Evening star., 1919-03-09

Mill, on whose summit the hotel was
cleaning. In flashing contrast to the
sleeping town. Tall redwoods, sur
vivors of the forest. loomed beside the
road. The cool perfume of sweet peas
and mignonette stole out from door
yard gardens hidden in the darkness.
His soul drank placidity from the soft,
fragrant night.
He passed through the business part
of the village. The windows were
dark; no human being save himself
was moving here. The general store.
where ranchers from the surrounding
country, did their trading, the post Of
fice, the ice cream parlor, the bowling
alley and the little bank. which was
the community's latest token Of pros
perity. were sound asleep.
He crossed the railroad track near
the diminutive depot and reached the
bungalow to which he had been d.
rected. He entered. struck a match
and found the lace shawl over the
back of a chair.
AS he was nearing the railroad track
on his way back Brennan heard the
roar OF the late evening passenger
train from the city. He saw the glare
of the headlight sweeping around
curve. Idle curiosity made him halt
beside a clump Of shrubbery near the
end of the depot platform, to watch
one Of the few daily events which In
terrupted the siesta of ordinary VII
lage existence.
The locomotive thundered to it's
stopping place: the brakes whined;
the air began sobbing in the pipes.
mail sack thudded to the plank
ing: the village postmaster picked It
up and sauntered away with It. Five
or six passengers had aiighted and
hurried off at once; the conductor was
swinging his lantern: the locomotive
had given Its first enormous hiccoueh
and was rumbling forward. A man
swung off from the steps of the
smoker,
For one brief. passing moment the
face OF this last arrival was sharply
revealed in the glare from the sAAz
windows.
During that moment Brennan under
went a curious change. He bent low
behind the clump Of shrubbery His
great muscles had assumed q sudden
rigidity which made them stand out
! under that flannel suit as though the
light fabric were draped over metal
instead of flesh. Sophistication had
, leaped back into his eyes.
The man was tall and broad, as large
as Brennan, but there was nothing in
his quick. nervous step-the pace of
one who knows just where he Is going
and wants to reach that point with
out interruption-which would re-
motely suggest the slow swagger of
an officer. The eyes roved, quick and
cool. The lips dropped slightly at the
, ends.
When this other had disappeared in
the shadows beyond the depot, Bren-
, nan rose from his crouching posture.
He turned his back on the station and
hurried away.
; His route to the hotel was different
from that by which he had come. He
,, avoided the brief stretch of business
street And when. at length, he STEP
, ped on the broad veranda, his face had
: lost Its sunny freshness. His de-
> meanor was business like. Instead OF
going on into the dining room with
: the lace shawl which he was carry
ing across his arm. he stood looking
about him with that same unobtru-
sive kenness which his eyes held on
. the street during fifty weeks of every
: year,
The night clerk. resplendent In q
, cut-away and white linen in honor OF
the evenings festivities, was making
!, good headway with two man-h hungry
summer girls when Brennan caught
4 his eye
"The chief?" The night clerk smiled
repeating Brennan's query. why. LEI
me see, oh yes. He went up the rjdg,
= road, taking two old ladies home
\ Anything happened?"
h Brennan shook his head and return
t ed the smile with the apparent care
o lessness OF one to whom dissembling
n is second nature. But, when he baS
d got out OF sight, he stuffed the lac,
shawl into pocket of his flannel Goa
S and hurried along the road which
traversed the summit of the hill
: He had gone full half mile. ever,
d yard of which brought from him IL!
n own separate anathema, when he saw
d wavering little circle of light com
It ing to meet him. He sighed with re
# lief.
The village police force, returnin,
y from his duty as esquire of ancien