Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-13

| =, one nouued. hes hired some OF
the men around here to keep watch for
them and they say some detectives are
coming. You'll help too, guess"
That should be easy"
| Maybe. 1 don't know. Ny aunt
\ works there. She's housekeeper. It's
spooky. she says. but she can't afford
''But they haven't seen nnythingt"
asked Peter incredulously. y
No. Not yet. I guess It might
relieve 'em some il they did. It's only
the things you don't see that scare
you."
"It sounds like a great deal Of non.
sense about nothing" muttered Peter.
before you do much talkin'." )"
II will, but I'm not afraid Of
ghosts. And then, as an after
Not in daylight. But from what
Aunt Tillie says, It must be some
thing more than q ghost that's frighten-
in Jonathan Il. MCGUIRE"
'What does she think 1t is?"
''She doesn't know. Mr.. Mcclure
won't say. He won't allow anybody
around the house without a pass. Oh.
he's scared all right, and he's got
most of Black Rock scared, too. He
was never like this before"
"Are you scared?" asked Peter.
mo. / don't think am really. But
it's spooky, and I don't care much for
slootin'
What makes you think there will be
shooting?"
"On account of the guns and pistols.
/. he's not goin' to let 1t come near him *
he can help 1t.
Aunt Tillie says that what with
loaded rifles, shotguns and pistols lyin'
loose in every room in the house, It's
as much as your life is worth to do a
bit of dustin. And the men-Shad
Wells, Jesse Brown, they all carry au.
tomatoes. First thing they know they II
be KILN somebody" she finished with
conviction.
who is Shad Wells-?"
) my cousin, Shadrack f. Wells. He
was tripets. The other two died"
"Shad." mused Peter.
Sounds like fish, doesn't It? But
he isn't" And then more slowly
"Shad's all right. He's just plain
woodsman, but he doesn't know any,
thing about making the trees grow "
she put in with prim irony. you'll bt
! his boss, I guess. He won't care much
g aoout that, T.
because he's been runnin' things ir
e way. I hope you get along with
him."
80 do /"
Because if you don't, Shad vii
!. eat you at one gobble.'
:, "Oh !" said Peter kith a smile. "Bu
: perhaps you exaggerate. Don't 70,
|, think I might take two-er-gobbles.
Beth looked him over, and thei
. smiled encouragingly
+ Maybe" she said. "but your hand
= don't look overstrong."
II Peter looked at his right hand curl
O ously. 1t was not as brown as hers
!. but the fingers were long and sinewy.
k "They are. though. When you prac
u tice five hours day on the piano, you
e hands will do almost anything you wan
u them to-"
$ A silence which Peter improved b
shifting his suitcase. The weight Of !
S had ceased to be amusing. And he wa
y about to ask her how much furthe
Black Rock was when there was
u commotion down the road ahead o
II them, as a dark object emerged fror
around the bend and amid a whirl o
dust ap automobile appeared.
Its the Lizzie" exclaimed Bet
e Internationally.
y And in moment The taxi service o
8 Black Rock was at Peters disposal
u "Carburetor trouble" explained tn
| soiled young man at the wheel briefly
= without apology. And with glance a
:. Peters bag
" Are you the man for McGuire's oil
o the 6:3O?"
Peter admitted that he was and tn
boy swung the door Of the tonneal
open.
+, "In here with me, Beth" he said Il
a the girl invitingly.
|" In moment the small machine wa
whirled around and started In the di
rection from which 1t had come, bounc
q ing Peter from side to side and envel
7 Lizzie" wasted no time, once IL Sc
about doing a thing, and in a few mo
!, ments from the forest they emerged
r into a clearing where there were cow
h in a meadow, and view Of houses
+ At the second Of these, a frame hous,
# with a portico covered with vines an,
small yard with a geranium bed, al
\ inclosed In a picket fence, the Lizzie
suddenly stopped and Beth got down.
y Much obliged, Jim," he heard he
- say.
= Almost before Peter had swept OF
IS his hat and the girl had nodded, tn
Lizzie" was off again, through tn
g village street, and so to woodel
bridge across a tea -colored stream, VI
" slight grade on the other side, wher
n Jim Hagerman stopped his machine an
'e pointed to a road.
'e That's McGuire's--in the pines
y They won't let me go no further"
~ "How much dol owe your" aske
= Peter, getting down.
- ITS paid for, Mister. Slam tn
y door, will ye?" And In another momen
~ Peter was left alone.
- 1t was now after sunset, and tn
"a depths of the wood were bathed Il
, shadow.
u Peter took the road indicated an
n ina moment reached two stone pillar
where a man was standing. Beyon
\ the man he had glimpse Of lawn,
= we'll kept driveway which curved to
- ward the wood. The man at the gat
y, was Of about Peters age, but tall an
a. angular, we'll tanned by exposure an
~ gave an appearance of intelligence an
i. capacity, ,o.,,
Peter, amiably.
49, And what's your name2'
y NICHOLS. I'm the new forester fro1
~ New York"
The young man at the gate smiled
=, Nichols. That was the name" /
cR ruminated. And then with a shout
some one in the woods below. HE!
hr Andy. Come take the gate"
Nv All the while Peter felt the gaze
the young man going over him minutel
az and found himself wondering whether