Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-19

TRY putting me out" replied Bancroft,
bellserently. Two dollars is generally your
top price for this Job, and you imposed upon
the unfortunate when you charged this
young woman ten"
. Unfortunate, is she? Huh! So that's tn.
All Bancroft's pent-up wrath Of years
against the village and its inhabitants broke
throughElthe weakened, barriers: and he let
the delugk fall upon Williams head. "All
my life my father and I have been ostra-,
cized because some one called him a miser
and the rest of,you took it up. Now you're
going tothear. my opinion OF you and the rest
OF the Villagers. You're mean. Your minds
are obscene: for you see evil in all things you
do not understand, aid hope for the worst.
You never ofer\the boot Unless the object is
down You go>to church Sundays, not to
worship God, but to give your wives a chance
to pick up any gossip they missed during the
week. You are ready to stone the beggar
and lick the rich mans boots--as presently
you'll. try to lick mine. Here's some gossip
for you. My father left me nearly seven mil,
lions. DO you get that? Seven millions! And
YOU won't set one single horse trough out of
ME, not a single trough. That's that
Perhaps it was the invisible impact OF SO
much money that caused Williams hands to
falter, or it might have been a simple hole in
the road. Whatever the cause was, the car
swerved Unexpectedly and plunged into the
shallow ditch. The engine gave a loud whoof
in protest and stopped.
Now look what you went an done!"
gasped Williams, plaintively.
This was TOO much for Bancroft's wrath.
which evaporated, and a rush of boyish
laughter followed. He regretted that his
S~-.~,,> 49, -,- --.~, ,sxL .L:o T. i-l 80:
tended that the village should live in wonder
as to how much his father had left. Now the
whols town would know about the millions
in the morning.
1t took a quarter of an hour to coax the
engine out of its sulks. For five minutes the
car 'slithered back and forth in the effort to
regain the road. This accomplished, the
vehicle careeaed toward home.
Seven millions, huh:" said Williams,
after they had covered three miles. "Mebbe.
/ wouldn't touch a dollar of it,"
You never WILL" e
Williams had his revenge in a minor de-
gree. Bancroft was forced to walk home from
the garage. AS he swung back the gate he
fell into laughter again. He had entered
upon this adventure with ten thousand dol
lars in his pocket! So much for a pretty face.
Still, she might have asked where to send old
lie Aioti liz = III anu
Fe entered the house, tossed his hat and
slicker upon the hall chair, put out the lights.
and went UP to his room. He sat on the edge
of the bed for a While and tried to marshal
the events, but either the girl got in the adj.
p renturer's way or he got in hers; Bancroft
could not concentrate upon either with any
success. He smiled. Who could say? The
advent of the girl might be an earnest. of
what the Great Adventure company was
capable OF offering its clients. If SO, he was
rather INCLINED toward a contract. Manstuff
only. Well, you never could tell. One thou
sand down, wasn't it, and nine upon The
happH completion Of the cycle! This time
his smile was less humorous than ironical.
And yet, how oddly the man had iondled
that antique chair, and what Il, singularly
beautiful thing his smile had been.
He yawned, undrcssed and got into bed.
and in a little while Sonnus brought forth
his blacklist nightmare and Bancroft was
condemned to ride it through the night. Up
and down the world. into far countries, and
always the unknown young woman bcckollet
him on, but with the advcnturer's smile.
Ships foundcred under him, and men tried to
take his life. \. Battle, murder, and sud
den death! fTte concrete phrases that we
hear during the daytime, and how loosely
they wander through our dreams at night!i
Over seas Of rocking water, over mountains
of slithering gold, still passiunately he pur-
sued her. III. -
Now. then, before the seller. of adventures
departed the village he drew up before the
hosiery and blew his horn three times.
sharply, and Waited. Almost at once It young
man hurried out and approached the'car.
"I;c,nain and watch him, Shadow. Follow
wherever he socs. and never let him see you.
Report by wire anything Unusual"
."All right, professor"
Plenty of money!"
Yes. sir" .
:. The professor nodded; and the car went
on, into the storm and the night. :
The young man called Shadow returned to
the hotel veranda and watched the red tail
=: light until a. bend in the road shut in behind
it,. Queer old bird: something loony about
him, for all his intellect. What was his
game, anyhow? And what part in the cas-,
had this poor country boob and his money!
Wen, the old boy knew what he was about
and IL didn't pay TO question or cross him.
He had Il way. of boiling up furiousiy; and in
those moments he was bad medicine to brook
Yes. sir: a queer old bird. Every matinee
day you'd find him in the parade, up/Bread
way or down, peering oddly into the faces OF
the wemen-the young ones. Nothing raw
about the way he did it; more like a painter
seeking a special MO0el. once ne hdu AheI
the liberty to quiz the old boy. -
What are You hunting for, professor''
" A smile"
"W1hy, you're getting 'em right and left.
But not the one I seek, Shadow" ;
There was the emerald company. too. Al
4 on the level. not q nail out Of plumb; really
dug up emeralds and sold them. But evel
against this. the Great Adventure company
which was about as logical as old GeorgeJW
Perpetual Motion; and there wasn't on
chance in a million Of this boob here falling
for it. And what was going to happen il h:
did sign the contract? Some fool movie stuff
Well. we'll; his job was to watch Friend Jere
miah, and watch him he would, from pan
cakes to prayers.
Il Meantime, there could be no harm in con
vincing q certain village smarty that kell,
pool was an, art all by itself. Humming
popular air, The Shadow re3ntered the hotel
The ENTHUSIASTICALLY known as sucl
by his few Antimates-arrived in New York a