Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-11-10

with plEeon-lOeu eyes, SalH i.lllbtt So
vercly. Go away from here instantly
and prepare me ALI th" dinner in the
establishment, lest an evil fate over
take you.'
1T is written" returned Sum Fat
that die after eight seven years OF
honorable life, from heart failure on
receiving long deferred raise in wages.
He shulllcd of, churkling,
II fnncied | saw The ilHttrr Of a pet
iicuat through the trees, as ! came NJ
to The house
Acquaintance Of yours, | believe
Miss F'iske"
Miss Fiskc.' There WAS unfcigued
nmnzcncnt in tie echo.
"AnylhinG wonderful about that:
Inquired Whitaker, sharply. Il funcied
from what she said that you TWO were
rather good friends
",luSt surprised that's all said
Ember, recovering. You see, didn't
think the iiskc place was open this
year
He stared suspiciousiy at Whitaker
but the latter was transparently in
genuouS.
she expressed an unaccountable
desire 10 see you-told me to tell you.
"Oh? Such being the case, one
would think she might've waited"
she had just started home when
you drove ill.," Whitaker explained with
elaborate ease. shed merely run
over for Il moment to inquire after
my ankle, and couldn't wait | say,
who are the Fiskes, anyway?'
well the Fishes are the
people who own the next cottage
81 know. but"
"Oh, | never troubled to inquire
have a hazy notion Ftske does some
thing in Wall street" Ember passed
smoothly over this flaw in his profess
sional omniscicnce, How did you
happen to meet her?'
"Oh mere accident. over on the
beach this morning. l slipped and
hurt my ankle -ah-happened
along and brought me home In her
motor boat
you haven't seen Drummond--or
any signs Of him, have you?'
"Eh-Whatf' Whitaker sat up,
startled. "No, | er .
how should ~
II merely wondered. You see, | .
Well, to tell the truth, took the lih-
erty Of camping on his trail, While in
town. But | couldn't find any trace Of
HIM"
"Oh, I say Whitaker expostulated.
touched by this evidence of lisntereSt-
ed thoughtfuness. You persuade
Yourself too much, Old man. You set
up an inference and idoizc it as an
Immortal truth. Why, you had me
going for while. only last night
there WAS u fellow skulking round
here, and | was Just dippy enough,
thanks to Your influence, to think he
rescmhled Drummond Eut this morn
ing | got good look at him, and he's
no more Drummond than You are"
Emhcr sat up, eyes Snarping. who
was he, then: Tell me about him
everything"
Whitaker resigncdly delivered him
self of the tale of the mare s-ncst-as
he still regarded it. When he had come
to the lame conclusion thereof Ember
yawned and rose.
what are YOU going to do about it?"
Whitaker inquired with irony.
"Wnsh and make myself fit to eat
food was the response. II may pos
siby think little. It's an exhilarat-
ing exercise which I don't hesitate to
recommend to your distinguished con-
sideraion.'
He was out of earshot, within the
bungalow, before Whitaker could think
up an adequately insolcnt retort. He
could, however, do no less than smile
incrcduIously ut the beautiful world
so much, ut least, he owed to his self
respect.
In the deepening twilight mental
shadow came to cloud The brightness
of Whitaker's confident contentment.
A>tltIltI Sttu lptN H'l S'ot N''iP'i!
seemed able to mitigate his sudden
seizure of Dependency lie sat gloom
ing over his plate and glass, the bur-
den of his conversation yea, yea ana
nay, nay. His host diagnosed his com
plant from beneath shrewd eyebrows.
"Whtnker," he said ut length, "a
pessmist has been defined as Il dog
that won't scratch"
"Wcll?" said the other sourly.
"Come on. BE sport Have good
scratch on me-
Whitaker grinned reluctantly and
briefly.
"Whcre's my wife?' he demanded
abruptly.
How in blazes-"
"There you are" Whitaker com
planned. you max" great preiensions,
and yet you fall down fiat ON your foot
ish face three times in less than rs
many hours. You don't know who the
Iiskes are, you've lost track of your
pet myth, Drummond, and you don't
know where l can find my wife,