Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-16
r,,1s nEGINs THE STORY

jeuoihdn II. Mcuunn, shnd,, coyoer
D,S a jim Coast, ohom ne meets on
s..rd ship. MCGUIRE IS q ioesfern;
uho hos apparently done hdra
s,,t IN his time. He IS very muon
s,paa Of somebody or somethtng, ana
y,,sr oonders about ~, dtthou9h ne
already had an intimdtion OF some
%isrious element from Bem
myon mm,y%sron, a beautiful g,rl residing
y'"h = lie picinity OF Btace Rook,
w,,uirs's home. She IS endotoed
Tx aafurdl talents phich haze nerer
[ [s'.r oiven chance TO develop, and
",ss Peter. Later Peter taxes up
N. sv,tematic policing OF the estate
nrotect Mcclure from any IN,
p,nted cisitors, for he Is oonp'nced
~ fhs source Of danger ,oiH De q
,,rai. rather than supernatural
He also realizes that ne has
ss.r,rd ~ the dislike Of some of the
~ss already engaged IN guarding tho
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
- WAS the quality Of his terror that
"a, disturbing. Peter was well ac-
.,,,pted with the physical aspects of
r.,--that Is, the fear of violence and
hath. That kind Of fear made men
-.,..s and nervous, or silent and pre-
rr,ed: or like liquor, It accentuated
~ weaknesses of fiber in sullenness
h,ovado. But It did not make them
xvt,ve. He could not believe that 1t
-, The mere danger Of death or physi-
:, Violence that obsessed his employer.
mat sort of danger perhaps there might
I. Init the fear that he had seen in
v.cu,re's fanatical gray eyes was
Nm OF something more than these.
whatever It was that Mcclure feared,
q reached further within-a threat
nh,eb would destroy not his body alone,
INT something more vital even than
tsst-the very spirit that lived within
MI NJ bis career, Peter knew nothing
,,srs than Sheldon. Senior, had toto
I,m--a successful man who told moth
i,g AZ his business except to the Treas
s,y Department; a silent man, with q
,.,sion for making money. What could
K fear? Whom? What specter out
:; n, mast could conjure up the visions
h bsd seen dancing between Mcclure g
sys and his own?
The questions it seemed were not to
N answered and Peter, as he sat down
n the supper table, put them reso :
mtely from his mind and addressed
himself to the excellent meal provided
N the housekeeper. For the present,
III least, fortune smiled upon him. The
tmrors of his employer could not long
ursyai against the healthy appetite OF
III nd-twenty.
But 1t was not long before Peter
Uncovered that the atmosphere Of the
loom upstairs pervaded the dining room,
library and halls. There were cook
and housemaid, he discovered, neither
oi them visible.
The housekeeper, II attentive, was
tlent, and the man who had opened the
hont door. who seemed to be kind of
general factotum, as well as personal
bodyguard to Mr.. MCGUIRE, crept fur
lively about the house in an unquiet
manner which would have been dis
mfbing to the digestion Of one less
tmorous than Peter.
Before the meal was finished this
man came into the room and laid a
police whistle. large new revolver and
d box of cartridges beside Peters dish
Of strawberries.
'These are for you, sir" he whis-
pred sepuchrally. "Mr. Mcclure
asked me to give them to you-for to-
might"
Thanks" said Peter, "and
you--"
'Im Stryker. sir. Mr.. McGuire's
vtet."
"Ohw
Peters accent Of surprise came from
ts inability to reconcile Stryker with
the soiled shirt and the three days
growth Of beard on the man upstairs,
(which more than ever testified to the
disorder of his mental condition.
And as Stryker went out and his
Footsteps were heard no more, the
housekeeper emerged cautiously from
the pantry.
rs everything all right. Mr..
Nichols" she asked in stage whisper
Right as rain. Delicious! I'm
very much obliged to you"
II mean-er-there amt anythin'
dse ye'd like?"
Nothing, thanks" said Peter, TAX
ng up the revolver and breaking it.
he had cut the cover of the cartridge
pox and had slipped cartridge into the
weapon when he heard the voice Of the
woman at his ear.
Dye think there's any danger,
hr'' she whispered, while she ner
Vously eyed the weapon.
I'm sure l don't know. Not to
ou, Ia say" he muttcred, still put
ing the cartridges in the pistol. AS
x.miitary man. he was taking
gieat delight in the perfect mechanism
0i his new weapon.
What is tt? mean, dye
pink" she stammered. did Mr..
acGGire say-just what it is he's
mo" said Peter. che didn't" And
men with a grin, "Do YOU know"
No, sir. ! wish t. God I did. Then
'nefed be somethin' to 20 by"
hs,.Im I'm afraid l cant help you,
"Tillie Bergen. I've been house
sper here since the new wing was
\, IN, yes, said Peter, pausing over
oe I9st cartridge as the thought came
NJ nun. Then you must be Beth
0aimeron's aunt?"
.BethE' The woman's sober face
Wrea'1ed in lovely smile. "D'ye
\. Since this afternoon. She showed
On Poor Beth"
Poor"
h., IN, we're all poor, Mr.. Nichols.
H. neth Saskatchewan from the rest
TVS US somehow"
ies, she is different" admitted
fstsr frankly.
bon,t mrs Bergen sighed deeply. "Ye
s know how different. And now
~ ,t'kLall this trouble has come, | can't
coma aOme nights to her. And she can't
fi~e fo% TO see me without permission,
~ ~ long Sns dye think it will last, sir?"
IN. uon know, said Peter, slipping
revolver and Cnrtri1uao into hi