New Britain herald., 1922-04-08
The Way "smith" Came Back Into
 NIadce's Life

It was but for second that l stood erect, in the position 10 which l in- voluntarily had sprung when l heard the voices of the horsemen coming down the lonely wood lane
 Then, still obeying the instinctive impulse of conceament which had seized me at the sound of the second voice, l swiftly moved to the tree against which Dicky's car rested, seated myself there in such manner that the machine almost concealed my presence, and adjusted my hat so that it's brim dropped over my forehead. thanked my little joss that my hat had a brim, and-that if was not the hat had worn in the Catskills. With some autumn branches in my hand I made pretense of stripping the leaves from them. but had to stop all movement and grip the branches tightly to still the trembling of my hands.
 "Remember Anton
 For. if my ears and my memory had not deceived me. the somewhat servile voice of the second approach ing horseman was that of the man Smith, whom l had last seen in the Catskill mountains. and who was now a fugitive from the justice which he had so mysteriously escaped that me morable night when our fishing party had discovered the wounded trooper in the reservoir grounds. If it were he. I knew that the servility was only assumed, that the arrogance of the man was only concealed, his cunning working swiftly and surely.
 And then the two men on horse back moved into my view from the recesses of the forest path. and from underneath my hat brim I looked fur lively at them.
 The first man knew, in the casual friendly fashion of the countryside. as the "big man" of the neighborhood. a retired farmer wealthy, public spirited, respected and liked by his neishbors. That he could know any thing of the real personality of Smith ,-is the second man really were Smith was. of course. unthlnkable. And that the relation between them was that of kindly efficient master and new servant, I gleaned from the elder mans words as they rode toward me.
 Remember, Anton. the one thing above all others which l will not have Is brutality to animals" he was say ing. T discharged the man just be- fore you for that"
 T will remember" Anton said slow ly, and then his eyes fell on Dicky's car, and I saw him start unmistakaby. I wondered if. with the keen percep- tions which I guessed to be his, he had recognized the car, having re- membered seeing it upon that night which had seen his exposure.
 A Swift Decision.
 For I had convinced myself now that beyond all doubt the man, Anton. evidently a new man. -all-work of my neighbor. MT. Briggs, was the same man. Smith, who had been the opulent autocrat of the Catskill noun tain region in which he had his bar ricaded estate. And yet, barring their height, which the man, Anton, made less by appearing slightly stopped, there was little outward similarity be- tween the two.
 Smith had been a commanding figure. erect and broad -shouldered, with wellfed appearance. This man was thin. almost to emaciation. and his clothing hung loosely on him. Smiths appearance had been that of scrup- uluously fastidious man, accustomed to luxurious bathing appurtenances, who would almost have died rather than appear unshaven, man with many changes of clothing.
 Anton had at least a three days growth of beard upon his face, his clothing was grimy and hung loosely on him, and his hands were distinctly suggestive of the earth. Around his forehead he wore a dirty bandage, which, I noted with rising excitment, completely concealed his eyebrows.
 I gave him another furtive but searching glance. and decided that the dirt upon his clothing and the band- age were but surface soil. that the cloth next his head was clean, and that underneath the rough garments were others, clean and fine. He was alto gether too typical--he outdid his compatriots whom l had seen work ing in the nelghboring fields.
 Mir. Briggs had refined in his horse when he saw the car, and Anton" - -