Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-05-24
cAAprER xII.
The FIrrs wayfsrer Accepts an InvI-
tatlon.

once" said Barnes doggediy. @She d
depending on me. II you could havl
seen the light that leaped into her glo
rlous eyes when l."
"Yes, I know. I've heard she 4
quite a pretty girl. You needn't"
"Quite pretty girlT exclaimed
Barnes. "Why, she is the loveliesi
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 ln love with
her with as little difficulty as you have
experienced. and almost as expedl.
tiously. He has seen a little more Of
her than you. but"
'Don't talk nonsense. Tn not In
love with her"
"Can you speak with equal author
ity for Mr.. 0'Dowd? He is a very sus-
ceptible Irishman, l am told"
II 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 win encourage him tremendous
ly. I would If ! were in her place.
Mr.. 0Dowd is only human. He isn't
immune"
II catch the point, Mr.. Sprouse,"
said Barnes, rather gloomlly. He did
not like to think Of the methods that
might have TO be employed in the sub
jugatlon of Mr.. O'Dowd. "There is a
rather important question I'd like to
ask. Is she even remotely eligible to
her country's throne7"
"Remotely, yes" said Sprouse.
$50 remotely that she could marry
chap like O'Dowd without giving
much thought to future complica-
tionsT' he ventured.
"She'd be just as safe In marrying
ODOwd as she would In marrying
you" was Sprouse's unsatisfactory re-
sponse. The mans brow was wrin-
kled in thought. "See here, Mr..
Barnes. | am planning visit to Green
Fancy tonight. How would you like
to accompany meT"
I'D like nothing BETTER" said
Barnes. with enthusiasm.
"Wlll you agree TO obey instruc-
tlons7 I can't have you muddllng
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"
Il know. I passed a couple Of them
last night" said Sprouse calmly. "By
the way, don't you think II would be
very polite Of you TO invite the Green
Fancy party over here to have an old
fashioned country dinner with you to-
night7"
1T would be useless, Mr.. Sprouse.
They win not come"
'T am perfectly aware Of that. but
It won't do any harm to ask them,
win itr'
Barnes chuckled. "I see. Establish
Ing myself as an innocent bystander,
ehf"
Get o'Dowd on the telephone and
ask him II 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 grinned slyly.
"Such a thing as tapping the wire.
you know"
Sprouse had installed telephone In
his room, carrying n 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
hut unknown TO the telephone com
pany, YOU may be sure. Call him up
about half past ten. ODowd may be
mp at this unholy hour, but not she
Now must be of TO discuss literature
with Mrs Jim COnley. The hardest
part Of my Job Is to keep her from
subscribing for set OF Dickens. Con
ley's house Is not far from Green
Fancy. savvy7"
Barnes. left to his own devices.
wandered from taproom TO porch,
from porch to forge. from forge to
taprcom. his brain far more active
than his legs. his heart as heavy as
lead aud as Hight MS air BY turns.
More than once he felt like resorting
to a well-known expedlent to deter
mine whether he was awake or dream
Ing. Could all this be real7
Ten minutes later he was In
sprouse's room, calling for Green
Fancy over an extension wire that had
cost the company nothing and yielded
nothing IN return. After some delay
ODowd's mellow voice sang out:
"Helloi How are you this morn
ingi"
"Grievously lonesome" replied
Barnes. aud wound up a doleful ae.
count Of himself By imploring o'Dowd
to save his life By bringing the entire
Green Faney party over 10 dinner
that night.
ODowd was beort.hrot., n..