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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1907)
- TITE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: FEBRUARY 10,' 1007. T FT TORYof tLeMSSING 3UIT LASE; lie jl Ry George Barton OCorrrUht IPC, by Oeorre Barton.) trn Mmitfttlnn ftnt! th future c A- I I reer of a promising young Amrrl- Sl I - tnlnmal Arvnil ttA juami the terioue disappearance of his suit case. The newspapers were full of It at the time; but none of them ever learned the Inside facta, and they are now presented ln their entirety for the first time. The Incident upon which the story bliures can be briefly summarised. Francis Lane, consul general to the Flora Islands, had been summoned from his post to appear at "Washington to answer charges of gross farorltlsm. If not corruption. In the man agement of his office. The charge had been made by the powerful Consolidated Cocoa nut company, and although Lane was abso lutely Innocent of wrongdoing the corpora tion had managed to make out a rery plausible case against him. By rare good fortue Lane got possession of a black-covered letter book belonging to a rival company which furnished a com plete vindication of bis official acts, lie packed It In his suit case with some per sonal belongings, and during the voyage over never let It out of his sight. He held the suit cane In his hand when the Capri corn reached Its dock. When the gang plank was lowered he hurried on to the wharf, and the first person to greet him was Helen Thomson, his fiancee. The sight Of her bright brown eyes and blushing cheeks threw the young diplomat Into an ecstacy of delight. Involuntarily he dropped the suit case and rushed over to greet the girl. The next minute he turned to pick up his valuable piece of property. It was gone had disappeared as completely as If the wharf had opened and swallowed It. Lane, frantic at his lose, hurried to the custom house and told his story to Barnes, the chief Inspector. When he had con cluded. Barnes set back In the revolvlnp chair In front of the flat top desk In his office and carefully scrutinised a fly that was slowly making Its way across the dec orated ceiling. From the Intensity of his glance It might be supposed that the fate of nations depended upon the certainty with which the Insert made its Journey. But al though Barnes' eyes were on the fly, his thoughts were elsewhere. It was simply one of the methods he employed to concen trate his mind and to regulate and quicken his mental processes. Presently the chief turned to Lane and said abruptly: "Might I ask what passed between you and Miss Thomson T" "It was purely personal." "But what was Itr The diplomat hesitated for a moment, then spoke unreservedly: . "She said John Buckingham, her guar dian, was opposed to my engagement with her. She said he was a very positive man. and I said I could be very positive, too her tongue for speaking so impulsively, and What do you want here?" Barnes pulled all of his mental faculties toother before reolvlng. He did not underestimate his task. It to be beaten by this man would not do with the for- no thing In the face to frighten him. The key to the man s po1 wa ln nl" nle expect us to operate In that way. H' pudgy hand Presently he pie expeoi u. i traditions of white the tone ws querulous the words, just a tribute we pay to the f ar,y the profession. . ,,,. "But the motive," said tne youn "uv . . "What An vrHt want mat curiously, "the motive m ,u"- "Assuredly. Oet the motive-! f yon can. In your case it seems self-evident. Mind you, I don't say It Is; but It seems self- Tki. nnrtmntton. which has felt the weight of your official hand, desires- to get even with you. Of course, they have shrewd representatives ln the Flora Islands, through whom they are Informed of the date of your sailing, the steamer you took and the fact that your valuable documen tary evtdenoe was lu your suit case. Through your gross carelessness the suit case Is stolen. Now, assuming that some one employed by the Consolidated Cocoanut company got the valuable bit of luggage, what do you suppose the person would do with It? Carry It to the office of the ware bouse of the company? Not at all. It would be taken as far away from these places as possible. Hence the futility of searching; about the premises of the com pany." While they were talking Clancy bustled Into the room with a suit case ln his hand. The moment the young diplomat saw ft he gave a shout of recognition and delight. He grabbed It end quickly laid it open, on a nearby table. , Everything In It seemed . Just the same as It had been when It was originally packed. Lane hurried through It with feverish haste. As he concluded his task his face fell. One article was missing. It was the little black bound letter book. Lane turned to Barnes, but the Chief, leaning back In his chair, wss engaged In his favorite recreation of watching the fly cross the celling. This calmness Irritated the young man. "The letter book Is missing,' he snapped. Barnes came out of his reverie. He looked at the speaker with a charitable smile. "Of course. It's missing. It was a ques tion ln my mind whether to send for the suit case at all. Bttll It contains your be longings, and frequently a new move, no matter how aimless, leads to the suspicion of a clue. But the fellow who has stolen the black letter book wanted to taunt you with the sight of your salt case. He must be a vindictive cuss. He " The speaker was Interrupted by a faint tap on the door. "Come In," he called. The door opened timidly and Helen Thomson entered. The half veil did not conceal the unwonted sparkle In her eyes, nor could It entirely hide the faet that she was blushing most charmingly. She gave a cry of delight at sight of Lane and exclaimed Involuntarily: "I thought I should find you here." The next moment she could have bitten languid interest until the chief told about the reception of the visiting card with "the tompllments of John Smith," and then, to his astonishment. Mr. John Buck ingham leaned back In his ehnlr and gave vent to a series of very loud and very dis agreeable churkles. Barnes hsd been standing all this time. Now he quietly slid Into a chair opposite Buckingham. He concluded his narrative by saying: "And that black letter book is still missing." tween them fefl on the flat desk. Barr.es felt instant confidence at these unmistakable manifestations. But he was fencing with a clever man, and a single mlsplay might spoil the game. He waited for Buckingham's response. There came that disagreeable chuckle again. The reply was almost languid m tone. "If you're quite through with this non torf I'll bid you good night" "Not quite. Bjr the way, you weir a to you with the compliment of John Smith?" "That's what I said." "Well, then. It seems to. me If such a bright person will condescend to take a bit of advice that what you want to do Is to get John Smith." "I have him." Tou bave!" "Where t" .And the voice was loud and commanding. The chief arose from his chair and walked where she was concerned. "Haven't you even a slight clue to the theft?" asked Barnes, musingly. Lane laughed Ironically. "One of the Inspectors said he saw a man leave the wharf with a suit case." "What was be like?" , "He didn't know, except that he had on a red cravat and wore a Inn r!n nat After a long- silence the chief said. In dulgently: "Come see me' this afternoon; there Is nothing you can do Just now." Once outside Lane started In the direc tion for the purpose of calling onr Miss Thomson. Arriving at the brown stone residence, he handed bis card to the grave faced butler. Presently that functionary returned with the reply that Mr. Buck ingham, as the guardian of Miss Thomson, was "aware of the fact that Mr. Lane was at present under a cloud, and in view of that fact would respectfully request that Mr. Lane discontinue his visits and ac quaintanceship with Mr. Buckingham's ward." The unexpectedness of this blow made Lane gasp for breath. He was Instantly filled with resentment against John Buck ingham. What right had that person to treat him In such a scurvy manner? He would return and have It out with him like a man. Sober second thought, how ever, convinced him that he was niftier a cloud and that a careful guardian had a perfect right to look after the Interests of his ward. Early ln the afternoon Lane returned to Barnes' office flourishing a letter. "I've Just received this ' at my hotel." he said, excitedly. "Possibly you can make something out of It; I can't." Barnes examined the letter carefully. The name and address were typewritten on a plain envelope, which was free from any other printed or written matter. The ntaxk of the canceling machine Indicated that It had been mailed at the main post office at o'clock the night before. In side the envolope waa a round brass check and a plain brlstol board visiting card The metal check was numbered and had the Imprint of the package room of the Grand Trunk Railroad station. The card had on It ln old Oothlo type these words COMPLIMENTS of JOHN SMITH. Barnes paid very little attention to the check, but looked so long and earnestly at. the bit of pasteboard that Clancy, his as sistant, who stood near by, waa moved to say, with some show of Impatience: "I don't suppose you'U get any Informa tion out of that silly card." "Who knows?" said Barnes, slowly shak ing his head and speaking mora to him self than to those In the room. "Why, that's not the name of any per son," persisted Clancy. determined to wave the thing aside. "That's only an ad vertisement." "Precisely." replied the chief In his care ful, measured tones. "That's what makes It valuable to me at this time. This brass check Is for Mr. Lane's suit ease. The thief Is returning ..It to him ln a spirit of bravado. As he was' about to snail It ho noticed this sample card lying on his desk. she hung her head, her face scarlet. Lane, overjoyed, but smarting from the treatment of the morning, replied: "I thought I'd find yon at home, too, but I was mistaken." "What do you mean?" she cried, partly recovering her self-possession. That I called on you and you refused to see me." She raised her veil and the. eyes flashed lira, " "I never refused to see you I never knew that you called I" "Oh," cried Lane, grasping her meaning Instantly. "Then my card was Inter cepted V Bhe nodded her head. The diplomat Involuntarily clenched his flat. The girl noted the movement and, lowering her voice, said: "He proposed to me this morning." Lane Jumped to her side as If he had been catapulted across the room. "What!" he shrieked. "That old man Buckingham "He's only eV Interjected Barnes. The Interruption dampened the yonng man's powder. He did not finish his de nunciation of the guardian. He turned to her with a query. "You you" he began. "I refused him. you silly goose," with a happy smile. , He felt like hugging her. He contented himself with fresh denunciations of Buck ingham. Barnes interrupted the verbal storm. "Give me forty-eight hours to my own devices." An hour later the chief began exploring the financial district. He spent ths re mainder of the afternoon there. The next day he took a cab and started out to visit the principal printing and engraving estab lishments of the city. At dusk he returned to his office and said to Clancy: "I want you to go out with me tonight I'm going to make a call on one of our prominent oltlsens. II. At S o'clock that night names and his faithful satellite hovered about the neigh borhood of a three-story brown stone house on the avenue. Having satisfied himself that a light waa burning In the library, the chief, followed by his assistant mounted' the steps of the ' house and pushed the electric button. The well trained butler who responded to ths call ushered them Into the reception hall and solemnly ac cepted the card which Barnes handed him. Giving the man tune to reach the top flight of stairs, the chief whlsperlngly di rected Clancy to remain where he was, while he swiftly and noiselessly followed the servant On reaching the landing he hard the murmur of voices in the library. There was a scraping sound as of a chair or bit of furniture being moved and all was silent again. Barnes did not hesitate. A handsome portiere covered the doorway leading to the room. The chief thrust It aside and stalked Into the library. The servant on his way out almost collided with the newcomer. Barnes murmured something Incoherent about thinking be waa expected to follow the man upstairs and in the momentary play of words man- rfA4wi; i mmmwh vvjjr-H, .i: - if - ' uvaser v- - : WTPt&J '-ttTLE23&b I f$im:;fe w , , tmmfM. mmm .flpppptii WIM 1 fcwisssjg isMsnssfcBlB um Tgsitgfrtrg. tj tm stsTsTSBlgiWi bibs ii mintHm I m lillsllBlllMlsssIt rl "sMfi m llff sgsTsT m IgMg-ils'i I bbs 1 1 tmmm m. sBWiBBBgsBsssl ssnsBsaBBSBMIIilslssM, gMss1isKsslsBBli I sal WsmuiMisssMsmmal. 5UDDENCrTHarATHAMD5 SHOT OUT AND THE STUBBY FINGERS CLOSED ABOUT THE NECK OF THE CUSTOMS OFFICIAL bidding; face and masterful hands. The chief adopted his most caressing tone. , He would spar for points first and later. If need bt reply with body blows. "I beg your pardon for this Intrusion, but I wanted to know if you would aid me in a little government Investigation in which I am engaged?" ' The blue orbs wandered' feebly In the direction of the card that was still clutched ln the strong hand. Again the words, short, sharp and crisp: "You're in the wrong shop; I know noth ing of customs." "But let me tell you my story." Without waiting for his assent . Barnes went on and rehearsed the theft of the suit case down to the minutest detail. All the time he watched the face of the man before him. It betrayed merely a The unwilling host yawned openly to signify that the interview was becoming wearying. Barnes showed no ennui. He leaned across the table, and, lowering his voice to make It more Impressive, said: "Burklnham, I want you to give me Frank Lane's letter book!" The chief waited anxiously for the effect of his words, but the flabby face opposite him was a perfect mask. Those stupid eyes had a look of blind innocence. The curl of the lip was unchanging. But the hands! Barnes could have shouted for Joy. Ills startling request scarcely came from his lips when Buckinham's left hand twitched convulsively and the card he was holding fluttered to the floor. At the same instant the stubby Angers on the other hand became nerveless and the pen' be- very becoming red cravat." The upper lip curled. "There are ten thousand men ln this town wearing red cravats." "You are still a stockholder ln the Con solidated Cocoanut company." "No news ln that to me." "But you tried to keep It secret." "Did I?" "Yes, and you made the corporation file the charges against young Lane. It cost me three hours of my time to And this out yesterday." "Indeed!" "Yes, indeed!" snapped Barnes, In danger of losing his temper. I The cynical smile about the other man's mouth deepened. "You say this this suit case was returned quickly to the other aide of the desk. Be clapped his right hand on the other man's shoulder. "Here!" he shouted. "You are John The astonishment thst accompanied this exclamation could not be mistaken. "Yes." repeated Barnes, "I have." Smith!" Buckingham's hands unloosed themselves and hung limply by his side. Ills face showrd no emotion. When he spoke it was with less energy than before. . "You seem positive." "Sure; you have betrayed yourself by your sense of humor." Buckingham's stare was a simulation of Innocence. "When you decided to send the suit case back you made a mistake," said .the chief. iiiiyiiiHisii Building a City Indoor amusement for children: When it Is cold and rainy and the little ones are tired cf playing nursery games let them try their, hands at building a city. Ye?, building a CITT. Now, don t look incredulous, for it can be done, and ln one day, too. Supply yourself with all the empty pasteboard boxes you can find about the tu-ue, a pair of scissors that your mother has thrown out of her work basket (they'll do to cut pasteboard and paper,) a tube of library paste, your box of water colors snd a svft leadpencll. Then set to work. The architectural designs should be first My First Pants By Ernest Arundel, age t years, loul North Twenty-first street Omaha, Neb. I want to belong to the Busy Bees. So I want you to all know about the first time I ever wore pants. One day when I was about t years old. my mamma, papa and 1 i?' k' t,b171.t!y ".T'l" ag4 to take a mental photograph of the young men at the hotel and they1 wanted to play a Joke pn my papa, so they got " twar, umrrvm apartment, plainly courageous, so he enclosed the card with the check, and there you are," "But" said Con. blankly. "If jrou got the suit ease, the mystery will be solved." The chief chuckled. "Possibly. In the meantime, Clancy, take this check, and see what them gtv yeu for It at the Grand Trunk waiting room." While they waited for the return of the fleetfooted one. Barnes cleared up soma sf the loose threads of hla Investigation. A man who had been sent to "spot" the of ficials and employes of ths Consolidated Coooanut company reported that be had been unable to establish aay connection between the corporation and the missing suit ease. Another subordinate said he had dlsaovered some men who wore long striped ulsters, and others who had on red cravats, but was unable to find any one with both ulsters and cravats answering that description. "Almost absurd to send these men out," said Barnes to Lans as he dismissed the detectives. "Ton might as well tell 'em ,ts go find the ml slng link. But furnished. In ths center of the far end. before a flat top deck, sat a squat looking, smooth faced man, who did not appear to bo either younc or old. Hs had expression less blue eyas, which stared steadily at Barnes without betraying the slightest emotion. His large, bald head was covaied with ths merest frtng of faded brown hair. A broad flat nose Indicated surliness of dis position, and a mouth curled In a saroaatle smile suggested cunning. His doubts chin sank In the folds of a whits collar and grased the nap of a silk cravat He held the chiefs card In ona fat little hand, while ths stubby, blunt fingers of ths other grasped a pen with ths Intensity with which ots visually clutches a weapon at ths opening of a battle. This waa John Buckingham, retired bust teas man, stock market manipulator and guardian of Miss Helen Thomson. Hs never moved those lustreless eyes from his .unabashed visitor. Barnes bore ths vacant stars with equanimity. There the landlady to let them have her little boy's pants and they put them on me, also the coat and vest. Whsn they . saw my papa coming up the road they sent me to meet him. Now, when my papa walks along the street be alwsys thinks hard and doean't see anyone. He lan into me and of course I cried snd lay on the sidewalk until he stooped down to pick me up, for he thought he had hurt someone else's little boy, and you don't know how surprised hs was to find it was his own He carried me back to the hotel. I asked luy mamma to put my dress on again, for I thought It was t!)a 'ants that knocked me down. A Trip to Bayfield, Wis. By Mildred Cane. Age 10 Years, Council Bluffs. Ia. I was ln Bayfield for two weeks last summer. Bayfield ia on Lake Superior. I saw rafts of floating logs held together by booms, whioh ara logs fastened together la a chain, These logs are fastened by a long rope to tugs, which pull them. Men with long hooks and big, heavy boots with long nails on the bottom, walk out over the rafts and float the logs to the chain which pulls them up into the sawmill. There they are sawed Into boards of dif ferent sizes. These boards are put on lit tle cars on tracks, drawn by a horse, to the boat, where they are loaded to ship away I saw a boat one day which was said to be over 3U feet long. One nice, bright day we went out on the water In a large boat called the Barker, a fishing boat, to the farthest Island out on the open lake. This Island waa called Devil's island. It ha9 a natural dock of red stone, which Is as level as a floor, where the boat lands. There is a fog horn on this island which ia blown by machinery every twenty soconds on a foggy day, and can be heard fir miles around. There Is also a lighthouse there. We picked blueberries, which grow wild there. There is an Indian reservation Just above Bayfield, which e visited one day. This Is called BMcliff. Conundrums When are needles like garments? When threadbare. When are manuscripts like disconsolate lovers? When rejected. Why does an ill-fitting dress resemble a pug dog's face? Because it Is full of wrinkles. !' J ' i" -w 7iv B BE 03 y UJ PASTEBOARD HOUSES. drawn on scrap paper, then following them on the pasteboard box sdrs, cutting out carefully and putting together with thin paper and paste. All doors and windows must be cut and completed before Joining the four sides of a building. Ths roof goes on last After the pasts has dried thoroughly becin tinting with the water colors. Some of the buildings should be made to rcnemble bricks, stones, boards and shingWs may be brought Into shape with the leadpencll. A large table in the center of the room will answer for the city's site. If the builders do not like a level site, they may have as many hills as desired by laying small pillows about the table and cover ing with a bed rpread. smoothing It over the ups and dewns made by the pillows to give a good surface on which to place the houses. A public square may be laid out with the public buildings, such as stores, a church, a courthouse, a schoolhouse and a public library, grouped about It Ar range the residences along streets open ing into the public square. On account of the uncertainty of the "pillow ground," It would be more satisfactory to kep the table surface flat and hard for the city site, then there will be no danger, from a careless little hand or arm resting against the hillsides to tumble the bouses Into the hollows below. An tllustrstlnn, accompanies which will give an idea of a pasteboard city that was "bullded by little hands." MARY GRAHAM. Hidden Name Puzzle Each of the following proverbs contains a one-syllable word, the initial letters of said words If written In the order In which they come will spell the nsme of a once great man. Judge not. lest ye be Judged. If you would find life worth the living, earn your dally bread. Look for truth and beauty and you will surely find them. A friend In need Is a friend Indeed. Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow ye die. The fool will risk his hard-earned money on games of chance. Sing from your heart and the angels will hark to the melody. Go over the hllls-nnt round them If you would see the1 world beautiful. Do not put off till tomorrow that which should be dons today. "And when you put ths visiting card In the envelops with ths baggage check you sealed your own fate. Any man of ordi nary discernment could see that It was a specimen of card and type sent out by an engraving and printing house. The only traits required to trace It were Industry and Infinite patience, and I flatter myself that I have both. I visited the establish ments of sixteen printers today. Some had type like this and some had cards like this; but not until I struck the sixteenth man did t find the combination of card and type. He reed II y recognised it as one of a number of samples he had sent out during the week. He had a list Ct ten persons to whom the samples were mailed. When I saw yotir name among the number I didn't bother with the others." , "Very clever," said Buckingham, with the characteristic curl of the Up. "But there is nothing about It to show that I have this this wonderful, letter book." "Oh. you have the book all right," chuckled the chief. , "Well," with a sudden burst of anger, "even If I had you don't suppose I'd be tool enough to keep It on the premises, do you?" During this unexpected show of feeling Barnes' eager eyes had been searching the apartment. Finally they rested on sevi eral rows of shelves, tilled with books, by the side of the flat top desk. A little three-step footstool, such as are found ln libraries, was' on the floor next to the shelves. At the sound of Buckingham's voice died out, the chief took a hurried stride and walked up the three steps of the stool. Before his companlen realized what he was doing, he reached up to the fifth shelf" and from between two volumes of Macaulay's essays pulled out a thin, black, official looking document It was Frank Lane's letter book. "Yes," said the chief triumphantly, an swering Buckingham's query. "You wers fool enough to keep It on the premises. For a normally shrewd man you have com mitted all kinds of blunders. Why, you even directed me to the hiding place of this litUe book." The expressionless eyes gave no sign of Intelligence. . Barnes continued: "You were looking at the book when I came In the house. You might have de stroyed It and possibly ruined this young man; but the same fatuity which Induced you to send back the suit case and to enclose the visiting card also prompted you to hold on to this book and to gloat over the mere possession of It. When your servant came upstairs I followed him, and I heard the scraping sound of the footstool when it was moved next to the hook case In order to permit you to con ceal this valuable bit of property on the top shelf. The more haste the less speed. I have eyes, and when I came in the room I used 'em, and It didn't require any won derful amount of brains to know that a shabbily bound book of this kind waa out of place between two aristocratic looking copies of Lord Macaulay." Buckingham dropped his eyes. He was nearlng the end of his rope. He looked up presently with the air of a man nbout to plead for mercy. But those eloquent hands told a different story. They twitched nervously, opening and closing repeatedly. Barnes was standing by the side of the footstool. Buckingham approached him with an air of great humility. Suddenly the fat hands shot out and the stubby Angers closed about the neck of the cus toms official. Just when Barnes was be coming purple In the face the villain gavs him a shove and threw him, head first, over the footstool, where he lay all In a heap on the floor. Buckingham grabbed his hat and hurried down the stairway, two steps at a time. In the hallway he met with an unexpected obstruction. Something glistened ominously In the dim light, and something cold, touching the tip of his nose, sent a shiver down his spinal column. The ever faithful Clancy was bark of the shining barrel, and when hs spoke It was through his closed teeth: - "If you dare to move I'll shoot, and If I do you'll bo sorry!" There was a convincing earnestness about these words. While Buckingham was thinking them over Barnes, deeply morti fied at having been caught unawares, slipped downstairs snd deftly fastened a pair of handcuffs upon ths wrists of his late antagonist. ' It did not take Jong to prove the guilt of Mr. John Buckingham. When he flrst prompted the charges of the Consolidated company against Lane he was actuated solely by business motives; but when he discovered that the young consul general was engaged to his ward his aim became vindictive as well as mercenary. He had gone to the wharf to get a clandestine look at the man who was his personal and business rival. He noticed the Jealousy with which Lane guarded hla suit case, shrewdly uessed Its contents, snd when the young man rushed over to greet Helen, Buckingham, on the spur of the moment conceived the idea of stealing the bag. It was a bold act, but he waa a bold man and succeeded. He Jumped Into a waiting cab, and for want of a better direction ordered the 'man to drive to the Grand Trunk rail way station. On the way there be broke the lock of the suit case and abstracted the letter book. Strapping the bag up again he deposited It in the package room of the station. His first idea on reaching home was to destroy the book, but he became deeply Interested in the letters snd thus, fatally for himself, postponed Its destruction. Ths possession of the brass check suggested some sport at the expense of his victim. Hs put it in a typed envelope and, Just as Barnes had surmised, noting . the John Smith visiting card on his desk, slipped that in the envelope also. Buckingham's arr. et proved to be a for tunate thing for Helen Thomson In mors ways than one. ,Whlle publicly pretending to lead the life of a retired merchant, he was secretly a confirmed stock market gambler. He became heavily Involved, and ln order to tids himself over a crisis began to use the money he held In trust for the girl. His proposal of marriage had been made to Helen purely for the purpose of covering up his financial transactions. Ths failure to ruin young Lane and his own detection uncovered all of his other delin quencies. The guardianship, foolishly ar ranged by her father with a man he had only known In a business way. was termin ated Just In time to save the remainder of Helen's little fortune. Three weeks later, while Barnes sat In his office Indulging In day dreams, the doorway was darkened by a very attrac tive young woman and s stylishly dressed young man. "Let me speak to him." said the girl, two pink spots glowing on her smooth cheeks. "No, Helen," protested the young man, laughingly. "I think I should do It." Barnes greeted his visitors warmly and then raised his hand to command silence. He spoke like a man who has made a momentoua decision. "You needn't speak. I know what you'rs going to sar. I haven't done It for forty years, but I'll make an exception 1n this ease. I'll promise to dance at your wed ding." And hs did.