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Show WfflM TIMS AWIIL mm ROBEliT5 DINEHART Tio ORCULAR, 3TAII3,CA.E , J3ve 7VAN SLOWER TEN, WHEN A MAN lYlATiR-IES ILLUSTRATED & EDOAR BERT SMITH cofyeianr aa &&. him, you nnd I, but ovcrythlne has been quiet lntely." "I'm not objecting to Mr. Dick coming hero, nm I? Only don't nxpect mo to hurst Into song nbout It. Shut tho door behind you when you go out." Hut ho didn't go nt once. Ho stood watching mo polish glasses nml get tho card-tables ready, and 1 knew ho still had something on his mind. "Whnt has Mr. Dick been up to now?" I nsked, growing euHplclous. "Nothing. Hut I'm nn old man, Minnie, Min-nie, n very old man." "Stuff and nonsensu," I exclaimed, alarmed. "You'ro only seventy." "And If," ho wont on, "anything happens hap-pens to mo, Mlnnlo, I'm counting on you to do whnt you can for tho old place. You'vo been hero a good many yenrs, Mlnnlo." "Fourteen yenrs I havo boon ladling out wutor tit this spring," I said, trying try-ing to keop my lips from trembling. "I wouldn't bo nt homo any place else, unless it would be in nn aquarium. aqua-rium. Hut don't ask mo to stay hero and help Mr. Dick bcII tho old place for n summer hotel. For that's what he'll do." "Ho won't sell It," declared tho old doctor grimly. "All I wunt lu for you to promlflo to stny." "Oh, I'll stay," I said. "1 won't promise to bo ngrceablo, but I'll stuy. Somebody'!! havo to look after tho spring; I reckon Mr. Dick thinks It comes out of tho earth Just as we soil It, with tho whola pharmacopoeia in It." Woll, It mndo tho old doctor hap-plor, hap-plor, and I'm not sorry I promised, but I'vo got a Joint on my right foot that throbs when It 1b going to rntn or I nrn going to havo bad luck, and It gavo a Jump then. I might havo known thero was trouhlo ahead. It was pretty quiet in tho spring-houso spring-houso that day nftor tho old doctor loft. I draw a chair In front of tho flro and wondered what I would do If tho old doctor died, and what a fool I'd boon not to bo a school-teacher, which Ib what I studied for. I was thinking to myself bitterly that all that my cxporlenco In tho spring fitted mofor was, to bo, a marmatd, cwheii I hoarq' something running down tho path, and It turned out to bo Tllllo, tho diet cook. Sho slammed the door behind her nnd throw tho Flnloyvlllo evening pa.-per pa.-per at me. "There!" Bho said, "I'vo won a cako of toilet Boap from Dath-houso Mlko. Tho omporor's consented." "Nonsense!" I snapped, and snatched tho paper. Tllllo was right; tho omperor had! I sat down and rend It through, and thero was M)sb Patty'a plcturo In an oval and tho prince's In another, with n turncd-up muBtncho and his hand on tho handle of his sword, nnd between them both was tho Austrlnn emperor. Woll, I But thoro nnd thought It ovor, MI8B Patty, or MIbb Pntrlcla, being, so to Bpenk, n friend of mine. They'd como to tho Springs ovory wlntor for yenrs. In my wash-stand drawer I'd kept all tho clippings nbout her coming out nnd tho wlntor sho spent In Washington nnd was mipposod to bo ongaged to tho president's son. and 1 u "What's Mr. Dick Been Up to Now?" tho magazine article that told how Mr. Jennings hud got his money by robbing wldowB nud orphans, and showed tho llttlo frame house where Miss Putty was born as If sho's hud unythlng to do with It. And so now I was cutting out tho plcturo of her and tho prlnco and the article underneath under-neath which told how many castles sho'd have, and I don't mind saying I was sniflltng n little bit, for I couldn't got used to tho Idea. And suddenly tho door closed softly and thero wns a rustlo behind me. When I turned It wns Miss Patty horself. Sho saw tho clipping Immediately, and stopped Just lnstdu tha door. "You, too," sho snld. "And wo'vo como all this distance to get away from Just that." "Well, I shan't talk about It," I replied, not holding out my hand, for with her, so to speak, next door to being u prlncoBB but Bho leaned right over and kissed mo. I could hardly hellevo it. "Why won't you talk about it?" alio insisted, catching mo by tho shoulders and holding mo off. "Mlnnlo, your eyes are as red as your hair I" "I don't approvo of it," I said. "You might nn well know It now as later, MIhh Patty, I don't bcllovo in mixed marriages. I hud n cousin that married mar-ried a Jew, and what with him making tho children promise to bo good on tho Talmud and hor trying to ralBo them with tho Dlble, tho poor things Is that mixed up that It's pitiful." Sho got a llttlo red nt that, but Bho sat down and took up tho clipping. "He's much better looking than that, Minnie," she said soborly, "and ho's a good Catholic. Put If that's tho way you feel we'll not talk ubout it. I'vo hud enough troublo nt homo as it le." . With that I began to blubber, and she camo Into my arms llko a baby. "You'ro nil I'vo .got," I doclnred.ovcr and over, "nnd you'ro going to llvo In n country whero thoy harness women with dogs, and you'll never hour nn English word from morning to night." "Stuff!" Sho guvo mo a llttlo shako. "He speaks us good English us I do And now wo'ro going to stop talking nbout him you'ro worso than tho nowspnpors." And ut that mlnuto tho door was flung open, and Uath-houso Miko staggered stag-gered In. "Tho old doctor!" ho gasped. "He's dead, Miss Minnie died Just now In tho hot room In tho bath-house! Ono mlnuto ho was1 glvln mo tho dlvil for something or othor, nnd tho noxt I thought ho wns asleep." Somothlng that had boon hpavy In my breast all afternoon suddenly Beemed to burst and mado mo fool faint all over. But I didn't loso my head. "Does anybody know yet?" I asked quickly. Ho shook his head. "Then ho didn't dlo in tho bath-house, bath-house, Mike," I said firmly. 'Ho died In IiIb bed, and you know It If It gets out that he died tn tho hot room I'll havo tho coroner on you." Miss Patty waa'tandlng byJjpJkaU'' Ingfaf tho sprfenI'&kfnvy fR?fn started out aftelBMIko, and sho followed. fol-lowed. "If tho guests ever got hold of this thoy'U stampede. Start any oxclto mont In a sanutorlum," I said, "and ono nnd nil they'll dip their thermometers thermom-eters In hot water and swear thoy'vo got favor!" And wa hurried to tho houso together. CHAPTER II. Woll, wo got tho poor old doctor moved back to his rpom, and had ono of tho chambermaids find him thero, and I wired to Mra. Van Aletyne, who was Mr. Dicky Cartor's sister, and who wus on hor honeymoon in South Curollna. Tho Van AlstyneB came back nt once, In very bad tempers, and we hnd tho funeral from the preacher's Iioubq In Flnleyvlllo so as not to harrow up tho sanatorium people any more thnn necessary. After It wns nil over tho relatives gathered tn tho sun parlor of tho sanatorium san-atorium to hear tho will Mr. Vnn Al-Btyuo Al-Btyuo and his wlfo and about twenty more who had como up from the city for tho funoral and stayed over on tho house. Well, tho old doctor loft mo tho but tons for his full dress waistcoat and his fnvorlto copy of "Grny's Anatomy." I couldn't exactly set up housekeeping with my aharo of tho estnte. Thoy thought that was funny, but l a fow mlnutos Inter they weren't so cheerful. You see tho sanatorium wns n mighty flno pleco of property with n deer park and golf links. Wo'd i hnd plenty of offers to sell It for a I , summer hotel, but wo'd both been j doud against It. That wns ono of tho rcuEons for tho will, I ' The whole estate was left to Dicky Carter, who hadn't boon ablo to come, owing to hi being laid up with an , attack of mumps. Tho fnmlly snt up and nodded at pno another, or held up Its hund, but when thoy henrd t there wus a condition they breuthed easier. Hegluniug with ono week after tho reading of tho will and not a day later Mr Dick wus to tako charge of . tho ennntorlum and to stay thoro for two months without n day off, If at tho end of that time tho plugo was being successfully conducted and could show that It hadn't lost money, tho cntlro property became his for keeps. If ho fulled It was to bo sold i and the monoy given to 'charity. Woll, tho family went back to town . In n buzz of Indignation, and I car- j rled my wnlstcout buttons and my "Anatomy" out tn tho sprlng-houso and had a good cry. Thoro was a mnn nnraed Thoburn who was crazy for tho property as a cummer hotel, nnd ovory tlmo I shut my eyes I could seo "Thoburn House" over tho vernnda and children sailing papor boats In tho mineral spring, Suro enough, tho next afternoon Mr. Thoburn drovo out. from Flnleyvlllo with a suit case, and before he'd taken off hla overcoat ho camo out to the sprlng-houso. "Hello, Minnie," ho exclaimed. "Does tho old man's ghoBt como back to dopo the spring, or do you do lt7" "I don't know what you aro talking nbout, Mr. Thoburn," I rotorted sharply. sharp-ly. "If you don't know that this spring has Us origin in" "In Schmidt's drug storo down In Flnleyvlllo!" ho finished for mo. "Oh, I know all about that spring, Mlnnlo! Don't forgot that my fnthor's cows used to drink that water and liked it. 1 leavo it to you," ho Bald, snilllng, "If n self-respecting cow wouldn't dlo of thirst before Bho drank that stuff nu It Ib now." I'd been filling him n glnsB It bolng a matter of habit with me and he took It to tho window and held It to the light. "You'ro getting careless, Minnie," ho said, squinting at It. "Somo of thoso drugs ought to bo dissolved first In hot wutor.' Thoro's n lump of lithin thoro that has Schmidt's pharmacy label la-bel on It" "Whero?" I demanded, nnd started for If Ho laughed at that, and putting put-ting tho glass down, ho camo over and stood smiling at mo. "Ab IngomiouB aB a child," he said In his mocking way, "a nlco, llttlo red-haired red-haired child! Minnie, how old is this young Carter?" "Twenty-three." "An er earnest youth? Willing to buckle down to work and mnko tho old place go? Ready to pat tho old ladles on tho shoulder nnd sque tho young ones' hands?" "Ho'b young," I said, "but If you'ro counting on his being a fool " "Not at nil," ho broko In hastily. "If ho hasn't too much character he'll probably succeed. J hope ho Isn't a fool. Whoro Is ho now?" "Ho's been sick," I said. "Mumps!" "MumpsJ Oh, my aunt!" ho exclaimed, ex-claimed, and foil to laughing. Ho wns still laughing when ho got to the door. "Mumps!" ho ropeated, with hlB hand on tho knob. Minnie, tho old placo will bo under the hammer In three weeks, and If you know what's good for you, you'll sign In under the now management whllo there's a va-jc;uifi3.wt va-jc;uifi3.wt ( f "If I lyero you," I said, looking him straight In tho oyo, "I wouldn't pick out any now carpets yot, Mr. Thoburn. I promised tho old doctor I'd help Mr. Dick, and I will." "So you'ro actually going to tight it out," ho said, grinning. "Well tho odds aro In your favor. You aro two to my ono." "I think It's pretty oven," I retorted. "Wo will bo hindered, bo to speak, by having certain principles of honor nnd honesty. You havo no handicap." Ho tried to think of a retort, and not finding ono ho slammed out of tho flprlng-houso In a rago. Mr. Van Alstyno nnd his wlfo enmo In that Bamo day, Just boforo dlnnor, and wo played three-handed bridge for half nn hour. As I'vo suld, they'd been on their honeymoon, nnd thoy wero both sulky at having to stay at tho Springs. Aftor the first rubber Mrs. Vnn Alstyno Al-styno throw her curds on tho floor nnd snld another day llko this would finish her. Sho turned her back to hor buy-band, buy-band, hut ho pretended to tuck the hair at tho back of her neck up under her comb, and sho let him do It As I stooped to gather up tho cojla ho clssed tho tip of her ear. "Listen," he said, "thero'B a scream if a play down at Flnloyvllle to-night 4nllod "Sweet Peaa." Sonator Biggs dud the bishop went down last night, n ud they say It's the worst In twenty j ears. Put on a black veil and lot's slip away and tee It." 1 1 think sho agreed to do It, but that night nftcr dinner, Amanda King, who his charge oftho nows stand, told me til' shorlff had closed the opera-house atll that tho leading woman was sick atltho hotel. They say sho looked funny last nfjllit," Amanda finished, "nnd I guess shfi's got tho mumps." .mum pal :' Joint gavo a throb at that mln-util mln-util jMr, Sam wasn't taking nny chances, for Sho next day ho went to tho city hlmWlf to bring Mr. Dick up. I hadn't como lick by tho morn Ingflk tho sixth day, but ho wired his wirXtho day boforo that Mr, Dick was on mo wiy. But wo met ovury train wltlHi sleigh, and ha didn't come. 1 i unsWjme"8)'. knowing Mr. Dick, nnd Mrs.BJpnm wns worried, too, i It Bai1 u011 snowing hard for n duy or 8(1 ttd nt elovon o'clock that day I kuvBMIbb Cobb and Mrs. Biggs com- ! lug dSwn th I,atl1 1 Uu spring-house, 1 "MB Vnn Alstyno Is buck," said Miss CobbR" but no camo nlono'" "Alipio!" I ropeatod, staring at her In a wrt of daze, "AlMio," sho said solemnly, "and I heardttll'm n8k or Mr- Carter. It eeemsBlio started for hero yesterday." IlutBl'd had tlmo to get myself in hand, nd lf I l'a(1 n c1'"1 UP '"' spine she nv01 knew it, As sho started away I saw Mr. Sa,m hurrying down tho paW toward tho spring-house, and I kneJP my Joint hadn't throbbed for nothlnS. Mr. Sam camo in and slammed tho door behind him. "What's thls-ubout Mr. Dick not bolng bo-lng hero?" ho shouted. "Well, ho Isn't. That's all there Is to It, Mr. Van AlBtyne," I said calmly. "But ho must bo horo," ho Bald. "I put him on tho train myself yesterday, yester-day, and waited until It startpd to bo Buro ho was off." "Exactly what was ho doing whon you last laid eyes on him?" I asked. "Ho was on tho train" "Sitting?" "No, Btnndlng. What tho deuce, Minnie" "Waving out tho window to you?" "Of courso not!" exclaimed Mr. Van Alstyno testily. "Ho wus ruislng the window for u girl In tho next sent." "Precisely I" I snld. "Would you know tho girl well enough to trace her?" "That's ridiculous, you know," ho snld, trying to bo polite. "Out of u thousnnd nnd ono things that may havo detained him-" "Only one thing ever detnlnB Mr. Dick, nnd that always dotnlns him," 1 said solomnly. "That's u girl. You'ro a newcomer In tho family, Mr. Van Alstyno; you don't remomber the tlmo ho wont down hero to tho station to seo his Aunt Agnes off to tho city, nnd we found him threo weeks later In Oklahoma trying to marry a widow with flvo children." "I'll hnvo to tell my wlfo," ho eald. "Who's running tho place, nnyhow? You?" "Not exactly," I explained, "but, of courso, when anything comes up thoy consult mo. Tho housekeeper is n fool, nnd now that tho houso doctor's gonj " "Gone! Who's looking nftor tho pntientB?" "Well, most of them hnve been hero bofore," I explained, "and I know their treatment tho kind of baths and all that." "Oh, you know tho treatment!" he said, eyeing mo. "And why did tho houso doctor go?" "Ho ordered Mr. Moody to tnko his spring water hot Mr. Moody's spring watqr has. been ordered cold for elovon years, and I refused to change. It was botwecn tho doctor and mo, Mr. Van Alstyno." "Oh, of course," ho said, "If It was a matter of principle " Ho picked up his hat and looked at his watch. "Eloven thirty," ho anld, "and no sign of that puppy yet. I guess it's up to tho police." "If thoro was only something to do," I said, with a lump In my throat, "but to havo to sit and do nothing while the old placo dies; It's It's awful, Mr. Van Alstyno." "We're not dend yot," ho replied from the door, "and maybo wo'll need you boforo the day's ovor. If anybody can sail tho old bark to shoro, you can do It, Minnie. You'vo boon steering it for years. Tho old doctor was no navigator, nnd you and I know It" Tho storm stopped a llttlo at threo and most of the guests waded down through tho snow for brldgo and spring wnter. By that tlmo tho aftor-noon aftor-noon train was in, and no Mr. Dick. Mr. Sam was kooplng the lawyer, Mr. Id) 1 I 111 'You're Getting Careless, Minnie," He Said, Squinting at It. Stltt, In the billiard room, and by four o'clock they'd had ovorythlng that wus In tho bur and wero Inventing new combinations of their own. And Mrs Sam hud gono to hud with a nervous headache. Senator Biggs brought tho mall down to tho spilng-hoiiBo at four, but thoio waa nothing for mo oxpopt a note ftum Mr. Sam, rather shaky, which said he'd no word yot and that Mr. Stltt had mixed all tho cordials In the bar In n beer glass and hnd had to go to bed. I nearly went crazy that aftcrnooji. I put salt In Miss Cobb's glnBs whon sho always drank tho wator plain. Onco I put the broom In the flro and started to swoop tho porch with a flro log. Luckily thoy woro busy with tholr letters and It went unnoticed, tho smell of burning straw pot rising, so to speak, above tho sulphur of tho spring, ! Seuutor Blggv vvat from ono tnblo to another telling how well ho felt slnco ho stopped eating, and trying to conx tho other men to Btarvo with him. It's funny how a man with a theory about his stomach lBn't happy untlfc ho has mndo 8omo othor fellow swnl-low swnl-low It Then they nil began at onco. If you. havo over heard twenty peoplo airing their theories on dlot you know all about It It always ends tho samo way: tho man with tho loudeat volco wins, and tho defeated ones limp ovor to tho spring and tell their theorleB to mo. Thoy know I'm being paid to-listen. to-listen. , But whqn things had got quiet ox- i cept Mr. Moody dropping nickels Into the slot-mnchlne I happened to look I ovor at MIbs Patty, and I saw thero I was something wrong. Sho had a lot- "1 ter open In her lap not ono of tho 1 bluo ones with the black and gold seal that every ono in the houso know came from tho prince but n whlto ono, nnd 1 sho wns staring nt It us if eho'd seen 'i n ghost. gl CHAPTER III. H I hnvo novor reproached Miss Patty, JJ but If sheliad only given mo tho letter to read or had told mo the wholo truth I InBtead of a part of It, I would have- I understood, and .things would nil havo 1 been different It Is all very well for M her to say that I looked worried;. 'v 3 " enough already, and that anyhow It jf was a family affair. I should havo- m been told. flj All sho did wns to como up to mo- R as I stood In tho spring, with her M faco perfectly whlto, and aek mo It jj my Dicky Carter was tho Richard Car- I tor who stayed nt tho Qrosvcnor la M town. "Ho doesn't stny nnywhero," I said, rj with ray feet getting cold, "hut that's where ho has apartments. What haft- ho been doing now?"- 1 "You'ro expecting him on tho eve- $ nlng train, aren't you?" sho asked. jl "Don't Btaro like that: my father's- iM watching." .BBk "Ho ought to bo on tno kvonh$iSiEmg train," I said. I wasn't c'JinitO Bay " "imfi I expected him. I didn't. - "Tho wretch!" sho cried, "tho hate- H ful creature as if things weren't bud '( enough! I eupposo he'll have to como, .- Mlnnlo, but I muBt boo him beforo- y 1 ho sees nny ono else." Just then tho bishop brought hla 1 glass over to the spring. "Hot this tlmo, Mlnnlo," ho said. "Do you know, I'm getting tho mlnoral- water habit. Patty! I'm nfruld plnln '' water will havo no attraction for mo ' nftor this." ' Ho put his hand ovor hers on tha- rail. Thoy wero old frlonds, tho blah- l op nnd the Jonnlngses. "' '. "Bishop," sho said suddenly, "will' you do something for mo?" "I alwiiya hnve, Putty." Ho wns very fond of Miss Patty, was tho bishop. "Then tonight, not later than eight o'clock, get fnthor to play crlbbago, will you? And keop him In tho card-room card-room until nlno." sA-j-4- "Another escapado!" ho said, pro- J tending tobo very serlouB. "Pntty j Pattv. vou'll he tho death of mo vet I Is thy servant a dog, that ho should do this thing?" S "Certainly not," said Miss Patty -J "Just a dear, allghtly bald, but utlll j very distinguished slaTI" J "Thero will be plenty of slaves td j klss your llttlo hnnd, frhcre you are VJ going, my child," ho said. "Sometimes-I "Sometimes-I wish that somo nice fed-blooded boy hero at homo but I dure say It will turn out surprisingly woll as It Is." "Bishop, Blbhop!" Mre. Moody called. "How naughty of you, and . with your bridge hand waiting to bo i held!" Well, I knew Mr. Dick had boon up U to boino mlsohief; I had suspected It all ulong. But Miss Putty wont to bed, and old Mrs. Ifutchlns, who's a sort of lady's-maid-compunlon of herB, said j sho mustn't bo disturbed. I was pret- ; ty nearly sick myself. And when Mr. j Sam camo out at flvo o'clock and snld ' ho'd boon In tho long-distnncu tele- " r phone booth for nn hour und hnd culled everybody who hnd ovor known , Mr Dick, und that ho had dropped right off the earth, I Just about guvo up. Luckily Mr Stltt was In bed with n muBtnrd loaf ovor his stomnch nnd lco on his bond, nnd didn't know whether It wns night or morning, (TO HE CONTINUED.) |