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THE r.EF: OMAHA, Sl'NPAY. MARCH lf2.
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77? WANTED MAN fty Harris Dickson
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THE STORY TUl'S FAR
,' appoint titles of Ik .Marm&in,
f 1 in Jtmtitpi. are run tur f astntet,
y liennuigton, ou ned by M'h Keif
meth Stark, and Marmion, ouned by Otn.
Hub t.laiton. Their ounert box a long
been at feud; first ihrra wat a political
quarrel, tlien a littler lautuU inrr
boundary, and then a duel, fallowing
uhtrh Cm, Clapton fled to Salamanca,
I aim America, uuh hit young tun, Stuart.
At the Hry opens, Stuart hat returned to
the old horn and it being huntetl by de
tectirru When I' ml Sat, Anj. Stark't
attd senitor, tells of tha drtntivet, Jar.
ha a, Mtj. Stark't beautiful diiutbler, and
her cretda guest, Mrs, I lorian Hastily, ba
coma strangely tutted. It d'-velopt tha
full bait been keeping a fr) "h
uootls uuh e mynrruiut harteman, uho
it in Una with Barbara. I'arbnra hat
given him Mrt. Razilly't name MWuuIe
at her awn. Adelaide tellt hoso the
Solomancon consul hat vitiled her husband
on f myttertout mUtion. I aria iai t it
it t Marmion hnua to uarn Stuart of the
dtteclivet, but bacomrt offended when a
dollar it tliroun at him, and declares tha
young man is not Stuurt. Tha girls go to
tha lona oak In meet the myteriout
horteman and find I'ncla A'al napping ba
tula a log. II reveal to the in hit tut
puivns, Stuart arrivet, announces hit iden
tity to llarbara, and ankt her to beeoma
hit uia. I'iqued at hit apparent impos
ture, Harbara rebuffs him.
"L
FOl'KTH INSTALLMENT.
The Lie.
ISTEN, Adelaide. I am not free to
tell you everything. My name U
Stuart Clayton. That In my planta
tion across the lake! Father took
me away from hero whan I was a child.
I live at El Jucare, Republic of Salaman
ca. Central America and must hurry
back within the next day or two. Hut I'll
return to Mississippi If you'll marry raeT"
" What an Inducement! "
Will you marry me?"
" I? Marry youT It never entered my
Bead."
"Of course, It hasn't, dour. Hut I must
put It into your head, for there's nothing
else in mine. You'd believe that If you only
knew how dangerous it is for me to tell you
that I'm Stuart Clayton, and going back to
Salamanca."
" Dangerous? Why bo?" Barbara thought
Instantly of constables with the nippers, and
ached for him to tell her the whole truth.
" Because," he answered, simply, " certain
people are trying to learn what I have Just
told you. You have the right to know who
I am and what I am. Now, will you marry
me?" (
" What kind of a girl do you take me for?"
Barbara had failed to stop him with petty
evasions, and now retreated behind another
subterfuge. " Do you think I'm to be picked
tip, accidentally, by the first man I happen
to meet in the woods?"
" I know what kind of a girl you are. And
II) was no accident, but destiny, which
brought me here to look at this lone oak
that father used to speak of as our original
boundary."
" It was not the boundary! " Barbara
prang up with belligerent heat, glad to start
an argument which offered a little time to
collect herself. '
" This oak never was our boundary," she
hotly denied. "The court decided that our
line runs to the burnt cypress, half a mile
farther down the lake."
" Your line?" And even before he asked
the question Barbara felt herself floundering
In deep water.
"No, no!" she corrected, "I didn't mean
that. I mean the Bennington boundary.
This land belongs to Miss Barbara Stark.
She told me all about the lawsuit There!
I hope you are satisfied."
" I've never been dissatisfied," he answered,
with a quiet smile. "Boundaries mean
nothing to me now. Are you visiting Miss
Stark?"
" I didn't say I was."
" Well," a slight shrug, " suppose we also
waive that point."
Then the woman within her foresaw what
was coming, and Barbara knew the utter
futility of trying to prevent. Inexorably he
started again at the place where she had
broken in upon him.
" It was not an accident which led me to
this oak. Three times since you have met
me here of your own accord. Was that
ehance?"
" No," she laughed, " that was just silly."
" Silly?" he repeated, and flushed.
If Barbara Stark had been a man she
might not have dared to bait this other man
who looked so resolute. But from the sud
den reddening of his cheek she thought that
ridicule would prove a more effective weapon
of defense.
" Of course it was silly," she taunted hira
again, " and not a bit of sport."
Barbara felt that she now had the game
in her own hands, and was smilingly invul
nerable as he took one quick step forward
and demanded:
" Did you come here to play with me?"
" O dear, no. I had nothing else to do, and
Imagined it might be fun." Nonchalantly she
began drawing on her gauntlet and started
to leave; but he stood squarely in her path.
"Gcod-by," she said, with the slightest
quiver of indecision, for she was testing him
to see what she meant.
"You are not going." There was no un
certainty in his tone. "You shall not go
without hearing what I came here to say.
If you are visiting Miss Stark, it will be Im
possible for me to follow you there."
Although many inches shorter than he,
Barbara straightened up until she seemed
every bit as tall, and announced, " I am
' going."
Then they both heard a voice, the guarded,
half raised voice of Mrs. Razilla calling out,
" Adelaide, dear, we'd better be moving soon.
I think the men are coming in."
Barbara nodded at Clayton, as if Indorsed
by the call of her friend, to whom she an
swered, "I'm ready right now."
But Clayton stepped directly in front and
barred the way as he spoke.
" No, stay here, just a moment If I were
free Ti -wall for years. But I cannot wait."
"Nobody asked you to wait."
" That's why I shall tell you now. I want
you to marry me, when I come back from
Salamanca if I'm lucky in getting away."
' "Then you may not "
The half question, the anxious glance be
trayed her. Before she realized it, before she
could step beyond his reach, he was holding
her close, very close, closer than Barbara
Stark had ever been to any man. As if she
were tossed Into a stormy sea, the girl felt
herself fighting, fighting and losing with a
sense of triumph at being lost.
" Let me go! Let me go! " Both her bands
llllltlllllllllllllllltllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllMlllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
( astounded Florian to find a man at hit very elbow.
weere beating against his breast, struggling
to push him away. But he was strong, and
he exulted in his strength. " This is shame
ful!" Barbara whispered.
"No, It's glorious, glorious! You will go
with me now. I can find a way." The in
toxication of new mown hay was in his nos
trils, and the madness of possession thrilled
his soul.
His intensity overpowered Barbara, the will
to resist was gone. His lips wero drawing
nearer, dizzily nearer to her own. Her
senses swam at their touch. She had played
with fire and it was scorching her; the hot
blood throbbed in her throat and ran tingling
through every vein.
"O, please, please," she begged. Barbara
was begging now.
" No, 111 hold you forever. You are mine."
Then terror came, and again the frantic
beating of her hands against his breast. She
would say anything, do anything, lie, cheat,
steal, just to get loose. Her brain staggered,
and out of frenzy she spoke at random.
" O you don't know what you're doing.
I'm married! "
"You? Married?" His arms dropped as
he stepped back.
It seemed an age that they confronted each
other, an age of bewildered silence, during
which he stared at her, trying to understand
and trying to repent. Comprehend he could
not, neither could he repent.
" I never dreamed that you were mar
ried." That was all he said.
Barbara said nothing at all. It was not
the character of Barbara to temporize with
a He. The major hated lies and so did she
except old Nat's, which were ingenious and
delightful.
She winced before Clayton, abashed, and
hanging her head for shame. She had lied
because she was afraid, she who had never
known a falsehood or a fear. Barbara felt
his eyes fastened upon her as if they
searched into the depths of her cowardice
and deception. It galled her to imagine his
contempt, she, the upstanding Miss Stark,
whose pride it waa to be self-reliant and
frank as any man. What could he be think
ing of her? O, yes that she was humiliated,
like any fool of a married woman who made
a slip.- That's what he thought; of course he
did. She dared not raise her eyes; such a
man would despise her if he knew she feared
him, and could only take care of herself by
hiding behind a craven lie.
But suppose she told the truth? .What
might he not do? No matter. She deserved 1C
"I icOI look up! I toiH tell him!" She
nerved herself again and again before the
strength came. Miss Stark's face had gone
utterly white when, with clenched hands and
steady lips, her resolute chin arose. Brave
enough she met his eye, but her tongue
stumbled as she tried to say:
"I I I cannot leave here without
There she stuck fast.
" Without what? " he Inquired very gently.
"Without telling you "
Along the road beyond the greenery there
came a scurry of hoofs as two horses burst
through the canebrake, and, terror stricken,
Mrs. Raxilly flung the bridle of the gray to
Barbara.
"O, Bar " she caught herself "O,
Adelaide! Adelaide! Quick! Florian is here."
In presence of the panicky wife Barbara
could not confess. A man might understand
for men always pardon the follies com
mitted on their account but another woman
would laugh, especially one whom Barbara
had jibed for being bullied by a husband.
" Hurry! Hurry! I'm so frightened! " The
Creole trembled while her horse went dancing
on all fours, and Barbara's gray began to
prance. She had no time to set herself
straight, no time for anything except to
mount and ride. Mrs. Kazilly was already
crashing through the cane ,when Barbara
sprang upon the log, leaped into her saddle,
and followed.
"I must tell you something," she waved
back and called to Clayton. Then she was
gone.
Barbara's gray horse reared and dashed ofi
behind Mrs. Razilly on the black, while Clay
ton stood immovable with eyes fixed upon a
closing gap in the gfeenway through which
the two had disappeared. Not until their
hoofbeats had almost died away did he rouse
himself to follow her, step by step, and me
chanically as if he had not yet collected all
his faculties.1 He pushed through the dense
growth and saw their horses speeding across
the fields on a course which held the cane
brake between themselves and Lake Mar
mion, for Mrs. Razilly was anxious to avoid
detection. Again and again the woman on
the black glanced over her shoulder, then
raced the faster. But the other never turned
her head, not even as she plunged into the
farther woods and vanished.
No disaster could bo more complete. Many
times, in his rough life among the Sala
manca mountains, Clayton had seemed just
on the point of grasping his heart's desire,
only to find himself fettered to a rock whilst
his dream slipped through his fingers. Three
times he had staked his last penny and his
last ounce of energy upon some hazardous
game and lost, irretrievably lost then
buckled his belt the tighter and smiled upon
a world which still invited him to conquest
But here was a loss which forbade all efforts
to retrieve.
For one moment the old combative gleam
flashed into Clayton's eyes as he considered
his swifter sorrel. He darted to the oak and
was reaching for his bridle when he checked
himself. No, he could never pursue the wife
of another man.
His dream was ended and the book was
closed. Yet she had called back to him that
there might be something more. What could
she mean? Nothing that really mattered.
Nothing mattered now except the dishonor
of seeking her. At that he smiled. Honor or
shame, hers had been no unwilling kiss, nor
the cold, dead touch that gave him no re
sponse. Their souls had mingled at the meet
ing of their lips, and in that moment of mad
ness she had been completely his.
The woman had been won and lost, leaving
him more utterly alone than Clayton had
ever felt In the isolated arroyas of Central
America. Even there he could find comrades
who filled his needs, for there he craved no
other. But here, almost upon the acre where
he was born, the universe seemed stripped of
human companionship and peopled only by
his dreams. Around him lay the silence, and
he resented a sound which marred it, a pad
dle rasping against a boat Somebody was
coming.
It fretted Clayton to be disturbed, but there
were powerful reasons why he must not be
taken unawares. So he parted the cane be
hind him and watched a man who stepped
ashore and stooped to draw his boat a little
higher up the bank. The stranger might be
a secret service operative, and desirable to
avoid. But this now seemed impossible, for
the sorrel stood openly beneath the oak, and
must be soon discovered. Besides this, Clay
ton had ridden from home unarmed, and was
helpless unless he got close enough to grap
ple with the other if he drew. Keeping hid.
Clayton scrutinized the newcomer, and
caught his visible start as he straightened
up to gaze sharply at the sorrel, then to look
around as if searching for somebody.
Plainly he was not a planter of the neigh
borhood. His dress seemed that of a city
sport correct fishing togs and white cork
helmet. Now Clayton recognized him for the
third fisherman who had come with Major
Stark and Dr. Humphreys. At this Clayton
also gave a start,, and experienced the same
unrest that the other man displayed. Per
haps this might be "Florian," of whom the
black horse lady had shown such terror.
And if he were In fact the husband of Ade
laide, Clayton could not fight with him;
neither could he suffer himself to be killed
when so much depended upon his escape.
With the casual air of a gentleman who
strolls for pleasure, Mr. Florian Razilly ap
proached the sorrel. It was not a Benning
ton horse, which absolved Mrs. Razilly. But
Florian saw only one horse, while he had
distinctly heard the tramping of several.
Were they going or coming? And where
was the sorrel's rider? Then it disquieted
Mr. Razilly to imagine that while he in
spected the sorrel, the sorrel's rider might
also be inspecting him and Clayton observed
Razilly's quick little jerk of his head when
this notion struck him.
Then Razilly turned, and had he been more
of a woodsman he need not have looked
twice for a break in the shrubbery through
which horses and men, and women, too, had
recently passed. Not ten feet away the wary
Clayton eyed him, so as to keep within arm's
reach whenever Razilly broke into the open.
The Creole plunged through the thicket,
shielding his face from the scratching of
briars, and when he emerged beside the
plantation rood it astounded him to find a
man at his very elbow.
"O!" he exclaimed, and his tone ac
quitted him of being a detective, for
secret service agents take things coolly as
they come. He tried to steady himself,
but could not conceal his excitement when
face to face with Stuart Clayton. The gov
ernment was searching fpur states for this
man, and he, Florian Razilly, bad located
him young, tall, Spanish looking, mustache
and goatee, and the dress? It fitted the
description and could be no other. To effect
a capture Razilly must now dissimulate
and throw the fugitive off guard. So he
forced a smile and said: " I beg your par
don, sir, but I expected some friends to
ride this way."
" I am not acquainted with your friends,"
the other man replied, almost touching
Razlily'a shoulder and moving nearer as the
Creole edged away.
"14 I not hmr poral" lUstily n'U
an btn4 Inquiry,
uibly, thm mymlt."
Tm U-IU-a?" JUllly trtH again. " Wno
r lhay.l -
"I do nut knu " Clayton spoke the
truth. eri4 with uvta finality as dUrourM4
quMtluns.
"KWtfv ni. I was ml'io," Rastlly
poiiciv4 pmruMly, "1 I a thousand
Union fur my intrusion," Tho he bowt
tilmsotr away Bn4 blundered backar4a
lUruugh the uni i
A frw nacotiit after Mr. KlorUn ruallty
lil tumbled Into till boat and ahovad (iff,
Clayton hurried to the Uke front and aaw
him Mddlinf hard In the direction of the
ether (Uharmen, a itiatatam whkh FkNrtan
adopt! for fear of alarming the fugitive,
llm run survelm admirably, for wbin
lh cr4 glade was all hie own again Clay
Ion for.i hi nervous visitor and Uined
against the gnat oak to braid over wliat had
happened, rive minutes ago be waa living,
planning, human, virile. It Beemed strange
how completely a man may die, yet remain
live. Tomorrow through thouaandi of va
cant tomorrowt h would never ride to thii
glade, never hitch his sorrel to that limb,
never sit again brilde her on their log. The
glade, the limb, the log would still be hrre.
yet the woman would come no more. Que r
ly enough, bis most Intangible and prUU nt
memory w-.a of new mown bay, which munt
forever link luoif with that delirious In
ttant when he had crushed her to him. The
woman' bodily prewnce had departed while
the Imponderable aura ot her soul yet lin
gered and abided.
Not fifty feet away another man came
sneaking toward the gUtde. Like an In
qulsitlve alligator Uncle Nat's dugout poked
Us black snout from the willows and headed
for the landing. Sut Uncle Nat wasn't
studying about new mown hay, nor pestering
hi head over Imponderable auras. He was
hot and tired, and grumbling at the white
folks who kept butting In to wake him up.
If he badnt been so grouchy Nat would never
have got tangled in the brushwood and made
such a splash.
Instantly alert, Clayton drew his sorrel out
of sight and watched from behind the Lone
Oak until he aaw a pair of white eyes rolling
this way and that, for wl!y old Nat did not
propose to go blindfolded Into another am
buscade. Nothing threatened him from the
lake. So Nat figured that everybody was
gone. The sun had dropped a bit; it was
even shadier and cooler in the glade, and
Nat felt powerful sleepy.
M Now, dun," be muttered as he regained
the log, "reckin I kin have some peace."
Then he stuck up both ears like a fright
cned rabbit, squatted and stared, for a hollow
voice spoke unto him, saying:
" No peace for old Nat"
"Who who who dat?"
The Negro whirled and started to run,
when Clayton stepped from behind the oak
and came forward, laughing.
"Don't run. Uncle Nat," he called. "I
want to talk with you."
"Talk wid me? Meanln' me?" Casting
one scared glance behind him, he wondered
if he could reach his dugout. He did not
crave a second Interview with this man
whom he had been denouncing as poor white
trash, common M pig tracks. But when he
glanced back at the other's face Nat saw
something which he had never noticed while
on the porch at Marmion. He hesitated, un
certain and bewildered, eying the man who
moved towards him, and held out a hand with
the hearty greeting: "Shake, Uncle Nat,
shake! How's my good old friend?"
"Fine, Mister Stuart, fine." Nat's voice
trembled as he wiped both palms on the seat
of his breeches. He shook hands, first one
then the other, then both, grinning and say
ing: "Lordee, Mister Stuart Lordee! I sho is
tickled to see you."
" Yes, Uncle Nat," Clayton continued, with
the same laugh of little Mister Stuart; so it
did not surprise Nat to hear him say, " Gee!
this feels like old times. Lemme ride in your
dugout? Lemme ride? "
" Sholy, Mister Stuart; come 'long, come
'long. No." Nat darted to the water's edge
and glanced at the fishermen. "No, you
bptter not start from major's side. Ride
roun' on yo' own side de lake, den I'll cross
over an' pick you up."
" Not this trip, old friend." The grown-up
boy shook his head with a sad kind of smile
that Uncle Nat had never seen before. Long
and curiously the Negro gazed upon him, up
and down, from the wide brimmed hat to the
leggings, finally coming back to consider the
tiny black mustache. These personal addi
tions were new, but the smile and the eyes,
they were the same.
"Mister Stuart," he spoke in a haze of
bewilderment " Mister Stuart, you sho is
got me bumfoozled. One time I claim dls
ain't you; den agin I say dis is you."
" Well," Clayton demanded with a chuckle
that left no lingering doubt " What do you
claim now? "
"Hit's just like dis, Mister Stuart; over
yonder at de big house I didn't take no real
good look; an' I say to myse'f, jesso, 'Nat
dat nacherly can't be little Mister Stuart
But now," after a most critical dissection,
" now dis is you, cause you favors yo' pa
more'n you favors yo' own sef."
" Like my father, ami!"
"Egzactly, Mister Stuart, egzactly. You's
Jes de breathin' image o' yo' pa. Pears like I -kin
shet my eyes right now an hear de ole
gen'l talkin'."
Having made absolutely sure ot his man,
Nat scouted to the edge of the lake and re
connoltered the approaching boats, which
came on slowly, but were still far enough
away to give him time. Then he hurried
back and said:
"Lisaen, Mister Stuart llssen. I laid off
to tell you dls news when you fust come out
on de gallery; but I plumb forgot 'cause you
was so busy, an' lef, in seen a rush. Now
lissen good. Jes alter dinner two white men
come pas' our house in a automobile an'
'quired 'bout you mighty p'ticular."
" Who were they? "
"Dunno, sun, strangers to me, an' ack
like folks from up norf."
"What did they want?"
" Dey was cravln' to see you, suh; powerful
sot on seoin' you. Claimed dey was friends o'
your'n. I p'tnted 'em de big road to Mar
mion, but dat didn't suit Peered like nothin'
wouldn't pacify dem white folks cept fer me
to come on ahead an' fin out ef you was to
, home."
As Clayton listened he knew precisely
what sort of men they were, not from any
description given by the Negro, but from hit
general manner In alluding to them, especial
ly the dubiousness with which he regarded
their boast of friendship.
" Dey claimed to be pals o your'n I think
dey said pals ' aa' wanted to drap In."
"To pull pit a surprUe thirty?"
KgiarUy. suit, MUfUy. An' kteh yoei
unbeknownst. Mm try was o'a oe
fflrntta,"
- Xrm, jea - From the quk-t way In whkh
Mr. tiluart received It. Nat f-erat that his
Uie hod f4lin It', and Inquired, " Ixn yoa
o poet in' Vinf
" Yra." Clayton admlttrd. I rathrr l.k4
f'-r a vUit from the gontry."
"Suttlnly. auttlnly. Kf dey'g romln ta
vUnt you, dy mmr" be all right" Which was
worth prtviiMily twenty dollara to Nat, "
I Ji aa writ go back an kite 'em de nwa;
an' ttll 'rm jrou'i tonkin' frr 'vm."
Jufit ai wnll." Claytun muttered al-wntly.
It waa many a King yr strife Uncle Na
tlmnM Hiark had rot the ehan to In-"
up hi tongue with Utile MUtcr Stuart Clay
Ion. Now It wagged like the bell Clapper oa
a frolicsome calf, going over avery drtall ot
In interview with t'oxyjaw and fatf"
hut kt-pt raufllKd concerning the live dollara
already collected, and twenty more that waa
due him. Yet he toid of his engagement la
ou et .them under the magnolia with a tip aa
to the whereabouts of their wanted man.
Clayton listened attentively, but not with
llml earn rnpt absorption which the child
had alwaye given to Uncle Nat accounts of
Hrer I'miautn a adventurea. f Dmetlmea Clay
ton didn't 'm to hear, and the Negro n
tlced thai he was kinder wool gathering, even
before Mr. Stuart Interrupted bun.
" No. Uncle Nat Walt, wait I cant be
annoyed by those officers until I get some
thing else off my mind. Then you may tail
them that I am here."
" SutUnly, suh, enmctly." With the Ytaloa
cif twenty dollars dangling before blm, Nat's
eyes grew luminous. " Dere's jes one mo
thing. Mister Stuart I s'plcloned dem mea
at fut an lowed dey mought be comln ta
'rest some nigger off yo' place, 'cause I seen
a pulr of nippers In da car."
"Nippers? Tea, naturally."
Kven this suggestion did not seem to rtk
Mr. Stuart It appeared like he quit think,
lng about nippers right away, for a wholly
different expression flickered Into his eyes ai
be motioned Nat to a seat beside hlra on the
log and asked:
"Uncle Nat did you happen to see two
ladles out riding this afternoon? "
" No, suh, never saw none, excualn' deta
two what Iff our house."
" One on a gray horse and one on a black? "
be questioned briefly,
"Yas, auh. Dat black's de major's Glen
coe. out o' Sassy Bess, by Lawd Bennington.
He's a pow'ful high stepper. An' do gray "
"Never mind the horses. Did you know
the ladies?"
" Bleegcd to know 'cm, suh, when I waits
on dem ladies ev'y day. One of 'cm Is Miss
Barbara Stark, de major's daughter. Don't
you 'member when she was a teeny little
chile, an' you come over dere one time,
an' "
"But the othor lady, the other?"
" She's Miss Adelaide "
"Miss Adelaide?" Clayton bounded op
from the log and blood went rushing through
his veins again. He felt the strength return
to his arms. Old Nat also felt the power of
bis arm when Clayton grappled both his
shoulders and repeated. " Did you say Miss
Adelaide ' ? '
During his long absence from the States
Clayton had forgot that household Negroea
usually address a matron by her christian
name. Old Nat had forgot nothing; neither
could he remember anything while Mister
Stuart kept shaking him so rapid. Nat's
teeth knocked together like castanets as he
looked up and answered:
"Miss Adelaide leastwise dat's what aha
calls her own se'f."
"Then she's a young lady?"
' Not so pow'ful ole; her an' Miss Barbara'g
nigh 'bout de same age."
" But she she's not married?
"O, yas, suh. 'Cose she got a h unban',
uh, an' by rights I oughter call her Mrs.
Razzle. But dat name comes so onhandy."
" Mrs. Razzle? "
" Yas, suh, dat's her husban' in de white
hat what lef dis landin' jes befo' I come.
Dey's stay in' at our house."
" Razzle? Razzle? " Clayton repeated.
"Yas, suh. Sho Is a funny name?"
"Very funny."
But there was no hilarity in Clayton's at
titude as he sank again upon the log and ap
peared to be studying so hard that old Nat
dared not speak another word. Presently,
and without glancing up, he inquired:
" Uncle Nat, you will see those ladles when
you go home? "
" Shoiy, suh; dey'll be settln' right dere on
our gallery."
After a long silence and much pondering
Mr. Stuart seemed to get his head sot, then
turned and asked:
" Will you do something for me? "
"Do somethin' fer you? Lordee, Mister
Stuart, it's already did."
" I thought I could rely on you Just to
carry a note,"
" Dere, now! " Old Nat laughed and slapped
his thigh. "Ain't dat yo' pa' all over agin.
In his sparkln' days? When de gen'l was
young he used to be all de time sayin', ' Nat
I wants you to tote a note.' I was de chief
note toter fer yo' pa an' Major Stark whilst
dey was co'tin' de ladles. Dey coted plenty
ladies. Huh! I knowed enuff to hang 'em
bofe."
His good old days were coming back, and
Nat gabbled on delightedly while Clayton
searched his pockets for paper and found
nothing except an envelope. The sound of
nearer voices floated across the water, so
Clayton stepped to the bank where he saw
two boats apparently headed for this landing. .
" Uncle Nat" he pointed, " are they coming
in here?"
"No, suh; Mister Razzle's flxln' to go
home."
" Razzle? Razzle? " Clayton kept trying to
remember. " Uncle Nat, what is that name? "
"Jes Razzle, nigh as I kin git it Mister
Flory Razzle, what runs a bank in NTaw
leens." " Oh!" Clayton exclaimed. " Razilly? Fto
rian Razilly?"
" Yas, suh. Dat's how devmajor speaks it"
This gave Clayton something else to con
sider. The banking firm of Gaumont A Ra
zilly were financial agents for the Dictator of
Salamanca. Razilly's awkward presence
might not be a mere coincidence, which made
it all the more imperative for Clayton to es
cape this night This complicated the mat
ter, but did not change his decision to see
Adelaide.
" Uncle Nat," he urged, " get your dugout
ready to travel."
"Ready, suh; all steamed up."
Hastily splitting open the envelope, Clay
ton began to write on the Inside, and no sea
soned veteran of Intrigue would have set
down such words In black and white.
(ContlnunJ Nut Sunday.
Copyright: im.
wOJ
