile on her lips.
IF you are to be long in the neigh
borhOod. Mr.. Barnes" said his hostess,
you must let us have YOU again."
my stay Is short. l fear. You have
only to reveal the faintest sign that I
may come, however, and I'll hop into
my seyen-league boots before you can
utter Jack Robinson's Christian name.
Good night. Mrs. Van Dyke. l have
evening"
The car was waiting at the back of
the house. ODowd walked out with
Barnes. their arms linked-as on a for
mer OCCASION. Barnes recalled.
"Ill ride out to the gate with you"
said the Irishman. Its a winding.
devious route the road takes through
the trees"
They came I'm time. after many 'hair
pins" and right angles, to the gate
opening upon the highway. Peter got
down from the seat to release the pad
locked chain and throw open the gate.
ODowd leaned closer to Barnes and
lowered his voice.
"See here, Barnes, I'm no fool. and
for that reason I've got sense enough
to know that you're not either. I
don't know what's in your mind, nor
what you're trying to get into it IL it
isn't already there. But I'll say this to
you, man to man: Don't let your
imagination get the better of your
common sense. That's all. Take the
tip from me-"
II am not imagining. anything,
do YOU mean?"
~ mean just what l say. Tn giving
you the tip for selfish reasons. If you
make a bally fool Of yourself. I'll have
to see You through the worst OF it
and It's a job l don't relish. Ponder
that. will We. on the way honey"
Barnes did ponder 1t on the way
home. There was but one construc-
ton to put upon the remark: II was
O'Dowd's way of letting him know
that he could be depended upon for
support If the worst came I o pass.
O'Dowd evidently had not been de-
ceived by the acting that masked the
conversation on the couch. He knew
that Miss Cameron had appealed to
Barnes, and that the latter had prom
ised to do everything In his power to
help her.
alton. and doubtless sacrificing his own
private interests, he had uttered the
vague but timely warning to Barnes.
The significance of this warning grew
under reflection. Barnes was not slow
to appreciate the position in which
ODowd voluntarily placed himself. A
word or a sign from him would be suf-
ficient to bring disaster upon the Irish
man who had risked his own safety in
a few i~rretrievable words. The more
he thought Of 1t. the more fully con-
WINGED was he that there was nothing
to fear from O'DOwd.
Peter drove slowly, carefully over
the road down the mountain. Respond
ing to a sudden impulse. Barnes low
cred one of the side seats in the ton
neat and moved closer to the driver.
"How long have you been driving
for Mr.. Curtis?"
Ever since he come up here. more'n
two years ago. Guess I'm going to get
the G. b. fore long, though. Seems
that he's. gettin' a new car an wants
an expert machinist to take hold of 1t
from the start. l was good enough
to fiddle around with this secondhand
pile o. junk an the he had last
year. but 1 amt qualified to handle
this here machine he's expectin'. SO he
says. l guess they's been some inf1u-
enc used against me, If the truth was
known. This new SECRETARY he's got
CANT stummick me-"
why don't you see Mr.. Curtis and
demand"
"See him?" snOrted Peter. might
as well try to see Napoleon Bonyparte.
Didn't you know he was a sick man."
Certainly. But he isn't so Ill that
he can't attend to business. Is he?"
"He sure Is. Parylised, they say"
what has Mr.. Loeb against you. IL
l may ask?"
well, it's like this. / amt in the
habit o. bein' ordered aroun' as IL /
was jest nobody at all. SO when he
starts In to cuss me about soinethin'.
q week or SO ago. l ups and tells him
I'll smash his head II he don't take 1t
back. He takes it back all right, but
the first thing I know ! get q call
down from Mrs. Collier. Course /
couldn't tell her what / told the
sheeny. seein' as she's Z female. $50 l
took It like q lamb. Then they gifts q
Teller up here to wash the car. Ny
gosh. mister. the burned ole rattle-trap
ain,t wuth : bucket O water all told.
So I sends word In to Me. Curtis that