The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1920-10-14

lutIt WIS u uOLen Ol llelD, ana lUe
captain | recognized as Scotty, a
hop who had long worn the Tyringham
livery. ! waved my hand to them
and turned to find Antoine awaiting
me at the Coor
ITS the troops. sir" he explained.
ITS to keep Dutch and Gretchen and
ElsIe-she'S tie wife Of that Flynn
In proper order. sir"
Troops WIS a large term for the
av kwurd squad Of retired walters
and bell-hops, and II was with diff.
Guilty that kept my face straight.
IT'S most unfortunate. hut we was
forced TO it, Dinner Is served. sir"
From lhe dining table in the long
dnIng-room ! caught gllmpses through
the gathering dusk Of SCotty's bnttal.
ion at its evolutions.
"Antolnew | sad sharply. "what
o you mean by these hints of trouble
on the pInce2 You're not silly
enough to imagine that Dutch and
couple Of women can do anything out
nee tn aid Americas enemies And
as for these Inquiries about Mrs.
RaShford. they couldn't possibly have
anything to Dc with tho war. SueclG-
calIy who are the persons who've
asked for ler?
There's The party ! toll YOU about
most persistent, who's mo,ur,d here
three times, end another person who
seems to be looking for him, sir. It's
most singular"
IT'S singularly ridiculous; that's
all. They're probubly piano-tuners
on rival agents for rug house or
| something Of that sort"
"They may be agents, but not that
kind, sir" His lips quivered, either
/ from fear or vexation IT my refusal
| to take his story seriously.
"lf anything tangible happens,
Antoine" said kindly, anything we
can really put our hands on, Wen
certainly deal with T.. But you
mustn't get nervous or allow yourself
t suspect everybody who turns up
Eere of evil designs against the repub-
| lie. I've come here for quiet, you
know. and we can't have every pass
ing stranger throwing the place into
"A panic"
had no sooner reached the library.
where he gave me coffee, than I heard
a slow, measured tread or the broad
brick terrace that ran along the
house on the side toward the
Sound. The windows were opNn and
the guard was in plain view. |
glanced at Antoine, whose attitude
toward me was that of one benevO-
lently tolerant of stupidity. He meant
to save me in spite Of my obtuseness.
"Tell the picket to remove himself
where | won't hear him. If you please,
Antoine"
He disappeared through one of the
French windows and in q moment
sCw the guard patrolling a walk some
distance from the house. l now made
myself COmfortablc with book and
cigar, but | had hardly settled myself
for a quiet hour before | heard com
motion from the direction of the gate,
followed a few minutes later by n
shout and a noisy COllOquy, after which
a roadster arrived in haste at the
front door
Mr. Terrence, SIR" announced
Antope. I'm sorry, sir, but he ran by
the guard at The gate, and our man
below the house stopped him. It's a
precaution we've been taking sir"
Torrence's sense of humor was
always little feeble, aud | FASTENED
into the hall to reassure him as tC
his welcome.
For Gods sake, Singleton. what's
Happened here? A band of pirates
jumped on E,y running-board, nnC
after I'd knocked them off road
agent stopped me right there in sight
on the house and poked the muzzle OF
shotgun in my face"
Mighty sorry you were annoyed
but there have been soma queer char
acters about, tramps and that sort OF
thing and the people on the place are
merely a little anxious. Have a
cigar|
"All can say Is that you'd better
send your friends the password
That fool out there with the gun is
likely to kill somebody. AntOine"-
he turned to the butler, who was
drawing the curtains at the windows
Il the propertys been threatened
you should have Informed me immedi
ately."
YES, sir; tut It's only been quite
recent, and knowing Mr. Singleton
was coming, we didn't like to bother
you"
"We can only apologize Tory"
interposed. The employees hav,