The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-12-11

rather Of curiosity than Of resent
.ment or disappointment, although
he had a certain justification for
both emotions.
HTake care Of it, he c%ounselled,
a trifle CURLY. Submarines have
made ocean travel less of a GER,
tainty than it used to be. Ii any
thing happens to me on the way
up the coast, or the way back, you
might find trouble in duplicating
that document! Especially as
Milo goes with mel"
but submarines aren't attack
ing coast vessels" Bruce ex-
claimed startled.
Gone might make a mistake"
dryly. "Such a mistake might suit
Jacinto Meyer very well; he
might even communicate that pos
sibility to the commander Of an
undersea craft. Oh, I do not say
there is any likelihood Of such an
event. Still, it is well to be pre-
pared for accidents"
4 hope there are precautions
TAKEN" Bruce stammered.
eyes. We shall sail a week before
the date given out as that Of our
leaving; on the steamer in ad-
vance Of the one on which our
passage is officially and publicly
engaged"
Another pause followed. Noel
surveyed his companion, his first
curiosity becoming keen specula-
ton as Bruce evinced no intention
of speaking further on the sub
ject. He did not understand the
usually transparent Bruce, and his
failure to do SO annoyed Noel more
than the other mans lack of
warmth. Gratitude from Bruce
would have embarrassed rather
than gratified him Noel disliked
effusion Of every kind. But the
absence of a word, a glance Of ap-
probation was unnatural. Surely
it was an ungracious pride that
would bend to no acknowledge
ment Of a kindness a pride he
had though foreign to Bruce.
The engineer, becoming aware
of an unusual element in the long
silence presently drew himself out
OF the abstraction into which
Noel's hint Of disaster had i'm
mersed him. He took off his
glasses, looked at them on both
sides, and replaced them, then
turned his brown eyes to the other
mans.
"Yes?" he murmurcd, with a
vague idea that he had not replied
to the last remark.
There was a simplicity and can
dor in the homely, pleasant counte-
nance a quality in his very alb
sentmindedness, which gave the
lie direct to Noel's doubt. He
Strengthened his powerful figure
and nodded briefly to his secre-
tary.
Don't let me interrupt you. I
know you are busy. I only meant
to warn you. No doubt it was not
necessarily"
He passed through a long win
dow to the veranda. Outside Be
nlto waited with his master S
horse and his own. Noel q, united
tossed his hat to the Indian to
carry until they left the shaded
private road AMI ro6e Darenaadeti
down the lovely garden slope.
Corey Bruce followed to the wln-
dow and watched the riders can
tier down the drive that wound
through the masses Of %shrulbery,
past the pools Of lilies, the white
pergo1a shining il the sun, down
until the riders disappeared into
the dense green Of the forest belt
that clasped the park and beyond
(which lay the gate Of the little
shoes.
When the last CLEAN Of Noel's
white suit and dark head had van.
ished into the green shadows
Bruce came back ITO the room
and STOOD med,:ating. He was
pnIaled by Noel $ insistencc or
the Importance OF guarding til,
document that Milo Valdez ha6
brought from the capital in the
morning; puzzled because the pa
'|per related in NJ way to the Pc
!, litical warfare in which they were
, all enlisted. He wondered If hi
could have been mistaken on tha1
subject.
: BE returned to his writing. Blu
lin q few moments he pushed j
; aside and went to the safe. ii,
Z had the locks combination as :
necessary part of his duties. II,
: turned the knob now, with a rccol
lection Of the first time he has
seen Milo Valdez do SO, feeling
!, with sober satisfact on that til,
same trust was now his also. TIL.