New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-06-21
CHAPTER T.
The RnnlOT


Marx BrsndsR, al thiHErfEs all
ready steod high m the eTimina, ar
Nesligatlan department OF the police,
He Was indeed about % receive an Ia
IpeetoFshiR-
Mark VAS taxing a holiday On
partm0aF, deN0iing himself "a his
hebhs Of lFeul fishing and accepting
the opportunity 20 survey his 0wn
life from a hird'sreye point Nf view,
measure his achievement, ana cone
slider impaFtially his future, not only
as a detective but as a man,
He found himself with hEe ihauH
sand pounds saved as result Of
some sReeial grants during the var
and a large honeFarium from the
French government Tie was also in
possession Of a handsome salary and
the prospect of promotion, when a
senior man retired AZ no distant date,
Too intelligent 20 find an that life
lad 20 offer In his work alone, he
now hogan 20 think ~ culture, Of
human pleasures, and those allied inr
terests and responsibilities that a
wife and family would offer,
III was SOMEWHAT hNfFNAANA aAN'A
a strenuous year! hut 20 parlmoer he
always came for health and rest when
opportunity offered. and now he had
returned for the third time 20 the
puehy Hotel al prineetown, Being
q good taiker he never failed of an
audience there. but better still he
liked an hour sometimes with the
prison wardens, For the convict
prison that dominated that gray
smudge In the heart OF the moors
known as princetown held many In
teresting and famous criminals.
He had found an unknown spot
where some good trout dwelt and on
an evening In mid-June he set forth
10 tempt them. He had discovered
certain deep pools In a disused quarry
fed by a streanlet.
Foggtntor Quarry. wherein lay
these preserves. might be approached
In two ways Originally broken into
the granite bosom OF the moor for
stone TO build the bygone war prison
OF Princetown. road still extended
TO the deserted spot and Joined the
n ain thoroughfare half a mile dis
tant.
Brendon, however. came hither by
q direct path over the moors. Ieav-
ing Princetown railway station upon
his left hand he set his face west
where the waste heaved out before
him dark against blaze OF light from
the sky.
Against the western flame appeared
a figure carrying a basket. Mark
Brendon, with thoughts on the even
ing rise of the, trout, lifted his face
at a light football. Whereupon there
passed by him the fairest woman he
had ever known. She was slim and
not very tall. She wore no hat and
the auburn of her hair. piled high
above her forehead, tangled the warm
sunset beams and burned like halo
round her head. And she had blue
eyes-blue as the gentian. Their
size impressed Brendon.
She walked quickly with a good |
stride and her slight, silvery skirts
and rosy, silken jumper-her round |
hips and firm, sirlish bosom.
Her eyes met his for moment
with frank, trustful expression,
then she had passed.
The vision made Mark pensive. as
sudden beauty will, and he wondered
about the girl.
Tramping forward now, the detec-
tive came to a great crater that
saped on the hillside and stood above
the dead quarry workings OF Fog
etntor. Underneath him opened a
cavity with sides two hundred feet
high.
Mark proceeded to the extreme
Of the quarry. fifty yards
n ortherly, and stood above two VIDE,
still pools in the midst. Trout moved
and here and there circles of light
u1dened out on the water and ripped
10 the cliff beyond.
Mark set about his sport yet teit
that a sort of unfamiliar division mad
come into his mind and, While ne
two tiny-eyed flies from
box and fastened them to the nair-
ike leader he always used, there
ners,.ted the. thought of the auburn
ztrl-her eyes blue as April-her
swift, delicate tread. 49,.
He began to Ash as the hshl
.hickened; but he only cast once or
vice and then decided to wait nan
m hour He grounded his rod ana