The Bolivar County Democrat., 1920-05-01
CHAPTER II-Continued.

Antoine departed with reSentful
twist Of the shoulders, and I decided
to meet squarely the matter Of the
visitors who had so troubled him.
"Please don't be frightened" 1 said
as lightly as possible, "but these old
follows haven't enough o7do, and they
are full of apprehensions. They have
been alarmed by an agent of some
sort who wants to welcome you to
America by selling you a 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. He came to the house.
quite like a, gentleman, several times,
and asked If Mrs. Bashford had ar
rived. He came in big car, and
seemed disappointed, madame that
you were not here and not expected.
A very well-spoken gentleman, and
we'd have thought nothing of it except
that a few days later l caught man
1 was sure was the same party, but
dressed in rough clothes, sneaking
across the veranda right there where
you're sitting. When / called to him
he ran as hard as he could and
Graves-he's the vegetable gardener
saw him leaving the property by the
hack way
"Its hardly possible that a man
who impressed you as a gentleman
when you saw him at the door should
have returned in disguise and tried to
break into the house."
"Oh," exclaimed Mrs. Farnsworth,
"it would be so much more delightful
IL that were true! Any one in dis
guise is bound to be interesting. A
disguise suggests most beautiful pos
sibilities."
| could not be sure in the dim light
of the veranda, but l thought l detect
ed white slipper cautiously reach
out and touch a black one. At any
rate, Mrs. Farnsworth lapsed into 81
lence.
Thank you very much, Antoine"
said Alice. ut is very proper for you
to tell me anything of any stranger
on the property, but see nothing
here to be alarmed about. If the
same gentleman calls again, let me
know instantly"
every good, madame" And then,
turning as though comforting upon me
a part of his responsibility for the Sc
curity of the premises: "It's party
with a limp; just trifling limp, sir !;
you'd hardly notice it. A smallish
man, rather dark, with little mus
tache turned up at the ends"
"I have noted all these details, An
toine," 1 replied; and again l thought
there was telegraphic exchange be-
tween the ladies though this time a
black slipper was the means of COM
munication.
Terrence arrived in moment, and
nothing has ever given me keener JOY
than his shock of surprise at beholding
Mrs. Bashford. l was devoutly CRATE
full that he had not been present at
the dinner-table, for my own efforts to
interest Terrence in anything but the
most practical matters hau 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 l
overheard Torrence putting all the
machinery Of the trust company at
Mrs. Bashford's disposal. 1t seemed
almost blasphemy to be talking of
income and like matters to woman
like Alice Bashford!
They continued their conference for
some time, but got nothing out OF
Mrs. Farnsworth that shed any light
on my aunt'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 shadings
and infections; It was curiously mu-
sical. but in speaking Of the great war
passionate note crept into 1t that
stirred me deeply.