OCR Text |
Show Brown oKiLDMeni MEREDITH mCU0&Mm 5 SYNOPSIS. Thomas Ardmoro. bored millionaire, and Ilonry Maine OHhwoUI. profossor In the University of VlrKlnlo. tako trains out of Atlanta, Qrlswold to hla colleg". Ardmoro In pursuit of n girl who had winked nt lilm. Mistaken for Gov. OS-borno OS-borno of South Carolina, Orlswold's life In threatened. He rocs to Columbia to wnrn the governor nnd meets Barbara Osborne. Ho remains to assist her In the nbsenco of her father. CHAPTER III. Continued. "You understand, of course, that this discussion Is painful to me, extremely ex-tremely painful. And yet, so much has been published about my sister's domestic do-mestic affairs " "Exactly, Mr. Ardmore. What we want 1b to print your side of tho story." "Well, the fact Is but pleaso never mention It the fact Is that his grnco owes me four dollars. I gave It to him In two bills I remember the Incident In-cident perfectly two crisp new bills t had Just got at the bank. His grnco borrowed the money to pay a cabman It was tho very day before he married mar-ried my sister." Tho reporter stared a moment, then laughed. He abandoned tho Idea of getting mnterlnl for a sensational ar-tlclo ar-tlclo and scented thq possibilities of a character sketch of the whimsical young millionaire. "If you don't mind saying whore you are going, Mr. Ardmoro?" "I'd tell you in a minute, only 1 haven't fully decided yet; but I shall probably tako the Sambo Flyer at 9:13, If you don't mako mo lose It." Ardmoro looked the roporter over carefully as they shook hands. He was an attractive young fellow, alert and good humored, and Ardmoro liked him, ns, In his shy way, he really liked almost every one who seemed to be n human being. "I'll tell you what I'll do with you. If you'll forget this rot wo'vo been talking and come up to Ardsley as soon ns I get homo, I'll see If I can't keep you amusod for a couple of weeks. What did you say your name Is? Collins, Frank Collins? I nover forget anything, so don't disappoint me." The young man laughed outright. "I'll remember; I really believe you moan for me to come." "Of course I do. It'B all settled; make It next weok. Good-by!" Ardmore ate his dinner oblivious of tho fact that people at the neighboring neighbor-ing tnblo turned to look at him. He finally waved away his plate and called for cofteo, and atthat moment n middlo-nged man appeared at the door, scanned the room for a moment and then threaded his way among the tables to Ardmore. "1 heard you were here and thought I'd look you up. How are you, Ardy?" "Very well, thnnk you, Mr., Hillings Havo you dined? Sorry; which way aro you heading?" The new-comer had tho bearing of a gentleman used to consideration. Ho was, indeed, the secretary of the Hronx Loan and Trust Compnny, whose business was chiefly the administration admin-istration of the Ardmore estate, and Ardmore knew him very well. "I'm looking for a man, and I'm not good nt the business. I've lost him nnd I don't understand It, I don't understand un-derstand It," nnd tho secretary seemed to be half-musing to himself as he sat down and rested his arms on tho table. "You might give me the Job. I'm Following u slight clew myself Just at present." The secretary, who had no great )pln!on of Ardmoro's mental capacity, stared at the young man vncantly. Then it occurred to htm that possibly Ardmoro might be of service. "Have you been at Ardsley recont-y?" recont-y?" bo asked. "Left there only n rew days ago." "You haven't seen your governor utoiy, have you?" "My govornor?" Ardmore stared jlnnkly. "Why, Mr. Hillings, don't you emember that father's dead?" "I don't mean your father, Ardy," eplled Hillings with the exaggerated :nro of one who deals with extreme ttupidlty. "I menn the govornor of s'orth Carolina one of the American itates. Ardsley Is still In North Carolina, Caro-lina, Isn't It?" "Oh, yes; of course. Hut bless your loul, I don't know the governor. Why ihottld ono7" "I don't know why, Ardy; but people peo-ple somotlmes do know governors and find it useful." "I'm not In politics any more, Mr. Billings. What's this person's nnmo?" "Dangerfleld. Don't you over read die newspapers?" demanded the sec--I'tnry. striving to control hla inner mo. f "No ; I quit rending nowapapera after aft-er the -noble duke of Hnllywlnklo didn't break the bank at Monto Carlo that last time." "You mustn't be so thin-skinned. You pay tho penalty of belonging to one of the wealthiest families In America," and Hillings' tono was paternal. pa-ternal. "So I've heard, but I'm not so terribly ter-ribly proud of It. What about this governor?" "That's what troubles mo what of the govornor?" Hillings dropped hta voice so that no one but Ardmore could hear. "He's missing disappeared.'' disap-peared.'' "That's the first Interesting thing I ever heard of a governor doing," said Ardmore. "Tell mo4 more." "He's had a row with the governor of South Carolina at New Orleans. I wns to have met him here on an important im-portant matter of business this afternoon, after-noon, but he's cleared out and nobody knows what's become of htm. His duughtor, even, who was In New Orleans Or-leans with him, doesn't know where ho Is." "Ah! the daughter! She remain's behind to guard his retreat." "The datw;hter Is still hero. She's a peppery little piece," and Hillings looked guardedly around the room. "That's she, alone over there In the corner the girl with tho white feath- "It's a Present for Gov'nor Dangerfleld. He'll Understand." er In her hat who's Just signing her check. There she's getting up!" Ardmore gazed across tho room Intently, In-tently, then suddenly a slight smile played about his Hps. To gain the door tho girl must pass by his table, and he scrutinized her closely as she drew near and passed. She was a little lit-tle girl, and her light fluffy hair swopt out from under a small blue hat In a shell-like curve, and the short skirt of her tallor-mado gown robbed her, It seemed, of years to which tho calendar cal-endar might entitle her. "She gave mo tho steadiest oyo I ever looked Into when I asked her where her father had gono," remarked Hillings grimly ns the girl passed. "She said Bhe thought he'd gono fishing fish-ing for whnlcs." "So she's Miss Dangerfleld, Is she?" asked Ardmore Indifferently; and ho rose, leaving on tho plate, by a sudden sud-den Impulse of good fooling toward tli j world, exactly double tho generous gener-ous Up ho hnd Intended giving. Hillings Hill-ings was glad to be rid of Ardmoro and they parted In tho hotel lobby without wnsto of words. Ardmoro's' effects had beon brought down and were already plied on a carriage at tho door. In his pocket was hla passage to Now Orleans and a stateroom ticket. At tho cashier's desk Miss Dangerfleld paid hor bill, Just ahead of htrq. "if any telegrams como for my father fa-ther plen.se forward thom to Halolgh," said tho girl. The manager came out personally to show her to hor enr-rlagc, enr-rlagc, and having shut tho door upon her, he wished Ardmore, who stood discreetly by, a snfo Journey. "Off for Now Orleans, are you, Mr. Ardmoro?" asked tho manager courteously. courte-ously. "No," said Ardmoro, "I'm going to Raleigh to look at tho tall buildings," whereat tho manager roturncd to hla duties, grnvoly shaking His head. At tho station Ardmoro caught eight of Miss Dangcrflold, attended by two porters, hurrying toward tho Tar Hcol express. He bought a ticket to Raleigh, nnd secured tho Inst available avail-able berth from tho conductor on tho platform at tho moment of departure. Ardmoro did not like to be hurried, nnd thus sudden change of plans hnd been almost too much for htm, but ho wns consoled by tho reflection thnt after all theso yoara of waiting for Just such an ndvonture ho had proved himself equnl to an emergency that required quick thought nnd swift action. ac-tion. Ho hnd not only found tho girl with tho plnyful eye, but ho had learned her Identity without, ns It were, turning over his hnnd. Tho stateroom door stood open, and from his sent nt tho farther end of tho car Ardmore caught n fleeting glimpse of Miss Dangcrflold as she throw off her Jacket and hat; thon she summoned the porter, glvo htm her tickets, bade him a smiling good night nnd tho door closed upon hor. Ardmoro went back to smoko and plan his future movements. For tho first time In his life ho faced to-morrow with eager anticipations, resolved that nothing should thwart his high resolves, though these, to bo suro, were somewhat hazy. Ho did not know why Hillings was so anxious to And Miss Dangorflcld's father, but as between a man of Billings' purely commercial com-mercial Instincts and tho governor, of a great stato like 'North Carolina Ardmoro Ard-moro resolved to stnnd by the Dangor-' Dangor-' fields to the cna of tho chapter. Ho was proud to remember his estate at Ardsrey, which was in Gov. Danger-field's Danger-field's Jurisdiction, and hnd beon visited vis-ited by the game warden, tho state forester, and various other members of the governor's official household, though Ardmop could not remember their names. He had novor In his llfo visited Raleigh, but far down some dim vista of memory ho saw Sir Walter Wal-ter covering a mud-puddle with his cloak for Queen EHznboth. Ardmore smoked many pIpeB nnd did not turn in until nftor midnight. Tho car was hot and stuffy and ho slept badly. At somo hour of tho morning, being again awako and restless, rest-less, ho fished his dressing-gown and slippers out of his bag and wont out on the rear plntform. His was tho last car, and ho found n camp-stool and crouched down upon It In a corner cor-ner of the vestibule and stared out Into tho dark. Tho hum and click of tho rails soothed htm nnd ho yielded himself to pleasant reveries. Ardmoro wns half-dozing when tho train stopped so abruptly that ho was pitched from tho camp-stool Into a corner of tho entry. Ho got himself together and leaned out Into tho cool moist air. Tho porter enrao out nndfstarod, for n gentleman In a blue silk wrappor who sat up all night In a vestlbulo was now to his experience. "What placo Is this, porter?" "Klldare, sab. This placo Is wha' wo go from South C'llna tnto N'otfa C'llnn. Ain't yo' bo'th comfor'blo "Perfoctly; thank you." Klldare was n familiar name, and tho station, thnt lay at tho outskirts of the town, and a long grim barracks iil llko building that he identified as a cotton mill, recalled tho fact that he was not far from his own amplo acres which lay off somewhere to westward. Ho had occasionally takon this route from tho north In going to Ardsloy, riding or driving from Klldnro about ten mtlos to hla house. In this way ho waB onnblcd to go or como without ?t appearing at all in the little village ol Ardsloy. Tho portor left him. Ho telt read) for sleep now, nnd resolved to go back to bod as soon as tho train started. Just then n dark shadow ap-pcarcd ap-pcarcd In tho trnck and a rutin's volet nsked cautiously: "Air y'u tho conductor?" Tho qucstlonor saw that ho was not beforo Ardmoro could reply, and heal-tated heal-tated a moment. "Tho porter's n tho car; you can got aboard up forward," Ardmore sug-Bested. sug-Bested. "Ho Gov'nor Dangerfleld on this. train?" nsked the man, whom Ard-moro Ard-moro now saw dimly outlined In the t--M track below. "Certainly, my frlond. The govorn-or's govorn-or's asleep, but I'm his prlvato sec- i retary. What can I do for 'you?" iLfl "Well, hyoh's aomethln' for 'Im It's confidential. Suro, air ye, th' gov'nor'i In thoy?" The man a tall bearded countryman mHL In n slouch hat, handed up to Ardmore n Jug a plain, brown, old-faBhloned American gallon Jug. "It's a present fcr Gov'nor Danger field. He'll understand," and the man --'H vanished as mysteriously as ho bad appenred, loavlng Ardmoro holdlni g the Jug by Us handle, and feeling a lit tie dazed by tho transaction. Tho train lingered, and Ardmore JH was speculating as to which ono ol ILJuH the Carolina commonwealths was be; vliiB neath him, when another figure ap- H peared below in tho track that of bareheaded, tousled boy this time. He stared up at Ardmore sleepily, having u-H apparently been roused on tho arrival Aiel of tho train. "Air y'u tho gov'nor?" ho piped. 'H "Yes, my lad; In what way can 1 H serve you?" and Ardmoro put down his Jug nnd loaned over tho guard rail. It was JuBt as easy to bo the ifklfl governor as the governor's -private I'LI secretary, and his vanity was touched lialifl by tho readiness with which the boy illlfl accopted him In his new role. His cos- 'LaV tumo, vaguely discernible In the vestl- Yll bule light, evidently struck the lad iH as being some amazing robe of state t'tll affected by governors. Tho youngstet J'H was lifting something, and ho now tifl held up to Ardmoro a Jug, as llko the ' other as one pea resembles another. "Pa ain't homo nnd ma says hyoh'i ycr Jug o' buttermilk." (TO nrc CONTINUED.) |