The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-08-07
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snid Barnes slowly.
"And SO am l." said O'Dowd with
conviction. "I have seen the heroine
Of our busted romance. She's a good
looking girl. I'm not surprised that
she kept her veil down. If you were
to leave II to me, though, I'd soy
that It's sin to carry discretion so
far as all that. You see what mean,
don't you?" His rich laugh came over
| the wire.
Perfectly. Thank you for letting
me know. My mind is ut rest. Good.
by" As he hung up the receiver he
said to himself. "You are most nj.
fable. convincing chap. Mr.. ODowd.
| but I don't believe 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 lent 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.
1t was not beyond reason--indeed,
Il was quite probable-that they were
trying to cross the border; In that
J event their real operations would be
confined to the Canadian side Of the
J 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 Mt the crossroads. His
busy brain suddenly suffered the shock
: of a distinct conclusion. Was she a
fellow conspirator? Was she the In
side worker at Green Fancy 10 well.
laid plan to rifle the place?
Could 1t be possible that she vas
the confederate of these pninstabing
agents who lurked with sinister pa.
tience outside the very gates Of the
place called Green Fancy?
: His ramble carried him far beyond
the spot where Rooms body was found
and where young Conley had come
upon the tethered horses. His eager
curious gaze swept the forest to the
left Of the road In search OF Greer
Fancy. Overcome by rash, daring
impulse. he climbed over the stake
nd q
the big trees which SO far had OBJ
scured the house from view. The tree'
grew very thickly on the slope, lnt
they were unusually large. He pro
gressed deeper into the wood. At TIN
end Of what must have been a mil,
he halted. There was no sign OF habi
tatlon. no Indication that man hat
ever penetrated so far into the forest
AS he was on the point Of retracinl
his steps toward the road his gag
fell upon a huge moss-cOvered rOci
less than hundred yards away. II,
stared. and gradually It began to tax,
on angles and planes and recesses o
the most astounding symmetry. On
der his widening gaze 1t was trans
formed into a substantial object O
cubes and gables and-yes, wiAdowa
He was looking upon the strang
home of the even stranger Mr.. Cur
tis-Green Fancy.
Now he understood why It wa
called Green Fancy. Its surrounding
were no greener than itself; 1t seeine'
to melt into the foliage. to become
. part of the natural landscape. Noun
= tain Ivy literally enveloped 1t. FL
posed sections Of the house were paint
q. ed green; the doors were greea; tn
lr leafy porches and their columns. tn
le chimney pots, the window hanRiugs-
Ie oil were the color of the unchangin
% forest. And 1t was q place OF hug
dimensions. low and long and ram
Z bling.
A "'Gad," he said to himself, "wha
e, manner of crank Is he who woul
n- bury himself like this? OF all th
ID crazy ideas I ever"
ID His reflections ended there. A won
m an crossed his vision: a woman stroll
e, ing slowly toward him through the IL