Cleveland County herald., 1919-07-17
oopyrIght by podd, Mead and Company, Inc.

l an amldDle nOOu ana clldnplnS lO De off So seldom is it in good humor | that he"
 "I'n be off at once" exclaimed Barnes arising. By love, it is half past ten. I had no idea--good night, Miss Cameron"
 He pressed her hand reassurngly and left her.
 She had arisen and was standing, straight and slim by the corner of the fireplace, a confident smile on her lips.
 eff you are to be long in the neigh borhood, MT. 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 may come, however, and I'll hop into my seven-league boots before you can utter Jack Robinson's Christian name. Good night, Mrs. Van Dyke. I have you all to thank for a most delightful evening"
 The ear was waiting at the back of the house. O'Dowd walked out with Barnes, their arms linked-as on for mer occasion, Barnes recalled.
 ''Pll ride out to the gate with yOu," said the Irishman. "It'S a winding, devious route the road takes through the trees.''
 They came in 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.
 O'Dowd 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 if it 1 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"
 q am not imagining anything, ODowd." said Barnes quietly. What do you mean?"
 q mean just what I say. I'm giving you the tip for selfish reasons. If you make bally fool of yourself, I'll have to see you through the worst of it. and it's job I don't relish. Ponder that, will ye, on the way home?"
 Barnes did ponder 1t on the way home. There was but one construc- tion to put upon the remark: it was O'Dowd's way of letting him know that he could be depended upon for support if the worst came to pass.
 ODowd 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.
 Suspecting that this was the situ- 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 O'Dowd 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 irretrievable words. The more he thought of it, the more fully con vinced 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 neau and moved closer to the driver
 How long have you been driving for MT. Curtis?n
 "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 it from the start. l was good enough to fiddle around with this secondhand pile O junk an the one he had last | year, but l ain't qualified to handle this here machine he's expectin', so he says. I guess theys been some influ- ence used against me, if the truth was known. This new sec'etary he's got | cain't stummick me"
 "Why don't you see Mir. Curtis and | demand"
 ''See him?" snorted Peter. Might as we'll try to see Napoleon Bonyparte. Didn't you know he was sick man?"
 Certainly. But he isn't so i'll that he can't attend to business, is he?"
 "He sure is. Parylised, they say"
 What has MT. Loeb against you. if may ask?"
 Well, it's like this. l ain't in the habit O bein' ordered aroun' as if I was jest nobody at all, so when he starts in to cuss me about somethin' week or so ago, ups and tells him I'll smash his head if he don't take it back. He takes it back all right, but the first thing I know I get call down from Mrs. Collier. Course l couldn't tell her what I told the sheeny, seein' as she's female, so I took it like lamb. Then they gifts a feller up here to wash the car My gosh, mister, the durned ole rattle-trap ain't wuth bucket O water all told.