Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

approached the end of Main street.
The darkness that was not darkness
was beginning to grow visibly light
er, so that he could almost see Mrs.
Blake's house on the left, and. when
he came to the turn in the road.
almost see the bridge over the creek.
and the marsh and the willows be-
hind. Yet he could not surely see
any of these. Still less could he see
the road that led over and past them.
The day was too young for that.
But, though he could not see the
road. he was able to see something
of more interest. At a point about
midway in the black marsh. a flicker
of flame suddenly shot forth. tiny but
brilliant. as if from the scratching
of a match. The flame remained sta
tionary for a moment, then described
an arc into the darkness at one side.
The faint. dull point remaining might
have been the lighted coal of a cigar
Harrington stopped and tried to
peer into the darkness aheadt partly
startled, partly curious. His mind ac-
counted for the light he had seen:
he knew that men lit their cigars
with matches. and that sometimes
they travelled lonely roads at lonely
hours. He himself was doing the one
at this moment. The creek and the
bridge. the road and the marsh and
the willows were much. the cigar
nothing.
But as he stood peering ahead into
.he depression he noticed further
fact that was less readily explained
He could see the point of coal from
the cigar, but he could See also that
it was not moving. The man who had
lighted his cigar was standing still.
* **
XAIHY was he standing there upon
w that marsh road? And why so
early? Who in all Eden Center would
have occasion to seek out such q
blind vista at such an hour?
Meanwhile the day had been grow
ing lighter, so that the darkness was
taking the form of shadows. and the
shadows of contours. He almost be-
came able to see family the lines OF
the road.
The point of light below began to
move forward. and he knew that the
man with the cigar was crossing the
begin climbing the little hill. They
would meet. exchange commonplace
greetings. and then Harrington would
tear himself away and hasten down
to the marsh for his photograph
While he would undoubtedly be ir
ing, he preferred not to meet any one
The nearest concealment was 6
cluster of lilac bushes just inside Mrs
Blake's front gate. Crossing to Tho
gate he quietly opened it. and slipped
inside until the other should hav.
passed.
His bewilderment began when tn,
man of the cigar-by now he hat
thrown it away-arrived in front o.
of
the street he, too. softly opened tn,
gate and admitted himself into Mrs
Blake's front yard. Harrington couIt
see his outlines very plainly. HI
seemed to be distributing milk: a
least. he was carrying in each hant
bottle such as dairymen use. AL
though both bottles seemed to b,
1lled, one of them, the nearer right
hand one, looked darker. as il it con
tanned water instead of milk
The light was not strong enough u
light up the features of this stranger
but even it it had been. he had pulle,
his hat down over his eyes so as I,
shade his face. 1t was this fact. ant
his manner of walking. that enable,
harrington to recognize him. For
man whose head is completely bald ca,
not change his appearance by tiltinf
his hat over his eyes. The editor
knew him for Matters, president O
the creamery company.
Funny way to deliver milk
thought Harrington.
But not only was it funny way il
which to deliver milk. but the cream
cry mans actions of themselve.
were of the oldest. Granted that :
creamery president would himself
become strike-breaker and delivel
milk on foot at bare daybreak, VIII,
should he slip through his customer,
front gate like a thief? Why SHOULD
he sneak forward like a cat stalkins
robin? Why should he not boldl,
enter with the milk. and as boldly Sc
it down against the kitchen door?
Harrington thought it might b.
worth while to find out
Mrs. Blake drew her supply o.
water from a well at the side of tn,
house near the kitchen door, Thi.
well the creamery man was obliged
to pass. At the corner of the house
nearest the well, and between it and
the street. stood a cluster of scarle-
haws. The bald-headed merchant
stood in it's shelter for a moment be
fore passing on. Harrington arrived
in the shelter of the same clump O
bushes in time to see the coffee deale
ties into the pump. The action coult
not have been seen from the house
even had any one been awake to OBJ
serve it.
"Why did he do that now?" ht
asked himself.
Furthermore. when the man walk ed
on he carried the empty bottle with
him. and when he came away. after
stealthily climbing the four yieldinP
steps to the kitchen entrance and
setting his bottle OF milk beside the
door, he still carried it with him
Why did he do that?
The movements of the creamery
president had been so dark-man-
nered, and his actions so odd, that
Harrington followed him to the gate
He followed him farther: through the
gate. and with his eyes at least. as
was now possible in the better light
down the hill and over the bridge.
Badly this time did not stop to light
a cigar. but at once clambered down
along the concrete abutment. Har-
rfngton by now could see him clearly
He made his way through the weeds
and grass to the waters edge, and
then. leaning over the stream. filled
his empty bottle and sank it. He
nexr very Thoroughly washed his
hands. as if touching the bottle had
soiled them. After that he climbed
to the road. where. after looking
carefully around him. he set out uu
the hill. He passed Harrington's
clump of bushes with the growing
light of morning all but full in his
face.
Harrington's first act upon return
ing to his house-for by now all
thought of taking pictures had fled
was to call up DIR. Kenwood. AN
emergency matter" he said. Come
quickly" Not a great while later
he had explained to the physician
what he had seen. DIR. Kenwood
himself warned Mrs. Blake; he was
able to get possession of the suspect
ed milk. and of a pint or SO of water
from the pump before she had begun
her breakfast. Later. he made a
tentative examination of a few drops