The Bolivar County Democrat., 1920-05-22
By MEREDITH NICHOLSON


in the wall, with a swish of wet gar
ments. The guards from the outer
edges of the garden had clambered
down and they gathered about us as
began questioning Dutch.
Dutch, undoubtedly enjoying his VIC
torious encounter, was tearing opel
the prestrate captive's collar to give
him air and with his knees clamping
the mans body was disposed to delay
the story of his adventures to increase
its dramatic effect.
1T happens this evenin'." he began,
spOuting water, that / seen Elsie,
who's been sneakin' me meals to the
old stables, an she says to me:
Dutch she says, 'they's all agin us
here, calm us Huns, an we gotta
show 'em we's good Americans she
says. An she tole Ele n feller been TO
see 'er at wanter 'er to rob the house
fer I'm, he thinkin' 'er likely to do ut
fer love O. the kaiser. She said as 'ow
she'd nail i'm when he comes tonight
to git fan she's promised to lift fer
i'm. She said that'd prove she wasn't
no Dutchwoman and recommended If I
got the chance to do the same. l
thought nOthin' wuz goin' to happen
an wuz sleepin' on me bench here in
the garden when the hollerin' at the
garage woke me up. l sits quiet, lis
TENN an this guy drops into the gar
den an wuz crawlin' past me bench
an l pinches i'm. He wuz fer havin'
fight an we knocks over one of the
big urns an lit in the tank. He says
it's thousand bones an We turn me
loose, he says, an soused i'm ag'in
fer that"
The man was still choking from the
sousing and Dutch turned him over
and pounded him vigorously on the
back, assisted by Zimmerman. the
obliging valet, who had seized the Oc-
casion to show his hand on the side Of
the allies. "Shall 1 telephone for the
Barton police, sir?' asked Antoine,
with an extreme exaggeration of his
professional manner.
This was obviously the thing to do,
but l feigned not to hear the question
while l debated the matter. 1t was
plain that many things relating to the
capture were yelled in mystery; that
If Mrs. Bashford and her companion
were involved in an international tam
gle and had in their possession some
thing that vitally concerned the ma
tions at war, common chivalry demand
ed that handle the arrest of Monta-
mis- agent in such a manner as to
shield them. l was thinking hard and
in my perplPxity even considered
sending 4 messenger to Terrence; but
he was already suspicious and would
be very likely to summon Raynor i'm
mediately and precipitate a crisis l
was not prepared to face. To invite
the attention of the American state de-
partment to the increasingly complex
situation would not be giving my aunt
the chance meant she should have to
clear herself.
The captive had got upon his feet
and stood daZedly staring at us. He re-
fused. to answer my questions, even
when suggested that if he could give
a. satisfactory account of himself he
would be released. He only doggedly
shook his head. When l asked if he
had been hurt in his bout with Dutch
he smiled and extended his arms in
denial. Me was very decent-looking
fellow, blue-eyed and smooth-shaven,
who seemed to accept his plight with
a degree of good humor.
l decided that as nothing would be
gained by sending him to the Barton
calaboose that night, l would assume
the responsibility of OBTAINING him I'M
til l had groped my way through the
haze of suspicious and circumstances
that enveloped him.