The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1922-05-27


"Ah, I see." muttered Peter. And
then, as he lighted a cigarette. cob
well, well, We'll get along somehow
But look sharp, just the same"
Peter went down the lawn thought
fully. From the first he hadn't been
any too pleased with this mission.
Though Peter was aware that in the
ream of big business it masquerade
under other names, blackmail, at the
best. was dirty thing. At the worst
and McGuire's affair with the in
sistent Hawk seemed to fall into ihis
cIassification-it was both sinister
and contemplate. To be concerned
in these dark doings even as an
emissary was hardly in accordance
with Peters notion of his job, and he
had acceded to McGuire's request
without thinking of possible conse-
quence, more out of pity for his
employer in his plight than for any
other reason. But he remembered
that it usually required a guilty
conscience to make blackmail posi-
BILE and that the man who paid al
ways paid because of something dis
ceal.
McGuire's explanations had been
thin and Peter knew that the real
reason for the old mans trepidations
was something other than the ones
he had given. He had come to Black
Rock from New York to avoid any
possible publicity that might result
from the visits of his prosecutor and
was now paying this sum of money
for a respite, an immunity which at
best could only be temporary. It was
all wrong and Peter was sorry to
have a hand in it. but he couldn't
deny that the interest with which he
had first approached Black Rock
House had now eliminated in a cur
iosity which was almost an obsession.
Here. close a hand. was the solution
of the mystery, and whether or not
he learned anything as to the facts
which had brought McGuire's dis
comfiture, he would at least see and
talk with the awe-inspiring Hawk
who had been the cause of them.
Besides, there was Mrs. Bergen's
share in the adventure which indi-
Gated that Beth's happiness, too. was
in some way involved. For Peter,
having had time to weigh Beth's re-
marks with the housekeeper's, had
came to the conclusion that there
had been but one man near the
house that night. The man who had
talked with Mrs. Bergen al the kitch-
en- door was not John Bray the cam
era man, or the man with the dark
but Hawk Kennedy him
self.
Peter entered the path to the cab
in and explored it carefully. search
ing the woods on either side and
then, cutting into the scrub oak at
the point where he and Beth had
first seen the placard, made his way
to the maple tree. There was no one
there A glance at his watch under
the glare of the pocket torch showed
that he was early for the tryst, so
he walked around the maple, flashing
his light in to the underground, and
at last sat down, leaning against the
trunk of the tree, lighted another
cigarette and waited.
Under the depending branches of
the heavy foliage it was very dark,
and he could get only the smallest
glimpses of the star-Ht sky. At one
point toward Black Rock House be-
yond the boles of the trees he could
see short stretches of the distant
lawn and. in the distance. a light
which he thought must be that of
McGuires bedroom, for tonight,
Peter had noticed, the shutters had
been left open. 1t was very quiet,
too.
Peter listened for the sounds of
approaching footsteps among the
dry leaves. but heard only the crack
of branches overhead. the slight stir
of the breeze in the leaves and the
whistle of a locomotive many mills
away, on the railroad between Phila-
delphia and Atlantic City.
The sound carried his mind beyond
the pine-belt out into the great world
from which he had come, and he
thought of many things that might
the seething yeast that was Russia,
turtles and the worship of new gods
that were no gods at all-not even
those of brass or gold-only visions
-will-o'-the-wisps
The madness had shown itself here
too. Would the fabric of which the
American ideal was made be strong
enough to hold together against the
worlds new madness He believed
in American institutions. Imperfect
though they were. fallihle as the hu-
man wills which controlled them
they were as near liberty. equality,
fraternity as one might yet hope TO
attain in a form of government this
side of the millennium.
Peter started up suddenly, for he
was sure that he had heard some
thing moving in the underbrush. But
after listening intentlv and hearing
nothing more he thought that his
ears had deceived him. He flashed
his lantern here and there as a guide
to Hawk Kennedy. but there was no
sound. Complete silence had fallen
again over the woods. If McGuire's
myst erious enemy was approaching
he was doing it with the skill of an
Indian scout. And it occurred to
Peter at this moment that Hawk
Kennedy, too. might have his reasons
for wishing TO be sure that he was
20 be fairly dealt with. The placard
had Indicated the possibility of
chicanery on the part of Mcclure.
No tricks" Hawks had written. He
would make sure that Peter was alone
before he showed himself. So Peter
flashed his lamp around again.
glanced at his watch, which showed
that the hour of the appointment
had passed. then lighted a -hird Gig
arctic and sank down on the roots of
the wait