Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-21
CHAPTER II.
Confined Hangood 1:


All right. That was two months ago.
Last week I was down at Tidborough
again. Some sort of a clerk was In the
shop as I went in. Mr.. Sabre upstairs,
eh?' 1 asked. NO. No, Mr.. Sabre's not
not here says my gentleman, with
rather an odd look at me.
What the devil did he mean! Just
then l caught sight Of an old bird I knew
slightly coming down the stairs with a
book under his arm. Old chap called
Bright. Looked rather like Moses COM
ing down the mountain with the Tables
Of Stone in his fist. I said in my CHEEKY
way. Hullo, Mr.. Bright. Good morning.
I was just inquiring for Mr.. Sabre
BY Jove. I thought for a minute the
old patriarch was going to heave the
tables of store at my head. He caught
up the book in both his hands an gave q
sort Of choke and blazed at me out OF
his eEes-
LET me tell you. sir, this IS no place
to inquire after Mr.. SABRE said he.
Let me tell you
"Well, I'd ha' let him tell me any old
thing. That was what I was there for
But he shut r elf up with a kind Of
gasp and cannon. himself into his taber-
nacle under the stairs 1 thought I'd
Sabre myself.
Yen can imagine me, old man. trip
ping up the path Nf Sabre's house House
had rather a neglected appearance,
thought. Door knob not polished, or
blind still down somewhere or some
thing. I don't know Something. And
what made me conscious OF It was that
was kept n long time waiting after
I'd rung the bell In fact, I had to
ring twice. Well I suppose I'd been
expecting TO see enc Of Sabres couple
Of Jinkses' as he calls them, and pom
my soul 1 was quite startled when the
door opened and IL wasn't one OF them
at all, but q very different pair e shoes
1T was a young woman, ladylike,
dressed just in some ordinary sort Of
clothes; ! don't know; uncommonly pref.
~, or might have been II she hadn't
looked so uncommonly sad; and-this
was what knocked me-carrying a baby.
u don't know why ] should have N
agined she was the kids mother. but
I did. I don't know why I should have
looked at her hands, but I did. I don't
know why I should have expected
wedding ring. but L did. And there
wasn't one
"She was looking at me decidedly as
il she were frightened. NO. no. Mr..
Sabre's no; gone away. He's here Are
you a friend Of his?'
II smiled at her. We'll. 7 used to be-
said. She didn't smile. What the
dickens was up? Ny names Hapgood."
Perhaps you'd better come in
You know, it was perfectly extraordi-
nary. Her voice was as sad as her face.
I stepped IN. Pom my soul, began
to feel creepy. Scalp began to prick.
Then suddenly there was old Sabre at
the head Of the stairs.
well he wasn't dead. anyway; that
was something to go on with. I took his
hand and said, 'Hullo, Sabre. How goes
It, old man? Able to do the stairs now,
I see
Fine he said. shaking my hand
Jolly nice of you. You'll stay a bit. Of
course He went bit along the passage
and called out. 'Effie you can scratch up
a bit Of lunch for Mr.. Hapgoodf
Il suppose she said yes. Lunch'H be
on in about two minutes he came back
to me with.
Led me into the morning room and we
sat down and pretended to talk. Very
poor pretence, give you my word.
Presently I heard the girls voice out
side, Lunch is ready
We jumped up like two schoolboys
released from detention and went along
In. More mystery. Lunch at Sabre's
place was always a beautifully conducted
rite, as 1 was accustomed to. Well, there
were places laid for two only and q ram
shackle kind of cold picnic scattered
about the cloth. Everything there. help