Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-06-04
"Pleased7 + am overwhelmed,

"You must not think OF me simply
as the keeper of a boarding house, Mr.
Burton. am an ambitious hostess.
l do not often give these little par
ties, but when do / like to do my best
to make them success. l want each
of you to remember this dinner of
mine.''
Elm sure / SHALL"
Mrs. Pickett smiled.
II think you all will. You, Mr.. Sny-
der" She paused. "And you, Captain
Muller"
To Mr.. Snyder there was so much
meaning in her voice as she said this
that he was amazed that it conveyed
no warning to the German.
Captain Muller, however, was al
ready drinking heavily. He looked
UP when addressed and uttered a
sound which might have been taken
for an expression of polite acquies-
cence. Then he filled his glass again.
Mr.. Snyder, cycling his hostess with
a tense watchfulness which told him
that his nerves were strung to their
utmost, fancied that her eyes CLEANED
for an instant with sinister light.
1t faded next moment, as she turned
to speak to Cakes, who was still fin
gering his parcel with the restless Gu
riosity of a boy.
"Do we open these, maam?"
"Not yet, Mr.. Burton"
I'm wondering what mine is"
II hope it will not be a disappoint-
ment to YOU"
A sense of the strangeness of the
situation came over Mr.. Snyder with
renewed force as the meal progressed.
He looked round the table and Won
dered if an Odder quartet had ever
been assembled.
Cakes, his fears that the dullness of
this dinner-party would eclipse the
dullness of all other dinner parties in
his experience, miraculously relieved,
was at peace with all men. He was
in high spirits and waxed garrulous
over his wine.
Mr.. Snyder could read his mind cas-
lily enough. 1t was when he attempted
to guess at the thoughts of his hostess
and the German that he was baffied.
@ What was that heavy man with the
dull eyes thinking of as he drained and
refilled his glass? And the old woman?
She had slipped back, once the party
had begun to progress smoothly, into
something of her former grim man.
ner, and conversation at table had
practically developed into a mono
Cakes.
AS for Mr.. Snyder himself, he felt
mysteriously deprived of his usual
healthy appetite and simultaneously
of the easy geniality which distin-
guished him. He sat and crumbled
bread, nervously watchful,
Cakes picked up his souvenir again.
He had been fiddling with it at inter-
walls for the past quarter of an hour.
Surely now, ma'am?" he said plain
lively.
II did not want them opened till
after dinner" said Mrs. Pickett. "But
just as you please"
Cakes tore the wrapper eagerly. He
produced a little silver matchbox.
THANK you kindly, ma'am," he
said. Just what I have always
wanted"
Mr.. Snyder's parcel revealed a
Watch-charm fashioned in the shape
of a dark lantern.
That" said Mrs. Pickett, SIS a COM
pliment to your profession" She
leaned toward the German. "Mr. Sny-
der is detective, Captain Muller"
The German looked up.
It seemed to Mr. Snyder that a look
Of fear lit up his heavy eyes for an
instant. 1t came and went, if indeed
it came at all, so swiftly that he could
not be certain.
"So?" said Captain Muller.
He spoke quite evenly, with just the
amount of interest which such an an
nOuncement would naturally produce {;
but Mr.. Snyder was conscious of
return of his old feeling of di:trust
for the man.
He had been fighting against this
all the evening, for he had profess
sional horror of approaching any case
in a biased frame of mind. He was
trying his hardest not to PREJUDICE this
suspect, but he found himself waver-
ing.
Nov for yours, captain" said
Cakes. 81 guess it's something special.
It's twice the size Of mine. anyway
1t may have hacn something III the
old woman'S expression rs site watched
the German slowly tearing the paper
that sent a thrill of excitement through
Mr.. Snyder.
Something seemed to warn him Of
the approach of the psychological mo-
ment. He bent forward eagerly. I'm
der the table his hands were clutching
his knees in a bruising grip.
There was a strangled gasp, clat-
ter, and onto t. table from the Ger
mans hands there fell a little har-
monica.
In the silence which followed all
the suspicion which Mr.. Snyder had
been so sedulously keeping in check
burst its bounds.
There was no mistaking the look on