The Crittenden press., 1920-05-07
CHAPTER ii-contlnued.

Antoine departed with resentful
twist of the shoulders, and decided
TO meet squarely the matter OF the
visitors who had 50 troubled him.
"Please don't be frightened" said
rs lightly as possible, "but these old
follows haven't enough TO do. and they
sre full of apprehenslons. They have
been alarmed by an agent OF some
sort who wants To welcome you TO
America by selling you piano on
easy payments
Antoine had been lowering inside,
and my remark brought him to the
door.
BEG pardon. Mr.. Singleton, but
that party Is not an agent. but quite
different sir. lie came 10 the house.
quite Ike gentleman, several times.
and asked II Mrs. Bashford had ar
rived. lie came In biz car, and
seemed disappointed, madame, thai
You we're not here and not expected.
A very well.spokcn gentleman, and
we'd have thought nothing OF II except
that few days later | caught n man
! was sure was the same party, but
dressed In rough clothes. sneaking
across the yeranda right there where
you're sitting. When ] called to him
he ran rs hard MS he could. and
Grnvcs-he's the vegetable gardener
saw him leaving the property 10y the
hack way"
IT'S hardly possible that man
who impressed you MS gentleman
when you saw him Mt the door should
have returned In disguise and tried to
break Into the house
"Oh." exclaimed Mrs. Farnsworth,
at would be So much more delightful
II that were true Any one in dis
gulSc is bound to be interesting. A
disguise suggests most beautiful pos
sInlltics"
! could not he sure In the dim light
NJ the yerunda hut thought | detect.
cd white slipper cautiously reach
out and touch black one. At any
rnte, Mrs. FarnswOrth lapsed into ST.
lence.
THANK you very much. Antoine"
said Alice. at Is very proper for you
to tell me anything of any stranger
on the property, but see nothing
here 10 be alarmed about. II the
same gentleman calls again, let me
know instantly"
"Very good. madame" And then.
turning as though comforting upon me
part of his responsibility for the Sc
CurIty Of the premises: ITS party
with n Iimp; just triillng limp, sir !;
you'd hardly notice II. A smalllsh
man. rather dark, with little mus
tache turned up nt the ends"
81 have noted all these details, An.
toine," replied; and again thought
there was telegraphic exchange be
tween the ladies though this time n
black slipper was the means Of com
municatlon.
Terrence arrived In a moment. and
nothing has ever given me keener JOY
than his shock Of surprise at beholdlng
Mrs. Bashford, was devoutly CRATE
full that he had not been present at
the dinner-table, for my own efforts 70
interest Terrence In anything but the
most practical matters had always
been highly unsuccessful, and the dis
cussion Of ghosts and witches would
hardly have amused him. AS Mrs.
Farnsworth and took up the recent
movements on the western front |
overheard Terrence putting all the
machinery Of the trust company at
Mrs. Bashiord's disposal. II scented
almost hlasphemy to he talking of
income and like mntters TO a woman
like Alice Bashford
They continued their conference for
some time. but got nothing out Of
Mrs. Farnsworth that shed any light
on my uunt's history beyond what she
had told me herself, which was pre-
cious little. Mrs, Farnsworth's talk
was that Of cultivated woman. Her
voice interested me unaccountably ;
the tones had all manner Of shadlngs
and infections; II was curiously mu-
sical, but In speaking Of the great war
a passionate note crept Into It that
stirred me deeply.