The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1922-05-25
THIS BEGINS THE STORY.


by revolution, comes to this
country as Peter Nichols and
takes charge of men guarding the
house of Jonathan X. Mcclure.
The man Mcclure fears breaks
throuhg the guard, visits the
housekeeper who knows him but
will tell nothing about him, and
leaves a warning for MCGUIRE,
who determines to make peace
"for time with him. Peter is
interested in a beautiful girl with
a beautiful voice, Beth Cameron,
who lives in the neighborhood
and gives her singing lessons,
which causes jealousy in the
heart of Shad Wells, one of the
guards, who loves her. Shad
threatens to make trouble Both
hopes he won't do it until she's
had her singing lessons. ''I'u
promise you that said Peter.
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES.
She followed him out to the porch.
where they looked about for Shad.
He had disappeared. And in the
Lizzie" which has been painting by
the side of the road. Peter was con-
Quoted by the soiled young man at
the wheel to Black Rock House.
Nothing unusual had happened in
his absence nor had any other mes
sage or warning been posted, for
Stryker, released for this duty, had
searched all morning and found moth
ing. Hawk was waiting. biding his
hour.
Curiously enough. an astonishing
calm seemed to have fallen over the
person of Jonathan K. Mcclure.
When Peter arrived he found his en-
ployer seated on the portico in a
wicker chair, smoking his after-sup-
per cigar True. the day guards were
posted nearby and Stryker lowered
as he was wont, but the change in
his employers demeanor was so ap-
apparent that Peter wondered how
such a stolid-1ooBing creature could
ever have lost his self-contro1. 1t was
difficult to understand this metam or
phosis unless it could be that, having
come to a decision and aware of the
prospect of immunity, If only a tenn
,porary one. Mcclure had settled down
to make the best of a bad job and
await with stoicism whatever the fu-
ture was to bring. This was Peters
first impression, nothing else suggest
ing itself, but when he followed the
old man up to his room and gave him
the money he had brought he noted
the deeply etched lines at nostril and
jaw and felt rather than saw the
meaning of them-that Jonathan Nc
CURE was in the grip of some deep
and sinister resolution. There was a
quality of desperation in his caImness,
a studied indifference to the dangers
which the night before last had SEEM
ed so appalling
He put the money in the safe, care
fully locked the combination and then
turned into the room again.
Thanks, Nichols he said.
you'd better have some supper and
get to bed tonight. I don't think
you'll be needed" And then. as
Peters look showed his surprise, IT
know my man better than you do.
Tomorrow night we shall see.''
He closed his lips into a thin line,
shot out his jaw and lowered his
brows unpleasantly. Courage of a
sort had come back to him, the cour-
age of the animal at bay, which fights
against the inevitable.
To Peter the time seemed propitious
to state the need for the observation
towers and he explained in detail his
projects. But Mcclure listened and
when Peter had finished speaking
merely shook his head.
What you say is quite true. The
towers must be built I've thought so
for a long time. In few days we
will speak of that again-after to-
morrow night" he finished signifi-
cantly.
LAS you please" said Peter. but
every day lost now may"
Wen gain these days later" he
broke in abruptly. Il want you to
stay around here now.
On Rriday morning he insisted on
having Peter show him the tree
where thep lacard had been discover
ed. and Peter, having taken lunch
with him, led him down to the big
sugar maple, off the path to the cabin.
Peter saw that he scanned the woods
narrowly and walked with a hand in
his waistband, which Peter knew
held an army Colt revolver, but the
whine was gone rom his voice, the
trembling from his hands. He walk
ed around the maple with Peter, re-
garding 1t with a sort of morbid alb
straction, and then himself led the
way 20 the path and to the house.
Why he wanted to look at the tree
was more than Peter could under
stand. for it was Peter, and not he,
who was to keep this costly assigna-
StSn-
-yoE understand. Nichols he said
when they reached the portico.
you've agreed to go-tonight = at
IL"
CT wish you'd let me meet him
without the money
NO no. I've made UP my
mind" gasped Mcguire with a
touch of the old alarm, there's can't
be any change in the plan-no cnange
at all.
''Oh, very we'll" said Peter. its
not my money I'm giving away"
1t won't matter. Nichols. 1--we
got a lot more
But the princip1e-' protested
Peter.
ITO h with the principle,
crowded teh old man.
Peter turned ana vent back to the
cabin. somewhat disguised with his
whole understanding Already he had
been here for five days and, except for
Two walks through the woods for
purposes of investigation, nothing
that he had come to do had been ac>
complished. He had not yet even
visited the saWniI1s which were down
on the corduroy road five miles away.
Co. =. for %f1a Y1I1