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Show If Author of Graustark, The By GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON Copyright by Dodd, Mead and Company, luo. "Well, I'm tremendously relieved," said Barnes slowly. "And so am I," said O'Dowd with conviction. "I have seen the heroine of our busted romance. She's a good-looking good-looking girl. I'm not surprised that she kept her veil down. If you were to leave it to . me, though, I'd say that it's a sin to carry discretion so fur as all that. You see what I mean, don't you?" His rich laugh came over the wire. "Perfectly. Thank you for letting me know. My mind is at rest. Good-by." Good-by." As he hung up the receiver he said to himself, "You are a most affable, af-fable, convincing chap, Mr. O'Dowd. but I don't believe a word you say. That woman is no lady's maid, and you've known all the time that she was there." At four o'clock he set out alone for a tramp up the mountain road in which the two men had been shot down. His mind was quite clear. Boon and Paul were not ordinary robbers. rob-bers. They were, no doubt, honest men. He would have said that they were thieves bent on burglarizing Green Fancy were It not for the disclosures dis-closures of Miss Thackeray and the very convincing proof that they were not shot by the same man. It was not beyond reason indeed, it was quite probable that they were trying to cross the border; In that event their real operations would be confined to the Canadian side of the line. He could not free himself of the suspicion that Green Fancy possessed the key to the situation. Roon and his companion could not have had the slightest interest in his movements up to the instant he encountered the young woman at the crossroads. His busy brain suddenly suffered the shock of a distinct conclusion. Was she a fellow conspirator? Was she the Inside In-side worker at Green Fancy in a well-laid well-laid plan to rifle the place? Could It be possible that she was the confederate of these painstaking agents who lurked with sinister patience pa-tience outside the very gates of the place called Green Fancy? His ramble carried him far beyond the spot where Boon's body was found and where young Conley had come upon the tethered horses. His eager, curious gaze swept the forest to the left of the road in search of Green Fancy. Overcome by a rash, daring impulse, he climbed over the stake and rider fence and sauntered among the big trees which so far had obscured ob-scured the house from view. The trees grew very thickly on the slope, and they were unusually large. He progressed pro-gressed deeper into the wood. At the end of what must have been a mile he halted. There was no sign of habitation, habi-tation, no indication that man had ever penetrated so far into the forest. As he was on the point of retracing his steps toward the road his gaze fell upon a huge moss-covered rock-less rock-less than a hundred yards away. He stared, and gradually it began to take on angles and planes and recesses of the most astounding symmetry. Under Un-der his widening gaze it was transformed trans-formed into a substantial object of cubes and gables and yes, windows. He was looking upon the strange home of the even stranger Mr. Curtis Cur-tis Green Fancy. Now he understood why It was called Green f ancy. Its surroundings were no greener than itself; it seemed to melt into (be foliage, to become n part of the natural landscape. Mountain Moun-tain ivy literally envelope! it. Rx-posed Rx-posed sections of the house were painted paint-ed green; the doors were green: t.b.'? leafy porches and their columns, the chimney pots, the window hangings all were the color of the unchanging forest. And it was a place of huge dimensions, low and long and rambling. ram-bling. " 'Gad," he said to himself, "what manner of crnnk Is he who would bury himself like this? Of all the crazy ideas I ever " His reflections ended there. A woman wom-an crossed his vision; a woman strolling stroll-ing slowly toward him through the Intricate In-tricate avenues of the wildwood. Barnes meets "Mrs. Van Dyke's maid," and the mystery mys-tery deepens. (TO Uli CONTINUED.) GREEN FANCY LIARS. Synopsis. Thomas K. Barnes, a wealthy young New Yorker, on a walking trip in New England Eng-land near the (Janadian border, is 'given a lift in an automobile by a mysterious and attractive girl bound for a house called Green Fancy. At Hart's tavern Barnes finds a stranded troupe of "barn-storming" actors, of which Lyndon Rushcroft is the star and "Miss Thackeray" the leading lady. They are doing hotel work for their board. He learns Green Fancy is a house of mystery. That night two mounted men leave the tavern under odd circumstances. One is shot dead near by ; the other is brought back dying. The sheriff detains Barnes. Green Fancy guests appear and say the mystery does not concern Green Fancy. CHAPTER V Continued. 5 The two men looked at him, plainly perplexed. "When was all this?" inquired De Soto. "Early last evening. He picked up your latest guest at the corners, and she insisted in his driving me to the tavern before the storm broke. I've been terribly anxious about her. She must have been caught out in all that frightful" "What's this you are saying, Mr. Barnes?" cut in De Soto, frowning. "No guest arrived at Green Fancy last evening, nor was one expected." Barnes staretl. "Do you mean to say that she didn't get there, after all?" "She? A woman, was It?" demanded demand-ed O'Dowd. "Bedad, if she said she was coming to Green Fancy she was spoofing you. Are you sure it was old Peter who gave you that jolly ride?" "No, I am not sure," said Barnes uneasily. "She was afoot, having walked from the station below. I met her at the corners and she asked me if I knew how far it was to Green Fancy, or something like that. Said she was going there. Then along came the automobile, rattling down this very road an ancient Panbard driven by nn old codger. She seemed to think it was all right to hop in and trust herself to him, although she'd never seen him before." "The antique Panhard fits In all right," said O'Dowd, "but I'm hanged if the woman fits at all. No such person per-son arrived at Green Fancy last night." "Did you get a square look at the driver's face?" demanded De Soto. "It was almost too dark to see, but he was old, hatchet-faced, and spoke with an accent." "Then it couldn't have been Peter," said De Soto positively. "He's old, right enough, but he is as big as the side of a house, with a face like a full moon, and he Is Yankee to his toes. By gad, Barnes, the plot thickens! A woman has been added to the mystery. Now, who the devil is she and what has become of her?" CHAPTER VI. Charity Begins Far From Home, and a Stroll in the Wildwood Follows. Mr, Rushcroft was furious when he arosB at eleven o'clock on the morning after the double murder, having slept like a top through all of the commotion. commo-tion. He boomed all over the place, vocal castlftations falling right and left on the guilty and the Innocent without distinction. "I don't see how you managed to sleep through It," Barnes broke In. "You must have an unusually clear conscience, Mr. Rushcroft." "I haven't any conscience at all, sir," roared the star. "I had an unusually full stomach, that's what was the matter mat-ter with me. I take oath now, sir. never to eat again as long as I live. A man who cannot govern his beastly appetite ought to defy It, if nothing eLse." "I gather from that remark that you omitted breakfast this morning." "Breakfast, sir? In God's name, I implore you not to refer to anything so disgusting as stewed prunes and bacon at u time like this. My mind Is" "How about luncheon? Will you Join mi! at twelve-thirty?" "That's quite another matter," saWI Mr. Rushcroft readily. "Luncheon is an esthetic tribute to the physical n-telllgeneo n-telllgeneo of man, If you know what 1 mean. I shall be delighted to join you. "Twelve-thirty,, did you say?" "It would give me great pleasure If your daughter would also grace the festal board. I think it is too bad that I she has to go about In the gown she wears, Mr. Rushcroft," said Barnes. "She's much too splendid for that. I have a proposition I'd like to make to you later on. I cannot make it, however, how-ever, without consulting Miss Thackeray's Thack-eray's feelings." "My dear fellow !" beamed Rushcroft, Rush-croft, seizing the other's hand. "One j frequently reads in books about It coming like this, at first sight, but, ! damme, I never dreamed that it ever really happened. Count on me ! She ought to leave the stage, the dear child. No more fitted to it than an Easter lily. Her place is in the home, the'' I "Good Lord, I am not thinking of " j And Barnes, aghast, stopped before j blurting out the words that leaped to I his lips. "I mean to say this Is a proposition prop-osition that may also affect your excellent ex-cellent companions. Bacon and Dllling-ford, Dllling-ford, as well as yourself." At twelve-thirty sharp Barnes came down from his room freshly shaved and brushed, to find not only Mr. Rushcroft Rush-croft and Miss Thackeray awaiting Him in the office, but the Messrs. Dil-lingford Dil-lingford and Bacon as well. "I took the liberty, old fellow," said Rushcroft. addressing Barnes, "of asking ask-ing my excellent co-workers to join us in our repast." "Delighted to have you with us. gentlemen," gen-tlemen," said Barnes affably. The sole topic of conversation for I the first half hour was the mysterious slaying of their fellow lodgers. Mr. Rushcroft complained bitterly of the outrageous, high-handed action of the coroner and sheriff in Imposing upon him and his company the same restrictions re-strictions that had been applied to Barnes They were not to leave the county until the authorities gave the word. One would have thought, to hear the star's Indignant lamentations, that he and his party were In a position posi-tion to depart when they pleased. It would have been difficult to Imagine that he was not actually rolling in money Instead of being absolutely penniless. Barnes had been Immersed In his own thoughts for some time. A slight frown, as of reflection, darkened his eyes. Suddenly perhaps Impolitely he interrupted Mr. Rushcroft's flow of eloquence. "Have you any objection Mr. Rushcroft, Rush-croft, to a more or less personal question ques-tion concerning your own private er misfortunes?" he asked, leaning forward. for-ward. For a moment one could have heard a pin drop. Mr. Rushcroft evidently held his breath. There could be no mistake about that. "It's rather delicate, but would you mind telling me just how much jou were stuck up for by the or vas it a writ of attachment?" "It was," said the star. "A writ j of inquisition, you might as well sub-i sub-i stitute. The act of a polluted, Impe-: Impe-: cunious, parsimonious what shall I I say? Well, I will be as simple as possible pos-sible hotel keeper. Ninety-seven dol-I dol-I lars and forty cents. For that pitiful amount he' subjected me to " "Well, that isn't so bad," said Barnes, vastly relieved. He was covertly cov-ertly watching Miss Thackeray's half-averted half-averted face as he ventured upon the proposition he had decided to put before be-fore them. "I am prepared and willing wil-ling to advance this amount, Mr. Rushcroft, Rush-croft, and to take your personal note as security." Rushcroft leaned back In his chair and stuck his thumbs In the annholes if his vest. Ho displayed no undue elation. Instead he affected profound calculations. His daughter shot a swift, searching look at the would-be Samaritan. There was a heightened color in her cheeks. "Moreover. I shall lie happy to ln-crease ln-crease the amount of the loan sufficiently suffi-ciently to cover your return tit once to N'ew York, If you so desire by train." Barnes smiled as he added the last two words. "Extremely kind of you. my dear Barnes," said the actor, running his lingers through his hair. "Your faith in me is most gratifying. I I really don't know what to say to you. sir." "May I Inquire Just how you expect ex-pect to profit by this transaction, Mr. Barnes?" Miss Thackeray asked steadily. Me started, catching her meaning. "My dear Miss Thackeray," he ex-clnlmed, ex-clnlmed, "this transaction Is solely between be-tween your father ami me, I shall have no other claim to press." "1 Wish I could believe Hint." she said. "You may believe it," he assured her. "It isn't the usual course," she said quietly, and her face brightened. "You are not like most men, Mr. Barnes." "My dear child," said Rushcroft, "you must leave this matter to our friend and me. I fnncy I know an honest man when I see him. My dear fellow, fortune Is but temporarily frowning upon me. In a few weeks I shall be on my feet again, zipping along on the crest of the wave. I dare say I can return the money to you in a month or six weeks. If " "Oh, father!" cried Miss Thackeray. "We'll make it six months, and I'll pay any rate of Interest you desire. Six per cent, eight per cent, ten per " "Six per cent, sir, and we will make It a year from date." "Agreed. Get up and dance for us, Diily! We shall be in New York tomorrow to-morrow f" "You forget the dictatorial sheriff, Mr. Rushcroft," said Barnes. "The varlet I" barked Mr. Rushcroft. It was arranged that Dlllingford and Bacon were to go to Hornville in a hired motor that afternoon, secure the judgment, pay the costs, and attend to the removal of the personal belongings belong-ings of the stranded quartette from the hotel to Hart's Tavern. The younger actors stoutly refused to accept ac-cept Barnes' offer to pay their board while at the Tavern. That, they declared, de-clared, would be charity, and they preferred pre-ferred his friendship and his respect to anything of that sort. Miss Thackeray, Thack-eray, however, was to be immediately relieved of her position as chambermaid. chamber-maid. She was to become a paying guest. Rushcroft took the whole affair with the most noteworthy complacency. He seemed to regard It as his due, or more properly speaking as if he were doing Barnes a great favor In allowing him to lend money to a person of his importance. "a thought has Just come to me, my dear fellow," he remarked as they arose from table. "With the proper kind of backing I could put over oie of the most stupendous things the theater the-ater has known in fifty years. I don't mind saying to you although It's rather sub rosa that I have written a play a four-act drama that will pack the biggest house on Broadway to the roof for as many months as we'd care to stay. Perhaps you will allow me to talk It over with you a little later on. You will be interested. I'm sure. Egad, sir, I'll read the play to you. I'll What ho. landlord. Have your best automobile sent around to the door as quickly as possible. A couple of my men are going to Hornville to fetch hither my " "Just a minute," interrupted Putnam Put-nam Jones, wholly unimpressed. "A man just called you up on the phone, Mr. Barnes. I told him you was entertaining en-tertaining royalty at lunch and couldn't be disturbed. So he asked me to have you call him up as soon as you revived. His words, not mine. Call up Mr. O'Dowd at Green Fancy. Here's the number." The mellow voice of the Irishman soon responded to Barnes' call. "I called you up to relieve your mind regarding the young woman who came last night." he said. "You observe ob-serve that I say 'came.' She's quite all right, safe and sound, and no cause for uneasiness. I thought you meant that she was coming here as a guest, and so I made the very natural mistake mis-take of saying she hadn't come at all, at all. The young woman in question Is Mrs. Van Dyke's maid. But. bless me soul, how was I to know she was even in existence, much less expected by train or motor or Shanks' mare? Well, she's here, so there's the end of our mystery." Barnes was slow In replying. He was doubting his own ears. It was not conceivable that an ordinary or even an extraordinary lady's maid could have possessed the exquisite voice and manner of his chance acquaintance of the day before, or Hie temerity to order that sour-faced chauffeur about as if The chauffeur ! "But I thought you said Hint Mr. Curtis' chauffeur was moon-faced and "He Is. lieilad." broke In Mr. O'Dowd, chuckling. "That's what deceived de-ceived me entirely, anil no wonder. It wasn't Peter at all. bill the rapscallion washer who went after her. He was Instructed to tell Peter to meet Hie four o'clock train, and the blockhead forgot to give (be order. Bedad, who does be do but sneak out after her himself, scared out of his boots for fear of "hat hi; was to get from Peter. I had the whole story from Mrs. Van I yke." |