Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-06-11

prevail against the inertia Of her
spirit. She existed--nothing more.
Fosdick knew this lassitude could
not endure forever; the day must
dawn that would see her cure com
plete. Meanwhile he was assiduous
in his attention, unfailing in sympa-
thetic understanding and SO fire.
quen,ly guest of the villa that sell
dom two days passed without seeing
his cor at its door.
Today he was tapping at her door
before Priscilla knew he was in the
had wan smile of welcome ready for
him. Nothing In his manner suggest
ed that the visit was to prove extraor
| binary as he sat down beside the
chaise-longue, his finger tips upon her
pulse. and amiably recited the ritual
of inquiries concerning her condition.
"A little weary, Philip" she told
| him in answer TO one stereotyped ques-
ton. ~ began to wonder If one ever
does recover from some things"
Such as-~i" he smiled.
"Things you've forbidden me to talk
about"
Fosdick looked thoughtful. u don't
know" he said in speculative tone.
perhaps I've been wrong about that ;
or perhaps the time has come when
we may talk. In fact, ] rather think
1t has--if you feel strong enough"
Meaning. presume" she said with
a quiet smile, "you'ye something to
tell me-"
Meaning he laughed "Just that.
1t was no good our talking till had.
But now :" He drew from a
pocket handful of old letters 1.-The
solution Of the mystery" he an
nounced-"at last !"
Don't tease me- Philip"
II won't, but first l must explain.
Has II ever occurred to you to wonder
how Andrews and | happened to be
with Mario that morning when we
found you in the cabin with Came-
hanT
i've wondered yes wondered
whether II was true or not, All that
time seems so unreal as | recall It,
I've wondered often If perhaps 1t were
nothing but another kind of dream,
something ] thought lived through
while was actually In bed, dellrlous."
mo; II was all true enough. But
let me tell you The afternoon
You disappeared l had spent out Of
town, trying 10 interview an inmate
Of home for the aged up near Paw
ling--an old, old woman, registered
on the records of the institution as
Mrs. Leonora 0'More."
Mother O'More ~
THE same. On the clue you gave
me of that name Andrews traced her
to the home. She refused to talk to
him. She refused to talk TO me. ]
tried bribery, but money wouldn't
tempt her. She had enough for her
small needs, and took malicious
pleasure, ! fancy, in watching me
struggle with my temper when she
wouldn't talk. However, her very tao
iturnity told me she must have some
thing 70 tell, and ] hoped that you,
posing to her as LeonOra on the
strength OF the resemblance, might
worm the secret out Of her. At all
events, we were on the right trail. SO
/ hurried back to town---and found
you missing Mrs. Trowbridge IN hys-
terics, the lock broken on the studio
door the devil to pay all round d.
Meanwhile Andrews had run up to
Kingston to hunt for Mario-on the
strength Of your dream in which you
heard him tell LeOnora he must hurry
to catch his train there. When | got
home, between three and four in the
morning, after night Of fruitless
searching for you, found a long dis
lance call from Kingston waiting for
me. Andrews reported that he had
located the camp which Mario had
rented for his honeymoon. On the off
chance that he might have been con-
cerned in your disappearance
couldn't rest, Of course, and 1t was
something to dol jumped into my
car and arrived at Kingston about
nine O'Clock I'm the morning. Andrews
had road map, with the location Of
the bungalow clearly marked. We
struck Immediately back through the
hills.
about five miles from our destlna.
ton we met Mario afoot. You know
what he had to tell us. While we
were talking-lt took some time to
make him understand you weren't
Leonora and that we had any right to
butt in--Carnehan boiled up the road
In high-powered roadster, making
about forty miles an hour on a stiff
grade--ddn't see us, because we'd
stopped just around a bend In the
road, until he was almost on top Of us.
He got his brakes on In time to stop
| just short Of my car. which Of course
was blocking the road. Andrews and
Mario recognized him instantly. and
he knew Mario After as interesting
a three-cornered pistol fight as | ever
care to see again In the role Of limo