Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-16

INC, Too far out of the way. Will YOU
have a cigar or a cigaret?"
Thank, no. Sorry to have bothered
you
90, you haven't bothered me in the least"
Ecllman declared, smiling, as ha opened the
door.
AS he closed it he remained ataring at the
panels and twisted the ends of his blond
mustcchc. On the other side OF the door
Bancroft a!so stared at the panels: and as
l:erl,ad 40 n,estaci7e to twist he rubbed his
chin. This little tableau was actually based
tpon mutual admiration. B D..
Bancroft was certain that Bei!nan had
recognized him, but had ignored all leads.
jIe had also cut the promised half hour down
to a quarter. and had fairly hustled his visi"
tor into the hall.
What did they want Of him? What were
they really after? Bellrnan had Travelled. 1t
was not the array Of labels that led Bancroft
to this deduction. He lad particularly
uuizzed the c~1.secret service man. who had
informed him that one could buy labels. but
Il would be extremely difficult to obtain
United States customs stamps, ana custom
stamps were visible on Bellna1's luggage.
All this meticulous care: what Gid it sig.
Nifty? What lid Colling,wood jeremiah
r Bancroft poseecs that Daniel Stewart wanted
so badly? If he vas after money why hadn't
he offered uc,1ctilins that had sense and rec.
son in itss makeup? The Great Adventure
Company. Very well: in a few days he would
call upon Daniel Stewart-and buy an
emerald!
Tie most remarkable attribute of the
mind is not that it absorbs fact but rather
that these facts can be summoned or dis
missed at will. There is no exertion: it hap
mems as easily as the Shifting Of the cam.
era shutter. And so it was with Bancrofts
mind. The moment he reached the street
the Great Adventure Company and Its ra1nl'
t~ications, the sense Of prelnonitory evil, van
ighed wholly. He, was. to have tea with
Nancy Bowrnan at four O'Clock.
He hurried down into the subway. In the
six days he had tested all modes Of transpor-
tation and had learned the folly of trying
to make distances by surface cars or taxis.
On the way down he studied the advertise
ments, hoping that he might see Nancy's
picture somewhere; and, not finding any, ne
y, conju:ed her \up as he had first seen her,
drenched, disheveled, but smiling. There
was stuff in a girl who, would willingly go
through what/she had-a dead benefactor at
one end and a lonely puppy at the other.
Nancy was friendly, but guarded; Jenny
was also friendly, but with a friendliness as
wide as the door. Nancy was reserving her
decision Jenny had no decision to make;
she had already made ito like this fresh
skinned boy from the country. She had met
him twice in the hall since that laughable
first encounter, and she had found him a
good verbal sparrer, ready with a comeback
that had no jazz In It,; one moment like q
professor and the next like n regular. No
body but a herman would have laughed at
her threat To. call in the police. Jenny
kissed me- was continually popping into her
thoughts, but she could recall nothing else
He banned her: she couldn't ticket him and
place him In her gallery.
How many Jumps Of SUGAR." asked
Nancy.
Whatever you think best"
This was too much for Jenny. Whats
you think this is--rnedicine?"
- Did you ever drink tea before?" Name,
wanted to know
Not at this hour, or SO close to Olympus
!" .Eay!" cried Jenny, her arms akimbo
ARE you guyin' US? Are you just out O. tn
sticks or are you some gay Weisenheime
tryin' a new stlIt?" Il 4
Bancroft appealed bewilderedly tofNancy
who acted as Interpreter, .8s
= She means are you honestly from, tn
country or are you Just pretending to be? I
I. 4 am honestly from the country"
sticks said Jenny. 81 5S# 4
Does that mean trees 2',ss
!" Sure; alfalfa, oats, cabbages. Are Their
any more ike up there cord there?
Bancroft .thoughtit oyer. y Maybe not
8 Are you gdini back there c live?
" Not IL Lean help it..'sss
.'Ha!.' cried Jenny, Nowhere down
brass tacks. He's Gotn' + be President som