The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-03-07

A61A Fhf 1HHH ~ a. tHE NV -
driving. What's tie matter with your
There was an expression on Billy.s
face that she had not seen there be-
fore. lie was looking sour.
Get on with the song and dance. "
he said shortly.
well, | was dropped near Scroope.
and / got across to the Towers creep
ing about like a Red Indian, so no.
body saw me. I had a look in through
the morning room window and saw
Dad reading his letters. | had a mind
to go in and kiss him, but, Of course.
that wouldn't do. He was looking
pleased think he was reading Aunt
E%rythea's letter approving of me. Of
curse he hadn't heard about the bur-
glary. There's no telephone at Scroope
Dad won't have one.
Then | stalked the garage. where
old Grundle, our shower. had got the
head off III of the cylinders, and I
heard him %grumbling to the gardener
about having to drive Dad to Jervaulx
and back the sar1e evening. 1 hid In
the laurels till GrundIe went to his
dinner, and then | attended to the car
especially the magnetic. | did it ar
~tistically. You can take II from me.
the old bus will never leave Scroope
today. Dads visit is n washout. He's
no time to get here except by car
l know he has to catch the ten o'clock
mail train from Seabridge. He'll have
TO TAX the carriage there-and start
early, too
Billy emitted a stiied noise.
IT'S all TO save Dad pain and
worry" said Aimee complacently.
"one must consider ones parents.
Never do to have him coming here Just
now"
Great Christopher !" said Billy.
But that doesn't explain how
I'm coming to that. I made a CIR
cult through the Home wood to the
cottage where Amy Shocks lives with
her Old grandmother. | tackled I'D and
down in the offing till | saw grand
mamma toddle away on her usual af-
ter-dlnner visit to the ~woodcutter's
wife and 1 nipped indoors to have II
out with my dear old Shocks. 1 found
her packing for Jervaulx. and I told
her what | wanted her to do.
Amy Shocks is what you call stolid.
n I've broken her in very well-but
I'm bound TO say she was absolutely
paralyzed this time. But she surren-
dered. before I'd done with her. She
just came to heel. 1t may surprise
you. Billy, but she simply adores me.
Amy never refused me anything in
her life.
Having melted her into flexible con-
dition. | borrowed one of her print
dresses (she hadn't another black
one) and her second-best coat, and did
my hair like hers. I'm jolly good at
doing hair.
L cut II short, 1 cleared out and
tramped across country TO Pilbrook
station and took the afternoon train.
Amy Joined it with her two tin boxes
at Burnt Ash, and l got into her car
riage at the Y stop. I gave her all
the money | had. and made her go on
to Seabridge with one of the boxes.
She'll get herself lodgings there and
have a good time till further orders
she can last a week. anyhow. l took
the other box and came on here. And
now, partner-what about it? Wasn't
it a brain-wave?"
Billy took Off his cap and made dis
order of his honey-colored hair.
You mean TO tell me-" he said dir
lilly, that girl fell for it-just because
you told her to-"
"Ah. you don't understand the
feudal spirit" said Aimee complacent-
iy. There have been Shocks in the
Home wood ever since there were
Scroopes in Scroope Towers. They
help each other. When Amy and I
were kids and went b~irds-nesting. she
was always underneath when l fell
out Of the tree. She has irregular
features, but a heart of gold. And, by
the way, of course Aunt Erythea has
never seen Amy-she engaged her on
Dads recommendation"
But she's seen youi. exclaimed
Billy, when you crashed the Sphinx
into her carriage"
Only for half a second. She's blind
as a bat. She'll never know me. Isn't
1t great. Billy?"
He looked at her th%oughtfully.
"Great Caesars ghost" he said. ex-
p~losively, sit is You're right. The
last place on earth those fool police
would ever find you or look for you,
is the house where the burglary hap
pened. It's better than the cave. any,
way. You'll be right under my eye
and among your own folk in cast real
trouble came. But"
But what?"
why, got can't do it You, par
lormaid to Lady Erythea? It's the
acid testi Partner, you could never
get away with it."
Aimee regarded him pItyingly.
BILLY, I may not know anything
about men," she said. 'but you
know less than nothing about
women. There isn't the woman
living, from six years old upwards.
that isn't a born actress, when she has
70 be. Most Of us are acting all day
snd every day-whether you guess 1t
or not. 1 don't do that myself-that's
why you and l get on. But | cant l
can get away with il, Billy"
He put on his cap with a bang.
"Then let's get on" he gasped.
..fhere's nothing else for it now. The
boats are burned. Away for Jervaulx -
no Iaanad over and opened the renr