Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-06-28

Tampa is always quiet in midafter-
noon. 1t is always a tranquil time
of day, and the best way to spend 1t
is to sit and drink many cold drinks
of lime and lemon.
| used to spend it that way except
when out on calls. Jefferson Davis
Lincoln, who watches over me and an
swers my bell and sweeps my office
and with inimitable bows guides my
patients to their chairs, can make as
refreshing a conception out OF a little
limejuice and mint and seltzer-wat-
er as can be imagined.
Perhaps the story Of Southley Down
should begin with that August after
noon beside Useppa Island. Alex
ander Pierce and / were tarpon fish-
ing.
When | think of Alexander Pierce
it is always with a fishing rod IN his
hand. He was as his best then. 10
see him on the street one could easily
quess that he was a fisherman, but
never a detective. There Is no prac-
tice in the world that leaves its marx
upon a mans face more clearly nan
fishing. Pierce had that mark. lie
had singularly quiet eyes-eyes thal
looked farther than most telescopes,
but vet not seemingly keen or alert
He had a lean, weather-bltten race
scribed and rescribed with lines. HIS
hair was curiously finland people
rather expected it to be gray. But
when he removed his hat 1t was seer
be rather light brown and fne.
$50 yo go back to your work to-
morrow | said. I'm sorry you
can't stay longer" :,
mot as sorry as | am doc he re,
pHied. IF it's between fish ana
thieves, | choose fish every time. lhey
are more gentlemanly, and require a
a finer art. Ones daily bread you
know! But why don't you stay and
fish without me?'
Gushing for tarpon with anybody
except Alexander the Great would
give me no thrill at all, " | told HIM
I'D sooner go to my house party
"Dancing around in a ballroom when
o could be dancing around on the
sea with a tarpon. BY the way, where
did you say you were gong Tor TINS
riotus week?
"To a big old manor house in the
interior-Southley Downs
"%Southley" he muttered. Ibis name
doesn't happen to be Peter Southley
does it," j,
"That happens to be his name"
"An old man-seventy-five years
of age-white-haired heavily built
about as tall as you, with a peculiar
nervous twitch to his eyes" ).
THAT'S Peter S%outhley. j don't
know him well. | met him at my
club in Tampa, when he was visiting
the Martins. And | can't understand
what made him ask me. got the
letter Just a couple of days ago, ano
he promises fishing and shooting and
golf of the best. Asked me for
full week, and even seemed a .trltie
hectic about it-as if he wanted me
very badly. I'll stay a day or two
at least" !,
Queer thing" he muttered. "Sucf
a queer thing. But there doesn't
seem to be any further doubt"
was scorched by curiosity; but
knew enough not to ask any quest
tons. :,
"You're a sort of trustworthy quack
Long" he remarked at last.
| began to be hopeful but knew
my cue.
Every laundering, I'm afraid, Alex
"Of course your years are against
vou-only thirty-three. Yet they
saw you have a cool hand with a seal
pei. Steady hand means steady
nerves. Steady nerves means you
re to be trusted in a pinch. You
handled that Wildmarsh problem pref
ty well, too. Tell me-have you any
deep personal regard for this MAJ
Southley?"
"Not really" I'd barely met th'
man. 81 did think he was a kindly
old chap; very agreeable, and with
fine taste for vintages.
"Rather thought that might describe
him. Long, | want you to keep you
ewes open when you are at his house
| want you to watch-all the time.
alexander, you are the last maj
in the world to ask me to do anything
that is the slightest breach in loyalt.
between a guest and his host"
81 rather hope | am, Long-yet
detective gets remorseless. mus
guard against it. In this case
well, in this case, | should say it wa
quite otherwise. Maybe you don
know what | mean. I'm not sur
that | know myself. | have rattle
vague ideas-instincts, | guess you