New Britain herald., 1922-08-07
The Surprise That Awaited Madge
 Al Home.

h ithiilts
 Nervously shaken and mentally per- plexed, drove home from the Shelter Island ferry where Harry Underwood had bidden me so strange a farewell
 l wondered whether be had told me the whole truth about himself his re- lations with Grace Draper and his position Tn the gang of which he spoke so f1ippantly and yet so conyincingly. l puzzled over some points fin his story, but the confidence my father placed in him caused to dismiss them as of no importance, And yet back came point after point of Harry Underwood's story challenging my be-
 ief
 One instant I felt that I was too credulous. The next I pondered the possibility that I was too suspicious.
 Curiously enough, every mile of my distance I put between myself ana Harry Underwood's powerful, almost hypnotic personality increased instead of lessened my conviction of the es- sential truth of his story And despite my resentment, l found myself gen timely glad that his strength and his infinite resoureefulness were to be pitted against Grace Draper's ingen- ous deviltry.
 "Are Our Guests Gonc?"
 put my hand up 10 my blouse in which I mechanically had fastened the scarab pin which Mir. Underwood had so dramatically twisted from his tie and put into my hand, That I must devise some safe and secret place for its keeping. close to my person, l knew, but l was not equal just now to any connected thought upon that subject. Yet I realized that I could not return home until it was out of sight.
 I pulled my car to the side of the road, stopped it, and took from my bag what DiclSy teasingly calls my emergency envelope small one of | strong manila which I fashioned my self, and which contains my motor register. a personal identification card | and a five dollar bill. I stuck the | scarab into the card, thrust both into the envelope. and returned it to the bag, sure that 1t was reasonably safe | from discovery. Then, for the rest of my tourney I mentally went over the tale the pretended Don Ramon had devised for the edifcation of the Smythe- Hopkins family, until I was sure that I was letter. perfect in it.
 But when I reached home I found that I had no need to rehearse it, The damaged cars had been removed from the roadway before the gate, and Lillian met me at the door, with eyes, which in spite of her iron pulse, told me that something unusual was on foot.
 Are our guests gone?' I asked sur prised. ...-..
 "Then--Y -You---know?
 "Very much so" she retorted, They would have liked to have lin- gered till you came back with the lat est news of their adored Don Ramon, but I had something more important on hand. So as soon as Dr. Petit pronounced them all uninjured packed them off with a flea in the fathers ear. I'll bet he won't offer money for hospitality to gentlefolks again. Besides, that girl crude as she is, took the news rather hard and I knew she wanted to get home by herself Harry's certainly keeping up the pace, fascinating a fapper in a get-up like this
 I stared at her aghast.
 'Then-you-know? I stammered,
 She gave a tangled little laugh, and I knew that she was more moved than her careless speech denoted.
 Not being quite an idiot, of course I know" she returned, Here, don't mean that" she amended, as she saw ; me flush. You were quite right in to keep the knowledge of his identity from me. l would have { done exactly the same thing myself if our positions were reversed But you { were so anxious that I stay inside the house. was sure something was up. 1
 Then, she smiled, when Mother Graham recognized the family, and { told me of your encounter with them l in the Easthamption shop, I began to see a light. The description fitted { Harry perfectly, and Mother Graham { kept repeating that he reminded her so strongly of some one she had seen. { So, naturally I took a slant out of the nearest window, and--the eyes of love, you know
 There was a bitter note in her voice which told me that the discovery of