Show i I WALLOWED k l 13 BY 5 a AFI qU L SY se RIDGWAY COM OAK Continued from yesterday That all right then Bristow dropped the subject his mind had turned in another direction SpeakIng Speak ing of Kelsey Keisey though I think I can canOso use Oso him lIe He picked out a letter from among those he had read and tossed tosse it across the desk esk to 10 her It was a request from a well known magazine magazine maga maga- zine sine for a series of or popular articles covering modern methods of oC dealIng dealIng dealing deal- deal I Ing with the insane and named a handsome figure as payment That is worth considering ho I said not only for or Its advertising value but because It gives elves me a aI prestige a cachet of high authority I ty that It is wise to cultivate lb Ho lIe scowled Id lId rather be foe hung than tackle It It means no end of oC research consulting the authorities taking reams of notes and then on top of oC it all the work of writing Not for me I had Just about de decided decided decided de- de to write and refuse when I happened to think of Kelsey But Kelsey woul wouldn't nt take tako the tho I job Anita cried impatiently He wouldn't help you ou out that much He hates you like poison polson Of OC course COuse he hates me Bristow Bristow Bristow Bris- Bris tow returned equably and hed he'd die before hed he'd do me a favor or But Its It's bound to strike him that the position I tion would offer opportunities He might happen on something In Incriminating incriminating incriminating in- in criminating that would serve to corroborate corroborate cor cor- I his story Hed He'd think of the chances to communicate with the tho great outside How does the alderman f feel fel el about the way things are going she asked Interestedly I saw aw him when he got In this thI afternoon but it was only for a moment an and we didn't have a chance to talk lies lie's looking better for tor his trip Oh yes granted and hes he's pleased very well pleased In Indeed indeed indeed in- in deed with the way say everything's been handled Why shouldn't he be lIe He lIew w wants to sed us both at past half 9 for tor a con conference terence he glanced at his watch so you'd better look In OJ ou Oh sister now and then go on up to his rooms She slowly drew herself up from her chair and then stood waiting submissive and yet hotly Impe Impe- rious I Youve Youe forgotten something Yes What lIe He looked ai as If K Khe he had not an Idea what she meant but over his face tace was a glimmer of what at that moment she would woul have heartily agreed with KelsE Kelsey Y was his maddenIng smile smil Ah I Isee Isee Isee see a kiss He repaired his omission omission omission omis omis- sion but lightly She threw her arms about his neck and pressed her cheek to his Run now He lie gave her a little push The alderman hates to be l kept ept waiting you know Damn you youl she said through her shut teeth the angry fire In ner her eyes drying her starting tears And then with head thrown up she walked out of oC the room Bristow loft by another door to hunt up his assistant and give him instructions As he finished and turned to go so he paused If It Im I'm needed for tor anything Important important im Im- Im Doctor he said find me up In Alderman HIggIns HIggIns' Hardly had he passed he-passed passed out and gone his way before the door o opened ne again and Kelsey strolled In There was no other companionship companion companion- ship for either of oC them for Morton was an odd mousy little man who left the hospital but rarely even when off duty He had accepted the superintendents superintendent's superintend superIntend- ent's diagnosis of oC Kelsey's condition implicitly but tut since Kelsey's me medical medi ical i- i cal personality was congenital he was willing to Ignore any other phases he might be harboring But on this especial evening Kelsey Kelsey Kelsey Kel Kel- sey was seeking Mortons Morton's company for something more than so so- so That morning the girl who had so attracted his Interest had managed to hold another brief brier conversation with him and In It had asked him a question on which she seemed to lay considerable stress Unable to answer It himself himself himself him him- self he he- had promised to secure the Information she wanted and he planned to glean It from Morton if he could only succeed In weanIng the little man from his abstract theories and speculations long enough h to indulge in a morsel of gossip In the two or three days following following follow follow- ing that talk of oC theirs under the shadows of ot the old beech tree Kalsey Kelsey Kel- Kel sey had been careful not to ap approach approach approach ap- ap the tho girl again alain lIe He knew the girl was acting but the way she held her pose never re relaxing relaxing relaxing re- re for a moment Into the normal roused him to wonder and admiration for her courage and strength of or will and the pathos of or that courage stirred his heart Revolving the riddle as he mused on the e porch In the h sunshine s his ran rane ce edo glance strayed from o under n hi his down iown drawn hat brim to where she sat the ever present elder sister knitting be beside beside beside be- be side her How alike the two were and yet et how d different ft A Anita beautiful f in a away way nay but to him repellant a I a woman o a pursuing the course of her perverse unscrupulous will wm Verna breathed a different air About her was the atmosphere of one reared in ease and freedom an and beau beau- ty Sho She had all the simplicity of ot good breeding Anitas Anita's veneer was specious WhIle he pursued the puzzle never getting any nearer to a solution a big luxurious limousine turned in In at the gates and drew up before the entrance en en- trance A ponderous bent old man emerged carefully assisted by his valet alet Someone Important It was without a doubt for BrIstow camo came down Clown the tho steps to meet mE-et him with Jo jovIal jovial jo- jo vial camaraderie There was as an amount of luggage which was hastily unloaded and carried upstairs The new arrival gave some directions to his valet alet and his chauffeur then preceded preceded D Into the house as If perfectly familiar with the place place lie He stopped at the head of ot the steps I though to speak to Anita Copley wh who I had ad hurried forward with smiling al alI almost al- al I I most sycophantic deference and Kelsey Kel Kel- I sey got a fair view of him So Alderman Higgins ins has come back Kelsey heard the comment of someone behind him Wonderful I I how he holds hold on MIss Hiss Copley Cople had followed the old I man and Bristow Into the house and andI andI I with her r presence removed he looked I about for the girl She had risen from I I her ner chair and was standing at the I far end of the porch Avoiding an appearance of haste ne he moved down the tha porch and paused near her leaning on the railing while he lighted e a a Who Is sa t the old man that Just II He lie wondered a came he asked aked of or urgency In her er little at the note voice over so Immaterial a jatter matter atter I heard some someone someone I Alderman Higgins I Ione one say say he ha told her That Is allI all I I She know drew In her breath Quickly a as ashe ashe I he mentioned the name It seemed to confirm a conjecture on her ner part pan and carr carry considerable sl significance nce Find out all nIl you can about him she ba bade e hurriedly and j let me e know Twill said But why I will KelsEY Dont stop to talk now We haven't time She will l be right back I With her usual languid uncertain step she move moved away toward her ner chair and Kelsey returned to theother theother the theother other end of ot the porch perplexed to understand the meaning of or her rEquest re request request rE re- quest vet et rejoicing that she should have called upon him for a service CHAPTER XII The house physician when Kelsey dropped Into his office that evening happened happened to be In a voluble mood A medical Journal lay upon his desk In which he had Just been reading an article that one of his pet theories and he seized upon the theop op op opportunity opportunity to refute the fallacy citing authorities and giving his reasons at length while he puffed indignantly at athi athis hi his old black pipe hii Kelsey was pleased to find that he fie could genuinely concur In the little littleman's mans man's views and by his advice and with his assistance a letter was composed composed com corn posed to the publication which they were convinced left the offending aUthor author author au aU- au- au thor not a no leg to stand on So delighted was Morton with the vigor of tho the rejoinder and so grateful grate grate- ful that he expanded into unaccustomed unaccustomed tomed tamed Kelsey Keisey took quick advantage of the propitious moment moments to strike who By the o a way In Indifferently was the old rooster that arrived this morning in such euch state Morton looked at him in surprise Why U you ou know Or sure enough you didn't come here until after hed he'd left for Bermuda That my son Is ex Alderman William Vl Higgins Mean Wean to say sav you n h never ver heard of ot Hobo Bill Well Vell as Kelsey shook his head a ae half dozen years r ago he used e to 0 be a power e Oj in nN New York t about 10 the h s same type I guess as some of ot your jour our picturesquely picturesquely pic plc- named politicians out in Chicago lIe He started out in life as a aI tramp they say but somehow to I managed to edge Into politics and cleaned up big worth anywhere from seven to ten millions ml I guess He stays here when hes he's not off on one of his periodical trips Funny old codger i 1 should say so Kelsey agreed Its the first time I I ever heard of a aman aman aman man voluntarily making an Insane asylum his hla headquarters Oh hes he's no bug Halt Half blind bUnd pretty pretty pretty pret pret- ty well wen broken down physically but mentally keen e enough s shrewd d devilish devil V nh jd te gt h ish shrewd let me teh tell you And as asto asto to his being here why he had some nervous affection you see used to togo togo togo go on fierce sprees and all that and Bristow got him Into shape They're like brothers So Kelsey was mildly interested I saw the two of them out together tha this afternoon in Bristow's new Rolls- Rolls Royce Morton orton filled his hia pipe pP and looked over It at Kelsey with a a. humorous contemplative smile and a a. wag of his head Yes some car Ive I've seen the days when Bristow had to hoof It all ali the way to the station If It he wanted anted to get Into town Times rimes have changed eh Kelsey was stretched out In his chair Not always ays so prosperous Not always Mortons Morton's remInIscent reminiscent reminiscent cent smile still lingered When I first came here seven years ago things were so far ar from prosperous that we never know from one week to another whether we could keep going or not Then all of a sudden we vo were on easy street BrIstow began legan putting all ali sorts of improvements on the place buying more land throwing out new wings installing modern appliances appliances appliances ap ap- ap- ap refurnishing redecorating splurging on cars turning himself out like the lilies of the the- field and making the old dump one of the priced highest-priced refuges for fashionable nuts In the whole East Rash I Found the burled buried treasure under the old mill what Kelsey yawned slightly Morton chuckled Where the the money came from I never knew mouthed close-mouthed and It would I take a bolder man than I am to question ques ques- I tion him tion-him him about his affairs You see he explained all this happened after Hobo Bill came Into our lives and Ive I've always believed I that he gave the tip that was responsible sible aible for our rise to greatness The bell ben of ot the telephone Jingled and Morton interrupted himself t to the call I Yes Doctor he said then reI as he turned round eyes ward Ye es Yes he heg be Doctor After Arter a moment he hethe huni the receiver Sl SlIts Its Bristow he said he j to see eee you ou in his office right at ag any 3 Kelsey flung flunK himself out of ot tons ton's room and down the hall hail t this to In ii his anticipated wigging S Sleek and shining Bristow j lou lot on the hearth rug looking looking- do lIoW the clear flame of a wood birch The upstairs from front wh he had Just come had left him in 1 best of humor and he felt relt 1 mu inh moo mood to play playa a cat and mouse g i with Kelsey whom he regarded I lamentably lacking in fint finesse a. a Ah I K isey he said pleasant taking a chair himself and hospitably toward another one t and anti have down a He lie push nosh across the table a humidor contain various bran brands s in the different cor co Kelsey stiffly declined chair and the This cordiality made him wary Dr Br tows tow's smiling geniality was pr against the t f Rather late he said i but I I IS anxious for a little talk with you about yourself He lie was grave r i but kindl kindly Although I may my hi ha j. j seemed to neglect you you h have ve re real been very much In my mind inin speak frankly your present lour mann r- r life is not gOO good for you vou It leaves too much time to brood i vt p lifted the letter i the magazine offer from the tab taM tab taMand and getting up handed it J i to I younger man Continued tomorrow |