Grand Forks herald., 1919-06-26
CHAPTER xx.-(Oontinued.)

The following day Of tumult and
bitter struggle; when the people
through the streets of the city in end
messages flashed, and the states turn
ed to look at this one Of their sister
hood. that day passed monotonously
at Villa Noel. q.
| 1t was no, mere, pretense with
drawal that David Noel had made; no
ostensible retirement while he secret
ly directed his forces from his. shell
ter. He played no trickery; perhaps
from wisdom. perhaps from pride. His
work was carried to its uttermost; !;
the course for his men planned. His
Now, he waited. "a
| He waited, but he could not rest.
He bathed, preakfasted, and dressed
carefully. He strolled through his
! garden and listened to the report OF
his household on the events of his
absence. He looked as quiet as the
pools of white and purple lilies. But
streets miles away. He saw Jacinto
\ Meyer hurrying from man to man,
prompting, lying. scheming. He
could not even force his mind to
dwell upon Rosalind. That was not
romantic, but 1t was SO.
He was resolved that he would not
live under the rule of Meyers people.
If he lost here, he would lose utterly.
He would transfer his fortune to the
the Little Shoes would be left to
moulder. abandoned. why not. since
itN would be a monument of failure:
failure in his chosen work, failure in
his dream of the giver of the shoes
as his wife.
Noon passed. Afternoon
1t was with deliberation that Noel
had refused'to have companion dur
ing this day. He foresaw what its
Estrain would be, and he wanted no
witnesses to mark it's effect upon him.
Not even friends!
| Yet he played, out his role of con-
tained calmness, as though an audi
ence looked on and the villa. was a
stage. He smoked tasteless tobacco.
he turned the pages of unread books.
He called in Pedro and questioned
appearance and incidents - of Gran
ados' illness.
Pedro could tell little of value. be-
yond what Granados had already re-
lated. The Senior Bruce had seemed
much troubled over the accident to
the Senior Marshal. The last eve
ming, he had dismissed the doctor and
sent for another. Yes, the DR.. San
tos had seemed discomposed, and the
/ mot dined." Noel echoed. struck
by this as the, first even slight break
in the routine Of Bruce's days; at least
| the first of which he had learned.
Pedro bowed assent. adding. enc0ur-
aged by his masters attention. that
the fact was the more strange because
the Senior Bruce had been out riding
for day and night, and must have
resting and eating. he had hurried in
to the library to write. He had not
even changed his garments. which
we're soiled by dust ana travel. That
was about half-past eight o'clock AT
half nine when Pedro passed
through the hall, the door to the lib
rary was closed. Noel meditated. his
dark brows knitting: and finally ask
ed what Bruce was writing, If he had
left nothing on desk or table. Pedro
could answer that confidently. There
had been no writing. no papers visible
in the library when he and the ser
wants entered next morning. All was
in order, The Senior must have put
away his writing before he left. OF
4 had taken it with him. No. no-one
had ,seen him leave, He must have
had been taken out. Visitors? There
were always visitors to the Casa Noel;
but none that evening. IT. was true,
a gardener said that he had seen a
car drive in the gate Of the Little
Shoes, but he was wrong, for none
had come to the house. And the lights
Eof the car must have been seen.
Noel did not suggest the probability
of a car without lights Instead, he
oslro -1,o1 f4, q
day and a night. Two days, Pedrs
ventured to correct, He did not know
where the Senior had gone. To the
city, everyone supposed Where else
Where else? Noel saw the key to
the riddle in that sentence. He knew
better than Gil Granados did how the
n sensitive, shy Bruce had disliked the
city where he felt himself alone. Only
necessity would have drawn him
held cars at his disposal which would
have accomplished the trip lin" less
time and brought him back the SOON
er to the injured man for whom he
had shown such solicitude. Or there
was always the railroad down the
mountain. He had visited none OF
those men in the capital whom he had
met as Noel's associates; Noelshad not
been too preoccupied to inquire OF
each of his friends when they had last
seen his foreign secretary. -
There was one informant who rare
ly failed. Noel summoned Benito.
"Benito, I wish to know where the
Senior Bruce rode on his last two
days here.' he told the indian.
Benito looked at his master out OF
jet-polished eyes. He had liked the
red-haired American whom hi
brought from Rio Nabuco. he had fell
protectively for him, as for a protege
Of course he had heard. the disap
pearance discussed among his fellow
servants. He needed no explanation
now from Noel.
They have ears like q deaf ca
his fellow servants. Their thought
are thick like the mud beneath I,
river wherein their heads burrow ant
see not. II l had been here my mas
ter, the white man with the fiery hail
would not have gone that way"
!. He made no promises, but Noe
knew how we'll he would serve ant
how eager the service.
The Investigation had done Noe
good. In thinking of Corey Bruce h
had rested from thought Of himself
| Also, 1t had passed time. The after
noon was there. He passed to tina
veranda room he most approved To-
! his leisure hours and sat down, ex
tending himself in a. long chair, ant
took from the tray he was presentet
one OF those delicious concoct1ons .
fruit-juices for which he had vajnk
thirsted in New York. Drinking, III
remembered the sour oranEe-juic,
Rosalind had coveted When Il,
brought her here .9f 4 .ss5 .,y,i
j III Jacinto Meyer won their duel