New Britain herald., 1922-04-10
The Way "Anton" Came to MT. Briggs

v You may ride on, Anton,'
 There was a erispness in the usually kindly voice of my neighbor. Mir Briggs, which made me wonder II he had noticed the scrutiny to which vAs sure the man Anton" was Cub jecting me But l did not look toward the man, as he oheyed Mir. Briggs. kept my eyes fixed upon the face Of my neighbor
 "These internal fellows are so i'm pudent." Ms Sriggs said angrily as the man obeyed, and the sound Of his horses hoofbeats reoeded own the road They stare al every new face as If they never had seen a human being before. But what can we poor country folks do? Talk about unem- ployment I suppose there Is plenty of it in the city, but on the farms well, you can see for yourself what kind of man I have to hire
 He certainly isn't very prepossess- ing" answered hoping that I could keep my kindly neishhor in conyersa- ton until I had gleaned what little he knew of the man calling himself An ton. ''Is he native Of this section ?'
 Mir. Briggs Explains
 l tried to make the question appear the perfunctory inquiry of q neigh bor.
 I'd be tempted to move out of the section if he were" Mir. Briggs retort- ed with grim little slmle. No, he comes from New York l believe, that is, New York was his last stopping place. l understand he hasn't been over from other side very long. Funny thing how I came to get him. too. Ii l didn't knew the man who sent him I'd think he had some axe to grind in sending this chap out to me"
 From far down the road came the faint purr of motor l clenched my fingers into my palms involuntarily. Suppose it were Dicky, and he should merch me before MT. Briggs had in- ished his casual recital which meant so much to Lillian's plans.
 He's big New York manufactur- er-my acquaintance. l believe he's some sort of philanthropist. Anyway there are always a lot of queer-look- ing people hanging around his offices. And when I happened to mention how hard it was to find a man he told me of this chap, who, it seems, was hurt in some fashion--you saw the bandage and has been ill on account of if. My acquaintance said the fellow need ed outdoor aid, and he thought would be a splendid worker. Of course, I'm not running a sanHarium, but, on the other hand, my work isn't hard, so l said I'd give this man trial. But I'm very doubtful about him He seems willing enough, but there's something about him.
 NIadGes Excuse.
 The sound of the motor car was so near now that it attracted MT. Briggs attention. and he stopped talking and looked up just. as Dicky drfw up my car by the side of the wood path. But I felt that I had no reason for complaint because of any information I had missed.
 MT. Briggs evidently had told me all he knew of the man who called himself Anton. And I did not doubt that when the occasion should arise 1t would be an easy matter to obtain from him the name of Anton's former employer. the phianthropist."
 I had a fairly well-defned idea of what sort of philanthrophy Mr Briggs 'acquaintaince" dealth in. The fact that the shrewd farmer had been care full to use the word acquaintance" instead of "friend' made me sure that l he would have no objection to giving | ar inf io,, I, man who had sent him Anton.
 But, of course, all this was detail for !, Lillian's ear-Lillian's planning had done all that I dared in getting ! the information I had secured, and 1 l was delighted at having obtained it l without any suspicion on the part of ] MT. Briggs that I wanted it.
 Although I was wildly impatient to ! get back to Lillian with what I had learned, I was firmly resolved not to i stir from the spot without Dicky. II had too lively a recollection of the fact that Anton, or smith" had most potent reasons for desiring ven geance upon my husband. Dicky had | knocked him down for his behavior toward me, had afterward captured | and tied him up for the state troop l CTS. How he had escaped those bonds was still a mystery, but that he would | be murderously venEeful against Dicky was sure and I made up my mind | that nothing would tempt me to go home without my husband.
 MT Briggs and Dicky were exchapc- ing the usual courteous common