The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-02-20
He Was
the Right
Hand Man
By CLARISSA MACKIE


Ethel flung the letter down, impa-
thence in her face and in her voice as
she spoke. II am so sick Of hearing
about Granny's 'right-hand man"
"Who is hep asked Agatha lazily.
II don't know exactly-English,
believe-sort of a factotum, II you
know just what that means-she says
she cannot get along without him, any
way, and she is continually quoting
him. My Aunt Florence looked at me
.queerly when I joked about him and
said solemnly, Better come down to
Greenledges and see him, my dear,
then she and mother went into fits Of
laughter"
Getting your interest fred" sug-
gested Agatha, who saw love story
in the most commonplace incident.
"Soon it will blaze up, and you will
take the next train to Greenledges"
What an idiot you are, Aggie,"
yawned Ethel to cover a faint blush
II have other things to think of than
Granny's butler! You are so stupid
sometimes !"
Agatha smiled in her superior way
and arose to go. Ring me up and
tell me all about it, dear. When 1
come back from Pittsfield the world
will be six years older!'
Nonsense, it will stand still until
you come backl" laughed Ethel. 'Be
sure and write often" They kissed
farewell and Ethel Langdon walked
down the path to the front gate where
Agatha's little car waited
Back on the sunny porch once more,
Ethel reread her grandmother's letter,
certain sentences standing out wildly
in the grabbed old handwriting: MY
'right-hand man has refused to dig up
that bed of white petunias-says they
look like fairy ghosts swaying in the
breeze land he wants the shutters
put back on the house. He has an
idea that the rose garden needs
fountain and he will not touch the
grove of locusts, and the large locust
on the lawn must stay; he says it is
as good as a lightning rod Who
asked him anything about lightning
rods? I wish Ethel would come down
for a few days. I know she will not
want to stay longer than that with a
stupid old woman in the country"
Just here Ethel blew an imaginary kiss
toward clever Granny in the direction
of Observation-Disclosures, northwesterly
in direction. "Tell Ethel to send me
line if she comes. We have been put
ting up peach-plum conserve and gin
ger-pears! The right-hand man says
he has tasted none better in England,
ETC., ETC."
Two days later Ethel motored over
to Greenledges in her own runabout.
A very small trunk was strapped on
behind.
1t was a cloudless day, with feel
ing of frost in the air. The naples
had been touched with fire and famed
red. Somewhere a quail was call
ing and Ethel initiated its note. Il
went over in Twenty-Five minutes last
month-bet I can do it in twenty
seven!" and the car jumped ahead, do
ing its best to break her previous
record 1t was exactly twenty-six min
utes past the hour when they turned
lAlO lhC 6dtSo Va oiSShANNSNS
and tore madly up the avenue under
meath tall oaks.
Suddenly ahead of her, toddled little
Nan, the gatekeepers child. Ethel
screamed, and at the same instant
some one leaped on the running board,
leaned over and shut off the power
and the little car slowed down and
with hraLQc
damned hard. A man was in the car
beside her, holding her shoulder in
vice-like grip, shaking her soundly.
'rHow dare you endanger lives in that
way?" he demanded, pointing at Nan.
|'You ought to be handed over to the
police-I am tempted to do it now"
AS he looked at her face. wet with
softened "This should be lesson to |
you, little girl" In spite of the alb |
surdity of his taking her for a little |
girl, the shock of nearly killing any |
one was too much for Ethel and she |
tainted away, slipping down onto the
floor at his feet.
Cove! she is frightened to death
Sne lSnI q klu at all-Dul q Dedulllul
young woman-these bobbed heads
and short skirts are deceiving" AS
he spoke he was carrying her in one
arm, her golden head dropping on his
shoulder. His fair skin Redeemed
through its coat Of army tan and his
eyes darkened to match the frown on
his brow. The poor little thing, how
he had ragged her! But the sight of
the baby pattering along so innocent
of any danger had enraged him-he
was glad he had spoken. By the time
he had reached the house a maid came
flying out.
ooh, sir, has anything happened to
Miss Ethel?''
Tainted" he said briefly. "Open
the door, Sarah, and I will take her
into the house."
AS they placed her on couch in the
library Ethel sat up looking pale and
scared.