Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-30

the solution Of the mystery, and whether
or not he learned anything as to the
facts which had brought McGuire's dis.
comfiture, he would at least zee and
talk with the awe e-inspiring Hawk who
had been the cause of them. Besides,
there was Mrs. Bergen's share in the
adventure which indicated that Beth's
happiness, too, was in some way in
volved. For Peter, having had time to
weigh Beth's remarks with the house
Keepers, had come to the conclusion
that there had been but one man near
the house that night. The man who
had talked with Mrs. Bergen at the
kitchen door was not John Bray the
camera man, or the man with the dark
mustache, but Hawk Kennedy him
self
Peter entered the path to the cabin
and explored 1t carefully, searching
the woods on either side and then, cut
ting into the scrub oak at the point
where he and Beth had first seen the
placard, made his way to the maple
tree. There was no one there. A
glance at his watch under the glare
OF the pocket torch showed that he was
early for the tryst, so he walked around
the maple, flashing his light into the
underground, and at last sat down,
leaning against the trunk of the tree,
lighted another cigarette and waited.
Under the depending branches of the
heavy foliage 1t was very dark, and
he could get only the smallest glimpses
OF the star-lit sky. At one point to-
ward Black Rock House beyond the
, boles of the trees he could see short
stretches of the distant lawn and, in
the distance. light which he thought
must be that of McGuire's bedroom,
for tonight, Peter had noticed, tho
shutters. had been left open. It was
very quiet too.
Peter listened for the sounds Of ap-
preaching footsteps among the dry
leaves, but heard only the crack OF
branches overhead, the slight stir Of the
breeze in the leaves and the whistle Of
locomotive many miles away, on the
railroad between Philadelphia and At
lantic City.
The sound carried his mind beyond
the pine belt out into the great world
from which he had come, and he thought
of many things that might have been
instead of this that was-the seething
yeast that was Russia, the tearing down
of the idols of centuries and the wor-
ship of new gods that were no gods at
all-not even those Of brass or gold
only visions-will-o O. the wisps.
The madness had shown itself here, too.
Would the fabric of which the American
ideal was made be strong enough to
hold together against the worlds new
madness9s He believed in American in
stitutions. Imperfect though they were,
fallible as the human wills which con-
trolled them, they were as near liberty.
equality, fraternity as one might yet
hope to attain In form Of government
this side of the millennium.
| pafnr OF rto1 up cnddoply Gov ba x,,oo
sure that he had heard something NOV
ing IN the underbrush.. But after lis
tening intently and hearing nothing
more he thought that his ears had de-
ceived him. He flashed his lantern
here and there as guide to Hawk Ken
nedy, but there was no sound. Com
plete. silence had fallen again over the
woods. If McGuire's mysterious enemy
was approaching he was doing 1t with
the skill of an Indian scout. And 1t
occurred to Peter at this moment that
HaWk kenheGy, 700, mlght nave MS
reaeons i1r wlsninB 70 De sure tnat ne
,aJ was 10 he De iaiy Ieaia a;h;,;. Will me
pph;corar pdco nuu 'enast thn s 'ae pGi. p3sSU'y ~
triaI.n tniJaherE & on tne part ot Mcclure. M N9
iin' .rlIhs' 1uwh nau written. ne M0ulu
ho anJ sbowed @ Kim h;mse,f e' @ So Pntnr U sashad
LIE SnUmeu law rnmnd n nr,;r iornnd naSIIa "a h,a
| vatch which showed that tho hour of
tha onnointm m boe .A'r nossed sec "ou tbsn m
iiab n tod dppI q th;rd o;soratto opd p sonL dn,vn
n5 tha ~oots of tSa tree % 40 uait o'"A
M "
Ihere was no other Souna. me
preeze Whlch had oeen ntlul at pest had
9iea una Golipiete I silence nau lautrn. TWt
should ba be9 He had come to do th;s
stranger n favor and M one else e,cent
NcC,;re could know of the largo nm,
~ noonev in b;s nossession The +rses