South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-04-14

. ldLlou III AtLlils OF the new Woilu ,
understanding. We want light. light.
CHAPTER II
Continued Hapgood:
"AI right. That was two months
ago. Last week 1 was down at It'd
borough again. Some sort Of a clerk
was in the shop as 1 went in. Mr..
Sabre upstairs, eh?' 1 asked. No. No
Mr.. Sabre's not-not here, says my
az me
t what the devil did ne mean?
+ Just then ] caught sight of an old
bird / knew slightly coming down
the stairs with book under his arm.
Old chap called Bright Looked
rather like Moses coming down the
mountain with the Tables OF Stone
i'm his fist. / said in my CHEEKY way,
'Hullo, Mr.. Bright. Good morning.
I was just inquiring for Mr.. Sabre
by Jove, I thought for a minute
the old patriarch was going to hea- Z
the tables Of stone at my head. He
caught up the book in both his hands
an gave a sort Of choke and blazed at
me out Of his eyes
Let me tell you, sir, this is no
place to inquire after Mr.. Sabre
said he. Let me tell you
We'll. I'd ha let him tell me any
old thing. That was what 1 was
there for. But he shut himself up
with a kind of gasp and cannoned
himself into his tabernacle under the
stairs. l thought I'd push out to
Penny Green and see Old Sabre my
self
"You can imagine me. old man,
tripping up the path Of Sabre's
house. House had rather a neglect
ed appearance, thought Door
knob not polished, or blind still
down somewhere or something.
don't know. Something And what
made me conscious of il was that
was kept a long time waiting after
/ I'd rung the bell In fact, 1 had TO
ring twice. Well, suppose I'd been
/ expecting to see one of Sabre's
couple Of Jinkses' as he calls them,
and pom my soul 1 was quite startled
when the door opened and ii wasn't
one of them at all, but very differ
ent pair of shoes.
1T was a young woman; ladylike,
dressed just in some ordinary sort of
clothes; I don't know; uncommonly
/ pretty, or might have been if she
I hadn't looked so uncommonly sad;
and-this was what knocked me-
carrying a baby.
4 Il don't know why I should have
/ Imagined she was the kids mother,
| but I did. I don't know why should
\ have looked at her hands, but I did.
I don't know why 1 should have ex-
pected a wedding ring, but 1 did. And
there wasn't one.
"She was looking at me decidedly
as if she was frightened. No, no.
Mr.. Sabre's not gone away. He's
here. Are you a friend of his?'
L smile at her Well. I used to
be I said. She didn't smile. What
the dickens was up? My names
Hapgood.'
Perhaps you'd better come in
You know, IL was perfectly ex-
traordinary. Her voice was as sad
as her face. stepped in. Pom my
soul. I began TO feel creepy. Scalp
began to prick. Then suddenly there
was old Sabre at the head Of the
stairs
We'll, he wasn't dead, anyway;
that was something to go on with.
took his hand and said, 'Hullo. Sabre.
How goes it. old man? Able to do
the stairs now. I see
Fine he said, shaking my hand.
Jolly nice of you. You1l stay a bit,
Of course He went a bit along the
passage and calle dout. 'Efie. you
can scratch up a bit of lunch for Mr..
Hapgood?'
Il suppose she said Pes. Lunch'H
be on in about two minutes he came
back 70 me with.
Led me into the morning room
and we sat down and pretended to
talk. Very poor pretence. give
YOU my word
Presently I heard the girls voice
outside. Lunch is ready
I'VE jumped up like Two school
boys released from detention and
went along IN. More mystery. Lunch
at Sabre's place was always a beau
tifully conducted rite. as I was &C
CustOmed 10. Well, there were
places laid for two only and a ram
shackle kind OF cold picnic scattered
about TIE cloth Everything there.
help yourself kind OF show. Bit Of
cold meat, lump OF cheese. loaf Of
1 bread, assortment Of plates. and so
on.
Sabre said. oh. by thu way. my
wife's not here. She's away
II murmured the polite thing. He
was staring at the two places. frown-
Ing a bit. Half a minute he said
and hoped of on his old stick. Then
heard him talking 10 this mysteri-
Gus girl. At least I heard her voice
first. oh, 1 can't"
Then sabre: Nonsense. Efie. You
must. You must. I insist. Don't
be silly
Presently n comes Sabre with the
girl And the girl wiz hthe baby IN
her arms. Sabre said in his ordinary.
easy voice-This is a very retiring
young person. HapgoOd Had TO be
dragged in. Miss BRIGHT Her fathers
IN the Office. Perhaps you've met
him. have you >"
We'll, I don't know what I said
old man. know what 7 thought. I
thought just precisely what you're
thinking Yes I had a furiously vivid
shot OF recollection of old Bright as
I'd seen lin a couple OF hours be-
fore. OF his blazing look. OF his ges-
ture OF wanting 10 hurl the Table OF
Stone az me. and OF HIS extraor-
binary remark about SABRE had
that and I did what you're doing: '
put two and two together and found
the obvious answer (same as you)
and jolly near fell down dead. 1
did jolly near