Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-27
ZIG pEGINs THE STORY

v.ai.tion, comes 70 mus oo""'B
sr Nichois aud takes charge V
Pu" ,aording the house OF Jonathan
r", ",fcGuire. Tho man Mcclure tears
h.t. It through the guard, p's'ts he
eI.u,steeper pho knotos nm 6nf Wiu
sen 'eoihip0 about him, ana tegoes
isasnr;no% for McGuirc.. ,oho deter,
Mt IVY, 10 make peace Tor hme
NM him. Peter Is tnfercsfch ~
x,.",ifmi girl toith a benuttui ro,Go,
eeaa'"Co Cameron. pho Hrts IN He
bns ,orLood and gives her singing
te'g.v' !un, which causes jealousy IN TIE
ki s,SSi of Shad Wells, one o. ne
Mrd, ,oho loves her. Shdd threat
eN",so' make trouble. Beth hopes nc
CIV do IL until she's had er sing
son ,es,ons, "FH promise you
Mst" said Peter.
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
uur followed him out to the porch.
SD,,,o they lokocd about for Shad. He
N"ssu s;sonneared, And in the "Lizzie,
toh w d bad been ranting by the side OF
n. .ood Peter was conducted by the
a,d Young man at the wheel to Black
Rock House. T., III.
,.,uos nor had any other message or
.srn;ng been posted, for Stryker. re.
,.sssd Tor this duty, had searched all
Y. morning and found nothing.
."1HHovk" .1H was waiting, biding his hour.
Trriously enough, an astonishing
~, seemed to have fallen over the
ssrson Of Jonathan X. Mcclure. When
p..sr arrived he found his employer
.,sted on the portico in a wicker chair,
sMntins his after supper cigar. True.
~ day guards were posted near by and
r,svLer lowered as was his wont, but the
.s.rga IN his employers demeanor was
- annarent that Peter wondered how
- a stolid- looking creature could ever
,.rs lost his self control. 1t was diff
Seult 10 understand this mctamorphosis
ssiess IL could be that. having come to
Sscision and aware Of the prospect of
,mmunity. if only temporary one, Nc
CuIre had settled down to make the
M NJ bad lob and await with stoicism
vhatever the future was to bring. This
~ss Peters first impression, nothing
slse suggesting itself. but when he fol-
ioVed tbe old man up to his room and
r,ys him the money he had brought he
mated the deeply etched lines at nostril
snd law and felt rather than saw the
meaning OF them---that Jonathan Nc
Cuire was in the grip of some deep and
slnister resolution. There was quail
nv Of desperation in his calmness. n
,fudied Indifference to the dangers
which the night before last had seemed
70 appalling.
He put the money in the safe, care
Ifs!ly locked the combination and then
uAaxnnJ i,t tbn rnnp, nuniD
'Thanks, Nichols" he said. YOU'D
better have some supper and get to bed
Tonight. don't think you'll be needed. y
And then, as Peters look showed his
mrprise, 81 know my man better than
you do. Tomorrow night We shall see. "
He closed his lips into n thin line, shot
out his jaw and lowered his hrOwS un-
pleasantly. Courage of sort had come
back to him. the courage of the animal
OF bay, which fights against the incyi-
table.
To Peter the time seemed propitous
10 state the need for the observation
towers and he explained in detail his
projects. But Mcclure listened and
when Peter had finished speaking merely
shook his head.
what you say is quite true. The
towers must be built. I've thought SO
for a long time. In few days we will
speak Of that again-after tomorrow
night" he finished significantly.
"As you please said Peter, "but
every day lost now may"
l We'll gain these days later" he
broke In abruptly. Il want you to stay
around here now"
On Friday morning he insisted on
having Peter show him the tree where
me placard had been discovered, and
Peter, having taken lunch with him, led
him down to the big sugar maple, off
the path to the cabin. Peter saw that
ne scanned the woods narrowly and
walked with hand in his waistband,
which Peter knew held an army Colt re-
lsoiver, but the whine was gone from his
voice, the trembling from his hands. He
walked around the maple with Peter, re-
hgarding 1t with sort or morbid alb
lttraction, and then himself led the way
Eo tne path and to the house. Why he
Mahted to look at the tree was more
Ip Eaan Peter coul d understand. for it was
e.sr, and not he, who was to keep this
lFostly assignation.
X You understand. Nichols" he said
rnen they reached the portico, "you We
steed to go--tonignt-at II. ."
\ NJ wish you'd let me meet him
"ltnout the money"
N9Ino: I've made up my mind"
sssped McGuire with touch of his old
"a sMrm there's can't be any change in
@e bian-no change at all.
oh, very WE'LL" said Peter, cts
~! my money I'm giving away. "
"a, ~ won't matter. Nichols. live
eot lot more
But the principle" protested
TO h with the principIe, e"
srGTled the old man. paw
refer turned and went back to tho
Iulh' somewhat dsguStcd with his
SnOe understanding. Already hc hod
trsn mere for five days and. exccpt for
.so walks through the woods for nnr-
Poses OF investigation, nothing that he
Iau come to do had been ACCOMPLISHED,
MIN naG not yet even visited the saw
ss s Whlch were down on the corduroy
sOis ,Oaa hVe miles away. SO far as he
Wrn Worrn See' Tor the present he was mere,
uulre handy man, n kind of uppcr
,snt sor,s ana messenger, whose dutic,
kv ku;u 9. nave been performed as capably
sryker or Shad Wells. or even Jesse
U%1' s.oSV1' The forest called him. II
Is'ded h Edo,I.i him. From what he had heard
t.r nncW that down by the sawmill
H. % were daily cutting the wrong trees.
n ne .t nad already sent some instructions
Ia sne foreman there, but he could not
i. sure lure that his orders had been obcycd,
hs.~"n hs ~new that he ought to spend the day
synloi: tnahlng friends with the men ana
iiaapal99lng al9g tn" reasons for the change
,ttrGGefSS. but as long as Mc(iuirc
tbsro dbsrsed d.. him within telephone range,
'"i5s Hs was SaSoR nothing to do but to obey.
cOat ne reached the cabin, threw of his
tSs ttSCs', and had hardly Settled down W. "rf af
Ct a. ha htaole to finish his drawing, a plan
fHRpeared' ", area lie rose and greeted her.
funning. '''"' ''r sue had been
LpotiSIiSS iIS Shad been hcre?" she asked
mo"
N, IN = She gasped. 81 was ofroid
BET mere bpfnrn mn ,o,I. IL