Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1920-08-21

! tmpoStcrs, they were extraordinarily
| daring and clever.
J We were nearing a gateway where
| his ear waited and saw several ~
! the guard hanging about at q discreet
| distance. Look here. Singleton ne
! said angrily. YOU don't seem to take
! this business very seriously. You don 7
| want to make the mistake of letting a
pretty girl phil the wool over yonr
eyes" He lowered his voice and added
| tenSely: Those women are under SuS-
picion of something more serious than
| an attempt 10 rob an estate, An agent
| Of the state department called OF me
yeStel Jay and asked embarrassing
| questions about Mrs. Bashf0rd. Not &
secret service man, You understand, or
anything of that kind, hut an inpOr-
tant man in the state department"
"Of course you knew nothing 20
tell" suggested.
81 took a chance at lying to him
about her expected arrival. | though,
| IL only decent to have q look at TIN
! woman first. He told me nothing eX-
cept that the British embassy had
made inquiries and that the mater
was delicate and must be handled
carefully"
WAS this inquirer iame-a small
dark man with black mustaCheF |
asked suddenly Interested. "Suth II
person has been hanging about here,
so the boys tell me?"
Not at all ] may as well tell you
1t was Raynor-you probably remem-
Der him. Hes specialist In interna-
tional law, and they took him into the
state department just after the Lusi-
tania business. He's gentleman and
:. good fellOw-l've played golf with
him IA good deai-and hated TO lie to
him, but | thought Ia see this womHh
before telling him she had reached
America"
confess that ! was trifle dis
mayed by this. Raynor | knew slight
ly. Professionally and socially he
stood high. and even without the pres
tige of his official position he was not
chap to sneeze at; but / didn't want
Terrence to know | had any doubts as
to the perfect authenticity of my IN
cles widow.
oh, every transcontinentai pilgrim
Is probably scrutinized closely these
days" | remarked cureleSsly. Mrs.
Bashford has lost brother in the
war, and / haven't heard anyone talk
more bitterly against Germany. And
her companion certainly has no illu-
SionS about the kaiser"
Il don't like the business" he de-
clared stubbOrnly.
Lets do nothing foolish" insisted
"If Raynor has reason to suspect
either or both of these women, Wen
hear further from him."
ave put myself in hole" he said,
angrily. "Of course I've got to advise
him Immediately that Mrs. Bashford
is here"
"Just wait few days; I undertake
to keep them under surveillance; you
can put the whole responsibility on
me. If they attempt to leave, I'll warn
you and RaynOr instantly, but they
have settled themselves as though
they expected to spend the rest Of
their lives here"
told him of Mrs. Bashford's adven-
lures In reaching the house without
convincing him that there was any
thing funny in her experiences, and he
left on my promise 10 report to him
daily at given hour and instantly IL
anything unusual occurred. | was on
my way bac'; through the grounds
when Antoine arrested me.
Pardon me, but I'd like to ask what
you think of it, sir2" he asked hoarse-
~, falling into step.
"If you mean what do / think OF
Mrs. Bashford." replied sharply, II
think she's quite charming and de-
lightful and all any one could ask In
every way"