Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-02-10

between his lips and lighted it, glanc-
ing appreciatively round the room.
Jolly little nest you've feathered for.
yourself, Nora. Pardon: Miss Pris-
ella Maine-anythin' you like. 1 don't
mind what name you call yourself by,
so long as you humor my within for
ChilverS. Rather fond of Chilvers,
you know. Don't remember ever wear
in an alias l took such a fancy to-"
Il don't understand you. Won't you
be kind enough to go?"
presently, me dear-all in good
time" The Nut unceremoniously
whisked away a dust cloth and sat
down in the chair it had hidden. "Tve
got to hand it to you, Nora-Priscilla,
I mean" he observed with a look Of
admiration; for the moment forgetting
to be British. "You sure do get away
with the grande dame stuff to the
queens taste. Not to menti n this
house, and that limousine at the door
l take it, that's yours, too?
MINI tellin' me how you do it, and
how long you've been dom it? Just
between ourselves, both members of
this club . :"
Evidently" said Priscilla, you are
mistaken about me, Mr.. Chilvers. I
don't know you, and have no wish to-"
She moved a step toward the door.
Good afternoon"
Mr.. Chilvers did not bulge, but
wagged a ~reproachful head.
81 say, Nora, don't be so up-stage.
What's the uSe2 I " understand per-
fectly how annoyin' it is and every
thin; but you know, the games UP
1t is as far as Inez and | are con
cerned, at any rate-so you might as
well accept the situation gracefully,
come down to earth and be sweetly
reasonable"
Il tell you" Priscilla began, II am
not the person YOU"
But Mr.. Chilvers, talking steadily,
c%heerfully, and with persistence, talk
ed her down.
There's no sense your bein' afraid
of my BLOWN on you, or Inez, either,
you know, Nora. That wouldn't be
pally, would 1t? Wouldn't be bust
ness, either. We admire your work,
we admire it no end, so much so that
we're all in a sweat to know how you
do it, and get in on the graft our
selves. With all the coin that this lay
out stands for, surely you can spare a
little for old friends who are just
maxim a fresh start in life"
please! !" Priscilla insisted. IT
don't understand you in the least. I
must ask you to excuse me-"
"Ah, cut til" An ugly light glim-
mered in the rat-like eyes. "Chuck it,
Nora Don't tempt me to pull any
rough stuff it amt the little thing [
do best, somehow l haven't got the
polish you might expect. But I've got
you where l want you and you're goin'
to come through like a dear girl or
He paused, his cruel smile playing
round thin, hard lips: How would
you like me to tip off Red Carnehan
where to look for yOu?'
you can't" the girl protested wild
ly. Hes dead"
Really" Mr.. Chilvers pulled con-
tentedly on his cigarette. "Sure about
that?"
A battling twinkle in his look, cou
pied with the innuendo, annoyed and
confused her. "What do you mean?"
she demanded, instinctively lowering
her voice and taking a step toward
him.
"Nothin'. Tn merely inquirin', are
you sure Reds dead?"
ut was in the papers"
ooh, l know Leo identified a body
as Reds. But nobody's proved to me
that Leo didn't tell an awful naughty
fb for the sake of a friend"
you mean you think - Reds
alive?"
"Well If I were you, my dear, I
wouldn't take any chances except on
a sure thing. And, anyway, / guess
this crabs the mistaken identity stall
for good. You won't try to sling that
bunk again with your dear old side
kick, Harry the Nut, will your
She gasped and was silent, discoun-
tenanced, approaching how hopeless
ly she stood committed.
Impossible now to deny to this man
that she was Leonora
OF a sudden she felt herself uplifted
by q vast sense Of relief. In a twin
king doubts and fear and indecision
were all swept away; all that misery
Of uncertainty, heartache and dread
which had been her portion for many
days abolished by the magic wand of
a settled purpose which had been, as
1t were, thrust into her hand. Now
she had something to do, something to
live for, something to fill the empti'
ness that love denied had made In
her life.
(ro BE CoNTINUED.)
Little Pitchers.
"Mr. Smith. did you sharpen &c lust