Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-11

BY viii Payne
Observation-Disclosures NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. NRRFbBEHNAA

long face haggard, and the loud eyes for once
lacked luster; his rSanner ~listless.
Cox morning. Glad to see you back.
Feeling some better?" said krom at the
door. in a sympathetic manner.
(" I'm back" Curtin replied-too dispiritad
to be really i'll natured.
Krom took a chair and observed: FLU
seems to be pretty bad again. steinHan's
been laid up-come down with it two days
after you did. He don't seem to pick up
much The doctor said he ought TO get out
Of town a wilhelm the country, where he
could get fresh air and have nothing to
bother about for a couple weeks. There's a
place down in Indiana where I stayed once
farmhouse near a lake. ! took him down
there yesterday. He seems 20 like 1t first
rate. Guess it'll do him good"
"Hope So" said Curtin alphabetically.
"He's sort of overwhelmingly" Krorn
went on. ~ amt feeling a~~ too well my
~self-Rains in my head and no appetite. I'm
going 10 knock off a couple weeks and stay
there with him. We can stay down there
cheap"
Business was dull then; nothing seemed to
matter very much; there was no edge to the
old camera makers mind.
well" he said in ~listless assent. and
added, I'm going down to French Lick to-
morrow. I guess"
Krom arose and remarked soberly. @1n
let you know how he gets on"
"All right" said Curtin.
AS Krom went out a grin lurked behind hts
beard and the eye with q cast in it appeared
to conceal a good joke. The smile broadened
on tina last flight Of stairs, and blossomed, SO
to speak, n a sound that was half litter and
half chuckle. He was thinking:
1.-The old goat'u blow up when he finds out
what's happened to hina!" It was, perhaps.
the most amusing thought that Krom had
ever entertained. q
That would Keep Curtin quiet tor two weeks
at least; and Krom went up to Slow River. !,
An accumulation of dust and cobwebs was
swept out Of the bare little basket factory;
fresh air was let in. An electric motor and =
lathe for: lens grinding were installed. Elk
press packages containing glass, tools, and
various commodities were delivered.
These evidences Of life in the long rnpty
shop aroused much local curiosity-which
was discouraged BY a fresh sign on the door:
/" Positively No Admittance." From Judge
Liscomb's Office word circulated that some
important experiments, looking to the estab.
lishment Of an. optical. instrument manu-
factory. were going forward, and no one was
admitted. because the processes were secret.
That by no means entirely discouraged
local curiosity. however; beaides, the com.
paratively lonely location, out there by tbs
! railroad tracks, gave Stetnu1an some uneAsi'
ness lest the enemy. Curtin, make 4 sudden
descent upon it. So presently q watchman
was employed to enforce that mo admit.
tanca sign.
The person selected for this post was
Peter Grecn-one of those citizens Of no
particular occupation who can/he. found in
all country towns-a chronic odd:joh man.
He had once served as q deputy fame war.
den, and the village, for special occasions,
employed him as an assistant constable.
Between jobs-which was about half Sths
tiyne-he could usually DO found ins47IA4e
FIartman's pb6d parlor or Ia Charley MtllerS's
cigar stand. both famous csntsrs OF local
neWs, HI
he wss well suited TO c~onstahulAry jobs
Of tor p Waterman. being very strong. With
plenty Of couraSs--undsr six feet. hut
broad shouldered and handy lagged, with .
heavy jawed. pugnaeaous face. . biz istEae.
gling mpsteehe. and ~ sst closs toscther;
TIE merc sight Of him spnscisnt 70 enforce =
no hespass sign.
The two big doors o. the basket factory
one In the side and one In the ,end-wers
fastened with stout Iron BART. IN get h or
out one went through an once which occu-
pasd the front pf ths long. narrow butldtnE.
Pstse had llttls 70 Aessxctpt ~ a TN oAans