«
CHAPTER I.
Th» Flrat Wayfarer and the Second
Wayfarer Meet and Part on the
Highway.
A military fljnirv trudg«*d along the
narrow road that wound Ita serpvn«
tlnona wuy through th«* dlsuinl, forbid-
«Unit d> |>tha of tiu< forest—a man who.
though w«*«ry and footsore, lagg<-d not
In Ida swift, resoltih* iidvnn« «*. Night
wan routing on, and with It th«« no un
certain pro«qi«*<-ts of a storm.
II«* «'nine to th«« "plk<*" and th«*re
waa a alynpoat. A huge, crudely paint-
«•<1 hand |H>lnt«*d to th«* left, and on
what waa Intended to tic the sleeve of
a very stiff and unflinching turn these
word» were printed In acaly white:
•'Itnrt'a Tnv«*rn. Food for Man nnd
lienal.
Alao Gnxollne.
Eatabllahc<l
171«. 1 Mlle.*'
On the opposite aide of the “pike.”
In the nngle formed by a junction with
the narrow mountain road stood an
humbler algntaiat, |rtti*r«*d so Indis
tinctly that It d««aerved the compos
slon of all observers because of Ita
humility. Hwerving In Ills hurrt<*«J pan
nage. the tnJI stranger drew near thin
shrinking frl**nd to th«* uncertain trav
eler. and wan suddenly Hware of an
other presence In the roadwuy.
A woman appeared, na If from no
where. si moat at his side. He drew
back to let her pass. She stopped be
fore the llttl«« slgnppnt, ami together
they mad«* out the faint directions.
To th«* right nnd up tin* mountain
rontl Krogg's Corner lay four miles nnd
a half away; Pltralrti wan six miles
back over the road which th«- mini hnd
traveled. Two miles and a half down
the turnpike wna Spanish Falla, n rail
way station, ami four miles above the
crossroads where the man and women
stood p«'<*rlng through th«* darkness at
the InCoDlc signpost rv|x»M«d the vlt
Inge of St. Elisabeth. Hart's Tavern
wan on the road to St. Ellrabeth. and
the man, with barely a ghwtce ut bls
fellow traveler. Started briskly «iff In
that «llriM-tlon.
He knew that then«- wild mountain
storms moved swiftly; hln chance of
reaching the tavern ahead of the <lel-
nge was exceedingly slim. Hln long.
pow<*rful legs bad carried him twenty
or thirty paces before lie cunu* to a
sudden halt.
What of thin lone woman who trav
ersed the highway? Ills first glimpse
of her hnd been extremely casual—
Indeed, ho hnd j*nl«l no attention to
her at all. so eager wns h«» to r«*ad
th«* directions nnd be on hts way.
SI»* wns standing quit«« still In front
«if the signpost, peering up the road
toward Frogg'n Corner—confronted by
a steep climb that I«*«! Into black anti
sinister tlmberlanda nlaivi* th«« nnrrow
atrip of pnstur«* bordering the pike.
The Here«* wind pinned her skirts to
her slender body ns she lenn«*d against
the gnle. gripping her hat tightly
with one hnn«l nnd straining tinder tin«
weight of tli«« bag In th«* other. The
ends of a veil whipped furiously about
her head, and, even In th«* gathering
«larknees. he could m«e a st rand or two
of hair keeping them company.
Retracing his steps, h«« culled out to
her above the gnle:
“Can 1 be of any assistance to you?"
She turned «tulckly. II«* saw that
the veil wns drawn tightly over her
face.
“No, thank yon." she replied. Her
voice, desnlte a rortnln nervous note,
wns soft and clear nnd gentl«*— the
voice and speech of a well bred per
son who was young nnd resolute.
“Pardon tne, but have yon much far
ther to go? The storm will soon be
upon us. nnd surely y«m will not con
sider me presumptuous—I don't Ilk««
the Idcn of your being ennght out In—"
"What Is to be done about it?" she
Inquired, resignedly. “I must go on.
I can’t wait here, you know, to be
wash«*«! back to the place I started
from."
He smiled. She had wit as well ns
determination.
"If I enn bo of the least assistance
to you pray don't hesitate to command
me. 1 am a sort of tramp, you might
nay. nnd I travel iim well by night ns
I do by dny—so don’t feel that you ar«*
putting me to any Inconvenience. Are
you by nny chance bound for Hurt's
Tnvern? If so, I will he glad to Ing
behind nnd carry your bag."
"You are very good, but I nm not
bound for Hart's Tavern, wherever
that mny be. Thank you, Just the
same. You appear to be an uncom
monly genteel tramp, nnd It Isn't bo
on use I am afraid you might make off
with my llfclonglngs.” She added the
last by way of apology.
H<* smiled—nnd then frowned as ho
cast nn uneasy look nt the black
clouds now rolling ominously up over
th«* mountain ridge.
"By Jove, we’re going tn catch It
good and hard," ho exclaimed. “Hotter
take tny advice. Tlies«« storms arc ter
rible. I know, for I’ve encountered
half a dozen of them In the past week.
| They fulrly tear one to places. You
! are a stranger In these parts?"
“Yes. The railway station Is a few
I «nilas below here. I have walked all
. the way. There was no one to meet
«nr. You are a stranger also, no It la
useless to Inquire If you know whether
lila road leads to Green Fancy."
"Green Fancy? Hound** attractive.
‘ I'm aorry 1 can't enlighten you.” He
Its Drew a Small Electric Torch From
His Pocket and Directed Its Slander
Ray Upon the Sign Post.
< rew a small electric torch from hla
|s»cket and directed its slender ray
t pon the signpost.
“It Is on the road to Frogg’n Cor-
i er." she explained nervously. “A mile
i nd a half, so I nm b>ld. It Isn't on
the signpost. It Is a house, not a vll-
I ige. Thank you for your kindness.
And I am not at all frlghten«*d,” she
■ tided, raising her voice slightly.
“But you are," he cried. “You're
»cured half out of your wlta. You
< an't fool me. I’d be s<-ar««<l myself
it th«* thought of venturing into those
Voods up yonder."
“Well. then. I am frightened," she
r >nf«-KM*d plaintively. “Almost out of
toy boots.”
“That settles It." h«« said flatly. "You
shall not undertake It."
“<>h. but I must. I am expected. It
li Import—"
“If you are expected why didn't
tomcone meet you at the station?
! eema to tne—”
“Hark I Do yon hear—doesn’t that
sound Ilk«* an uutomobile—ah I" The
I onrse honk of an automobile horn
rose above th«* howling wind, nnd nn
Instant later two faint lights came
rushing toward them around a bend In
the mountain road. “Better late than
never," she cried, her voice vibrant
once more.
Tie grasped her arm and Jerked her
out of tlx* path of th«* ont'omlng ma
chine, whose driver was sending It
along at a mad rate, regardless of ruts
nnd stones nnd curves. The car ca
reened as It swung into the pike, skid
ded nlnrmlngly, and then the brakes
were jammed down. Attended by a
vast grinding of gears and wheels, the
rattling old car cam«« to a stop fifty
feet or mor«* beyond them.
“I’<1 sooner walk than take my
ehnnees In an nntedlluvlnn rattletrap
like that," said the tall wayfarer,
bending quite close to her ear. "It will
fall to pieces before you—"
lint she was running down the road
toward the car, calling out sharply to
th«* driver. He stooped over nnd took
up the traveling bug she had dropped
In her haste and excitement. It wits
heavy, amazingly heavy.
“I shouldn't like to carry thnt a mile
nnd it half," he said to himself.
The voice of the belattx] driver came
to his ears on the swift wind. It was
high-pitched and unmistakably apolo
getic. He could not hear what she
was saying to hlin, but there wasn't
much doubt na to the nature of her
remarks. She was roundly upbraiding
him.
Urged to action by thoughts of hla
own plight he hurried to her side and
raid:
“Excuse me, please. You droppe«!
something. Shall I put it up In front
or In th«* tonneau?"
Th«* whlmslcnl note In his voice
brought n quick, responsive laugh from
her lips.
“Thank you so much. I am fright
fully careless with my valuables.
Would you mind putting it In behind?
Thanks!" Her*tone altered complete
ly as she ordered the man to 'turn ,
the rar around—“And be quick about
It," she added
Th«* flrat drops of rain pelted down
from the now thoroughly black dome
above them, striking In the road,with
i the sharpness of pebbles.
“Lucky It's a limousine," said the
1 lull traveler. “Better hop In. We’ll
be getting It hard In a second or two.”
"You must let me take you on to the
Tavern In the car," she sal«l. “Turn
about Is fair play. I cannot allow you
to—”
“Never mind about me.” he brok«* In
cheerily. He had been wondering If
she would muke the offer. an«i he felt
better now that ah«- had Jone so. “I’m
accustomed to roughing IL I don't
udnd a soaking. I've had hundred of
'em."
“Just the same you shall not have
one tonight,” she announced firmly.
! "Get In behind.
I shall alt with the
i driver."
If anyone had told him that this
rattling, dilapidated automobile—ten
years old, at the very least, he would
li'ive sworn—was capable of covering
the mile In I«* mm than two mlnutra he
would have laughed In hla face. Al
most before h«* realize«! that they were
on the way up the straight, dark road
the lights In the windows of Hart's
Tavern came Into view. Once more
the bounding, swaying car came to a
stop under brakes, and he was relax
ing after the strain of -the moat hair«
raising ride he had ever experienced.
Not a word had been spoken dur
ing the trip. The front windows were
lowcr«*d. The driver—an old, hatchet-
fuced man—had uttered a single word
just before throwing In the clutch at
the crossr«>ads In response to the
young woman's crisp command to
drive to Hart's Tavern. That word
was utt«-red under his breath and it
i la not necessary to rejieat if here.
The wayfarer lost no time In climb
ing oTlt of the car. As he leuped to the
i ground and raised his green hat he took
k second look at the automobile—a look
of mingled wonder and respect.. It
waa an old-fashioned, high-powered
car, caimble, despite Its antiquity, of
astonishing epee«! In any sort of go
ing.
“For heaven's sake," he began,
shouting to her above the roar of the
wind and rain, “don't let him drive
like that over those—"
“You're getting wet," she cried ouL
u thrill In her voice. “Good night—
and thank you!"
“Look out!" rasped the unpleasant
driver, and In went the clutch. The
man in the rond jumped hustily to one
side as the car shot backward With a
Jerk, curved sharply, stopped for the
fraction of a second, and then bcunded
forwiyd again, beaded for the cross
roads.
“Thnnks 1" shouted the late passen
ger after the receding tall light, and
! dnsh«*d up the steps to the porch that
ran the full length of Hurt's Tavern.
A huge old-fashioned lantern hung
ubove the portal, creaking and strain
ing In the wind, dragging at its stout
supports and threatening every in
stant to break loos«* and go frolicking
¡■„way with the storm.
He lifted the latch nnd. being a tall
man, Involuntarily stooped as he
! passed through the door, a needless
precaution, for gaunt, gigantic moun
taineers had entered there before him
and without bending their arrogant
heads.
CHAPTER II.
The First Wayfarer Lays Hla Pack
Aside and Falla In With Friends
The little ball In which he found
himself wns the “office" through which
all men must pass who come as guests
to Hart's Tavern. A steep, angular
staircase took up one end of the room.
Set In beneath Its upper turn was the
counter over which the husln««ss of the
house wns transacted, nnd behind this
a man was engaged In the peaceful
occupation of smoking a corncob pipe.
At» open door to the right of the
stairwny gave entrance to a room from
which came the sound of n deep, sono
rous voice mployed In what turneil
out to be a conversational solo. To
the left another door led to what was
evidently the dining room. The glance
that the stranger sent In that direction
revealed two or three tables coveretl
with white cloths.
“Can you put me up for the night?"
he inquired, advancing to the counter.
“You look like a feller who'd want
a room with hath," drawled the man
behind the <*ounter, surveying the ap
plicant from head to foot. “Which we
ain't got,” he added.
'TH be satisfied to have a room with
a bed," said the other.
"Sign here," was the laconic re
sponse. ’
“Can I have supper?”
“Food for man and beast,” said the
other patiently. He slapped hts paltu
upon a cracked call bell and then
looked at the fresh name on the page.
"Thomas K. Barnes, New York," he
rend aloud. He eyed the newcomer
once more. "My name Is Jones—Put-
natn Jones. I run this place. My fa
ther ap’ grandfather run it hefore me.
Glnd to meet you. Mr. Bnrnes. We
used to have a hostler here name«l
Barnes. What’s your Hear fer footin'
it this time o' th«* year?"
"I do something like this every
spring. A month or six weeks of It
puts me In fine shape for a vacation
later on,” supplied Mr. Barnes whim
sically.
Mr. Jones allow««d a grin to stea'
over his seamed face. He relnsgrt<«<i
the corncob pipe and took a couple of
pulls at it.
“I never been to New York, but it
must b«> a heavenly place for a vaca
tion, If a feller c'n Judge by what some
of my present boarders have to say
about It. It's a sort Qf play actor's
puradlse, ain't it?”
turned legs. Would make a good no when some one spoke suddenly at Ma
bleman."
elbow. He whirl«««) and found himself
All this would app«*ar to be reason facing the gaunt landlord.
ably definite were It not for the note
“G«x«d imrd! You startled me." he
regarding the Ailor of hln hair. It exclaimed. Hl« gaze traveled paet the
leaves to me the simple task of com tall figure of Putnam Jonea and rested
pleting the very arliidrable description on that of a second man, who leaned,
of Mr. Barnes by announcing that with legs croeeed and arms folded,
Miss Tilly's hair waa an extremely against the porch post directly In front
dark brown.
of the entrance fo the house, his fea
Alao It la advisable to append the tures almost wholly concealed by the
following biographical Information: broad-brimmed slouch hat that came
Thomas Kingsbury Barnes, engineer, far down over his eyes. He. too. it
born In Montclair, N. J., Septtmiber seemed to Barnes, had sprung from
26. tWk>. Cornell and Beaux Arts, nowhere.
Paris. Son of the late Stephen 8.
“Fierce night,” said Putnam Jones,
Barnes, engineer, and Edith (Valen removing the corncob pipe from tils
tine) Barnes.
Office. Metropolitan lipa.
Then, as an afterthought,
building. New York city. BeaMence. “Where’d you walk from today?”
Amsterdam mansion. (Hubs: (Lack
*T slept in a farmhouse last night,
of apace prevents listing them here).
about fifteen miles south of tai* place,
Recreations, golf, tennis and homo-
I should say."
buck riding. Fellow of the Royal Geo
“That’d be a little ways out of
graphical society.
Member of the
East Cobb,” speculated Mr. Jones.
Loyal Legion and the Sons of the
“Five or six miles."
American Revolution.
“Goin’ over Into Canada?"
Addi-d to this, the mere annonn«*e*
"No. I shall turn west, I think, and
went that he waa in a position to In
strike for the Lake Champlain coun
dulge a fancy for long and ix-rhaps try.”
alml««ss walking tours through more
“I suppose you’ve traveled right
or less out-of-the-way »««rtlons of his smart In Europe?”
own country, to say nothing of excur
"Quite a bit. Mr. Jones.”
sions In Europe.
“Any partlc’iar part?”
He was rich. Perhaps not as riches
"No,” said Barnea, suddenly divin
are measure«! in th«*se Mldas-llke days, ing that he waa being “pumped." “One
but ri«-h beyond the demands of ava end to the other, you might say."
rice. His legacy had been an ample
“What about them countries «loam
one. The fact that he work«*d hard at
around Bulgaria and Roumanla? I've
his profession from one year's end to
been considerable Interested in what’s
the other—not excluding the six
going to become of them if Germany
devoted to mentally productive jaunts
gets licked. What do they get out of
—is proof sufficient that he was not
it, either way?"
content to subsist on the fruits of an
Bnrnes «pent the next ten minutes
other man’s enterprise. He was a
expatiating upon the future of the Bal
worker.
The first fortnight of a proposed kan states. Jones bad little to say.
six weeks* Jaunt through upper New He was Interested, and drank Ln all
the information that Barnes had to Im
England terminated when he laid
part. He puffed at his pipe, nodded
aside his heavy pack in the little bed
his head from time to time, and <M*ca-
room at Hart's Tavern.
Cockcrow
slonally put a I rad Ing question. And
would find him ready and eager to be
quite as abruptly as he Introduced the
gin hi» third »wk. At least so be
topic he changed it
thought. But, truth Is. be bad come
“Not many automobiles up here this
to his Journey’s end; he was not to
sling his pack for many a day to come. time o' the year," be suid. "I was
After setting the min«i of the lan<L a little surprised when you said a fel
lord at rest Burnes declined Mr. ler had given yon a lifL Where from?”
"The crossroads a mile down. He
Rushcroft’s invitation to "quaff" a <w-
dlal with him In the taproom, explain came from the direction of Frogg's
ing that he was exc»«ed!ngly tired and Corner and was on his way to meet
someone at Spanish Falls.
It ap-
i lntend«*d to retire early.
yrars that there was a misunderstand
Instead of going up to his room Im-
j m«*dlately, however, he decided to ing. The driver didn’t meet the train,
so the person he was going after
have a look at the weather. His un
easiness concerning the young woman walked all the way to the forks. We
happened upon each other there, Mr.
of the crossroads increased as be
i [x-ered at the wall of blackness lootn- Jones, and we studied the signpost to
' ing up beyond the circle of light She gether. She was bound for a place
was somwhere outside that sinister railed Green Fancy.”
“Did you say she?"
black wall and in the smothering
“Yes. I wns proposing to help her
grasp of those Invisible hills, but was
she living or dead? Had she reached out of her predicament when the be
her Journey's end safely? He tried to lated motor came racing down the
extract comfort from the confidence slope.”
“What for sort of looking lady was
she had expressed in the ability and
integrity of the old man who drove she?"
“She wore a veil.” said Baraes suc
with far greater recklessness than one
would have look«*d for in a wild and cinctly.
“Young?"
, Irresponsible youngster.
"I had that Impression. By the way,
He recalled with a thrill the imperi-
Mr. Jones, what and where la Green
. ous manner in whicdi she gave direc
Fancy Y'
tions to the man, and hts surprising
“Well,” began the landlord, lowering
servility. It suddenly occurred to him
his voice, “it’s about two mile and a
that she was no ordinary person; he
half from here, up the mountain. It’s
was rather amazed that he had not
a house and people live In it, same as
thought of It before.
any other house. That’s about all
Moreover, now that he thought of It,
there is to aay about it”
there was, even in the agreeable re
“Why is It culled Green Fancy?"
joinder* she had made to bis offerings,
“Because It’s a green house.” re
the faint suggestion of an accent that
plied Jones succinctly. “Green as a
should have struck him at the time
gourd. A man named Curtis built it
but did not for the obvious reason that
a couple o’ years ago and he had a
h<* was then not at all interested in
fool ld«e about paintin’ it green.
her. Her English was so perfect that
Might ha’ been a little crasy, for all
he had faU«*d to detect the almost Im
I know. Anyhow, after he got tt fin
perceptible foreign flavor that now
ished he settled down to live in IL
took definite form in his rellectlons.
and from that «lay to this he’s never
He trietl to place this accent Was
been otTn the place.”
it Fren« h or Italian or Spanish? Cer
“Isn’t tt possible that be isn’t there
tainly it was not German.
He took a few turns up nnd down at all?”
“He’s there, aU right. Every now
the long porch, stopping finally at the
upper end. The dear. Inspiring clang and then he has visitors—Just like
this woman today—and sometimes
they come down here for supper. They
don't hesitate to speak of Nm, so he
must be there. Miss Tilly has got the
idee that he is a recluse, if you know
what that is."
Further conversation was Inter
rupted by the irregular clatter of
horses’ hoofs on the macadam. Off
to the left a dull red glow of light
spread across the roadway and a
man’s voice called out. "Whoa, dang
ye!"
The door of the smithy had been
thrown open and someone was lead
ing forth freshly shod horses.
A moment later the horses—pranc
ing,
high-spirited
animals — their
bridle bits held by a strapping black
smith, came Into view. Barnes looked
tn the direction of the steps. The two
men had disappeared Instead of stop
ping directly in front of the steps the
smith led Ns chargee, quite a distance
beyond and Into the darkness.
Putnam Jones abruptly changed his
position. He Insinuated his long btxly
between Bnrnes and the doorway, at
the same time rather loudly proclaim
ing that the rain appeared to be over.
“Yes. sir." he repeat«*d. “she arenas
to, have let up altogether. Ought to
have a nice day tomorrow. Mr. Barnes
—Nee, cool day for walkin’."
Voices came up from the darkness.
Jones had not been able to cover them
with his own. Barnes caught two or
three sharp commands, rising above
of a hammer on an anvil fell sud the pawing of horses' hoofs, and then
denly upon hts «mrs. He looked at his a great clatter as the mounted horse
men rode off in the direction of the
watch. The hour was nine, certainly
crossroads.
nn unusual time for men to he at work
Barnes waited until they were muf
in a forge. He remembered two men
In the taproom who were bare-armed fled by distance and then turned to
and wore the shapeless leather aprons Jones with the laconic remark:
of the snfitthy.
"They seem to be foreigners^ Mr.
He had been standing there not Jones.”
Jones' manner became natural once
more than half a minute p«»ering in
the direction from whence came the more. He leaned against one of the
rhythmic bang of the anvil—ut no posts and, striking a match en Na leg,
relighted Ns pipe«
great distance, he waa convinced—
fll«*llo. Rushcroft,” he greeted, as If
meeting an old time nnd greatly be-
love«l friend. “This Is good. 'Pon
my soul y<m are like a thriving «late
palm In the middle of an endless des
ert. Ilow are you?”
They shook hands warmly. Mr. Dll-
llngford slappt-d the newcomer on the
shoulder affertlonately, familiarly, and
I
shouted:
"Who would have dreamed we’d run
across good old Barneay up here? By
Jove. It’s marvelous!"
“Friends, countrymen," bisimed Mr.
Itushcroft. “this Is Mr. Barnes of New
York. Not the man the book was
written about but one of the best fel
lows God ever put Into this llttl«* world
of ours. I do not recall your riumes,
gentlemen, or I would Introduce euch
of you separately and di visibly.”
Lyndon Rushcroft was a tall, saggy
man of fifty. Despite hln determine«!
erectness he was Inclined to sag from
th«« shoulders down. Hla head, huge
and gray, appeared to be much too
ponderous for his yielding body, and
y««t he carried it manfully, ««ven the
atrically. The lines In hla dark, sea-
soned face were like furrows; his nos«*
wns large and somewhat bulbous, his
mouth wide and grim. Thick. Nack
eyebrows shaded a pair of ey««s In
which white was no longer apparent—
It ha<! given way to a [«ermnnent red.
A two-days’ stubble covered hla chin
and cheeks. Altogether be was a sin
gular ««xempllficatloa of one's ld«*a of
the old-time actor.
Passing through the office, hla nrm
linked In one of Bam«*»', Mr. Rush
croft hesitated long enough to Imprraa
upon Landlord Jonra the Importance
of providing his “distinguished friend,
Robert W. Barnes." with the very best
that the establishment afforded. Put-
num Jon«*s blinked slightly and his
eyes sought the register as If to ac
cuse or Justify his memory. Then he
spat copiously Into the corner, a nec-
«•saary preliminary to a grin.
He
hadn’t much use for the great Lyndon
Rushcroft.
Ills grin wns sardonic.
Something told him that Mr. Itush
croft was about to be liberally fed.
CHAPTER III.
Mr. Rushcroft Dissolvsa, Mr. Jonea In
tervenes, and Two Men Ride Away.
Mr. Rushcroft ««xplalned that he had
had bls supper. In facL he went on
to confess, he had been compelle«!.
like the dog, to “speak’’ for It. What
could be more disgusting, more degrad
ing. he mournt-d, than the spectacle
of a man who had appeared in all of
the principal thenters of the land as
star and leading support to stars, set
tling for his supi>er by telling stories
and reciting poetry In the taproom
of a tavern?
"Still," he consented, when Mr.
Bnrtira Insisted that It would be a
kindness to him, “since you put It thnt
way, I dare nay I could do with a little
snack, as you so aptly put it. Just a
bite or two. What have you ready.
Miss Tilly r
Miss Tilly was a buxom female of
forty or thereabouts, with spi-ctacles.
She was one of a pair of sedentary
waitresses who had b«*en so long tn the
employ of Mr. Janes that he hated the
sight of them.
Mr. Ilushcroft’s conception of a bite
or two may have staggered Barnes
but it did not bewilder Miss Tilly. He
had four eggs with his ham, and
other things in proportion. He talked
a great deal, proving In that way that
it was a supper well worth speaking
for. Among other things he dilated
nt grent length upon his reasons for
not being a member of the Players or
th«« Lambs In New York city. It seems
that he hnd promised his dear, devoted
wife that he would never Join a club
of any description. Dear old girl, he
would as soon hnv«« cut off his right
hand as to br««ak any promise made
to her. H«* brushed something away
from hla eyes, nnd his chin, contract
ing, tremble«! slightly. “What is it,
Mr. Bacon? Any word from New
York?”
Mr. Bacon hovered near, perhaps
hungrily.
“Our genial host has Instructed me
to say to his latest guest thnt th«*
rates are two dollars a dny, in ad-
vtin«*e, all dining-room checks payable
on presentation.” said Mr. Bacon, apol
ogetically.
Rushcroft explod««d. “O scurvy In
sult," he boom«*d. “Confound his—”
The new guest wns amiable. He
Interrupted the outraged star. "Tell
Mr. Jones that I shall settle prompt
ly," he said with a smile.
"It has Just entered his bean thnt
yon mny be an actor, Mr. Banes," said
Bacon.
Miss Tilly, overhearing, drew a step
or two nearer. A sudden Interest in
Mr. Bnrnes developed. She had not
notlc«»d befor«* thnt he was an uncom
monly good-looking fellow. She al-
ways had said that she adored strong,
“athnletlc" fnces.
Later on she felt Inspired to Jot
down, for use no doubt In some future
literary production, a concij«’. though
general, description of the magnificent
Mr. Bnrnes. She utilized the back of
the bill of far«« nnd she wrote with
the feverish nrdor of one who drends
the loss of n first Impression. I here
with append her visual estitnnte of the
hero of this story:
"He wns a tall, shapely specimen
of mankind, "wrote Miss Tilly. “Broad-
shouldered. Smooth-shaved face. Pen
etrating gray eyes. Short, curly hair
about the color of mine.
Strong
hnnds of good shape. Face tnnned
considerable. Heavy dnrk eyebrows.
Good teeth, very white. Sqimre chin.
Lovely smile thut seem«*d to light up
the room for everybody within hear
ing. N«»se Idenl. Mouth same. Voice
Rrlstocratic nnd reverberating with
education.
Age about thirty or
thirty-one. Rich aa Croesus. Well-
(ContinueI Next Week )