Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-07-03
Copyright by Dodd, Mead and Company, Inc.

"Ill be off at once" exclaimed
Barnes, arising. "By Jove, it is half
past ten. / had no idea-good night,
Miss Cameron"
He pressed her hand reassuringly
and left her.
She had arisen and was standing,
straight and slim by the corner of the
fireplace, a confident smile on her lips.
"If you are to be long in. the neigh
borhood, Mr.. Barnes" said his hostess,
'you must let us have you again."
"NIy 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. / have
you all to thank for most delightful
evening"
The car 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. ITS 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.
ODowd 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. /
don't know what's in your mind, nor
what you're trying to get into it If 1t
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-"
81 am not imagining anything,
O'Dowd," said Barnes quietly. what
| do you mean?"
Il mean just what I say. I'm giving
you the tip for selfish reasons. If you
make a bally fool of yourself, I'll have
to see you through the worst of if
L
that, will ye on the way homer"
Barnes did ponder it on the way
| home There was but one construc
ton to put upon the remark: it was
O'Dowds 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
Used to do everything in his power to
help her.
Suspecting that this was the stu
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
ODowd voluntarily placed himself. A
word or a sign from him would be suf-
ficfent to bring disaster upon the Irish
man who had risked his own safety in
4 few irretrievable words. The more
he thought of it, the more fully con-
WINGED was he that there was nothing
to fear from ODowd.
Peter drove slowly, carefully over
the road down the mountain. Respond
ing to 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 Mr.. Curtis"
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' new car an wants
an expert machinist to take hold of II
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 amt qualified to handle
this here machine he's expectin', so he
says. I guess they's been some infiu
ence used against me, If the truth was
known. This new sec'etary he's go
CANT stummick me-"
"Why don't you see Mr.. Curtis ant
demand-"
"See him?" snorted Peter. Nigh
as well try to see Napoleon Bonyparte
Didn't you know he was sick man?
Certainly. But he isn't so i'll tina
he can't attend to business, is he?"
; "He sure is. Parylised, they say"
''What has Mr.. Loeb against you, i
| / may ask?"
"Well, it's like this. amt in tn
habit O. bein' ordered aroun' as if
was jest nobody at all, so when h
! starts in to cuss me about somethir
' a week or so ago, | ups and tells hiI
I'll smash his head if he don't take
t back He takes it back all right, bu
< the first thing l know | get a cal
down from Mrs. Collier. Course
| couldn't tell her what l told tn
: sheeny, seem as she's a female, so
took it like lamb. Then thew gifts
] Teller up here to wash the car. NJ
/. gosh. mister, the burned ole rattle-tra
= amt with a bucket o. water all tolC