Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-04-14

teal fore ages stepped in the mysti.
cal. poetic for minds receptive of
nothing beyond story and allegory and
parable We wtnt new revelation
In terms Of the new worlds under.
standing We want light light,
CHAPTER II
Continued lIapgood:
IAN right That was two months
ago. Last week vas down al It'd
borough again. Some sort of clerk
was in the shop IA | went in Mr.
Sabre upstairs, eh? asked. No
No, Mr. Sabre's not-not here says
my gentleman, with rather an odd
look at Tme
What the devil did he 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 in his fist
] said in my CHEEKY way, 'IIullo, Mr..
Bright. @Good morning -7ds just
lnquring for Mr. Sabre
by love. ! thought ~, minute
the old patriarch was going to heave
the tables OF stone az my head. He
caught mp the book in both his hands
and gave sort of choke and bla2en
at me out Of his eyes
LET me tell you, sir. this is NJ
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 | was there
for But he shut himself up with a
kind OF gasp and cannoned himself
into his tabernacle under the stairs.
thought I'd push out to Penny Green
and see old Sabre myself
You can imagine me- old man, trip
ping up the path of Sabre's house.
House had rather a neglected appear.
ance. ! thought Door knob not polish.
3D. or blind still down somewhere or
something. | don't know. Something.
And Wild made me conscious of it was
that ] was kept long time waiting
after Id rung the bell. In fact, | had
10 ring twice Well, suppose I'd
been expecting to see one of Sabre's
couple of Inkses as he calls them,
and pon my soul was quite startled
when the door opened and it wasn't
one of them at all, but very differ
CIT pair of shoes.
1T was a young woman; ladylike,
dressed just in some ordinary sort of
clothes; | don't know; uncommonly
pretty, or might have been if she
hadn't looked so uncommonly sad
andAthis was what knocked me
carrying a baby.
II don't know why | should have
imagined she was the kids mother
but | did. | don know why | should
have looked at her hands, but | did
] don't know why | should have ex-
pected alNddng ring, but | did And
there wasn't one.
she was looking at me decidedly as
IL she were frightened, No, no, Mr. I
Sabres not gone away. He's here. |
Are you a friend of his?
II smile at her. Well, | used to
be- | said. She didn't smile. What
the dickens was up? MY names Hap
good a.
Perhaps you'd better come in |
You know, it was perfectly ok. |
traordinary Her voice was as sad
as her face | stepped in, Pom my
soul, began to feel creepy Scalp
began to prick Then suddenly there
was old Sabre at the head of the
stairs
Well, he wasn't dead, anyway;
that was something to go on with. RI
took his hand and said, "Hullo, Sabre. |
How goes it, old man? Able to do
the stairs now, see.
Fine, he said, shaking my hand |
Jolly nice of you Youll stay a bit !
or course. He went a bit along the |
passage and called out. 'Efie. you can
scratch up bit of lunch for Mr.. Hap
gOOdM
II suppose she said Yes. Lunch1l
be on in about two minutes he came
back to me with
Led me into the morning room and
we sat down and pretended to talk.
very poor pretence, | give you my
word
Presently heard the girls voice
outside. Lunch is ready
We jumped up like two schOolhOys
released from detention and went
along IN. More mystery. Lunch at
Sabre's place was always a beauti-
ruby conducted rite, as was ac.
customod to. Well, there were
places laid for two only and a ram.
shackle kind of cold picnic scattered
about the cloth. Everything here.
help yourself kind of show. Bit of
cold meat, lump of cheese. loaf of
bread, assortment of plates. and so
on.
Sabre said, oh, by the way. my
Wife's not here. She's away
"fmurmured the polite thing He
was staring at the two places, frown.
ing bit Half minute, he said
ana hoped off his old stick Then
! heard him talking to this mvsteri.
GUS girl. At least heard her voice
hrst- Oh, | can't, | can't.
Then Sabre: Nonsense, Fife
You must. You must. | insist. Don't
be silly
Presently in comes Sabre with the
girl, And the girl with the baby in
her arms. Sabre said in his ordinary
easy Voice-'This is a very retiring
young person, Hapgcod. Had to be
dragged in. Miss Bright. Her fathers
in the office. Perhaps you've met
him, have you?
'Vall dom. lzpou. oh. .