Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-10-15
VII (continued)


May lam l." he stammer-
ed. rs anything the matter?"
For a moment she had shrunk
back in alarm, but the narrow
silent street between its ramparts
of brown stone was bright with
moonlight and she recognized him.
"Oh, is it you" she said with a
faint smile. Il forgot my key and
! cannot make any one hear the
bell. The servants sleep on the
top floor. and of course like logs.
Yes, you can do something Are
you willing to break a window,
crawl in, and find your way up to
the front door,"
Watch mel" Clavering forgot
that he was saturnine and remote
and turning thirty-four. He took
the area steps at a bound Iron
gates guarded the basement doors,
but the old bars on the windows
were easily wrenched out. He
lifted his foot. kicked out a pane,
found the catch, opened the window
and ran UP tho narrow dark stairs
There was a light in the spacious
hall and in another moment he had
opened the door. He expected TO
be dismissed with a word OF lofty
thanks, but she said in a tone Of
casual hospitality:
There are sandwiches in the
library and ! can give you whis-
key and soda"
She walked with a light swift
step down the hall, the narrow
tail OF her black velvet gown wrig-
Cling after her, Clavering followed
in a t.aze. but his trained eye took
note of the fine old rugs and carved
Italian furniture, two splendid
tapestries, and great vases OF flow.
ers that filed the air with
drowsy perfume. He had heard
oi the Ogden house, built and fur.
nished fifty years ago. The couple
that had leased it had been child
less and it showed little wear. The
stairs curving on the left had evi.
IDENTIFY been recarpeted, but in a
very dull red that harmonized with
the mellow tints Of the old house.
She opened door at the end
of the hall on the right and he
found himself in a large library
whose walls were covered with
books to the ceiling. Dinwlddie
had told him that the Ogdens were
bookish people and that "Marys"
grandfather had been an eminent
jurist. The room was as dark in
tbne as the hall, but the worn
chairs and sofas looked very COM
Portable. A log was burning on
the hearth.
She took key from a drawer
and handed it to him.
"You will find whiskey and a
syphon in that cabinet, Mr.. CLAW
erlng. l. keep them for Judge
Trent"
"Mr Cla---" He came out OF
his daze. you know who l am
then?"
But certainly l am not as
reckless as all that"
Her accent was slight but in
dubious, yet impossible to place.
1t might be that Of a European
who spoke many languages, or of
an American with a susceptible
ear who had lived the greater part
OF her life abroad. Il was driving
one day with Judge Trent and
saw you walking with Mr.. Dinwid-
die"
"Trent-sh!"
He had his first full look into
those wise unfathomable eyes.
Standing close to her, she seemed
somewhat older than he had
guessed her to be. although her
face was unlined. Probably twas
her remarkable poise, her air of
power and security-and those
eyes! What had they not loal0l
upon? She smiled and poured
broth from a thermos bottle.
you are forgetting your wills.
key and soda" she reminded him.
He filed his glass. took a sand
wich. ard sank into the depths OF
a leather chair, She had seated