Show t LADY LARKSPUR By MEREDITH NICHOLSON Copyright by den lone Bon loneN I N NN N 0 h YOU SCOUNDREL Richard Synopsis Richard Searles successful successful suc suc- American playwright confides con- con fides to his hIli friend Bob Singleton the fact tact that Inspired by the genius ot of a a. younG youn actress whom he had seen in London he lie has written a a. play Lady Larkspur with the thought that she should hould Interpret the leading charActer char char- acter This girl Violet Dewing has disappeared Singleton an aviator lator has haa Just returned In Invalided invalided In- In from Crom France Franco Ills His uncle Raymond Ramond Bashford had contracted a marriage a short time before his death while on a visit to Japan Ho lie left Singleton a comparatively small amount of ot money and the privilege of ot residing In the tho garage garage garage gar age of ot his summer home Barton- Barton the Sound Connecticut Mrs Bashford is believed to be travelIng travel- travel travelIng traveling Ing In the Orient The household at Barton Is la made up of ot broken- broken down employees of ot a a. New York hotel where Bashford made his home Singleton goes to Barton taking with him the manuscript of ot Lady Larkspur There he finds ands the household strangely upset some of ot Its Ha members being suspected suspect suspect- ed by their comrades of ot pro Ger Ger AntoIne head of ot the establishment establishment establishment es es- es- es Informs him that he has bas been perplexed by the somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what mysterious visits of ot a stranger apparently a a. foreigner seeking Mrs Bashford Antoine has formed the male members of ot the household into a guard for Cor protection pro pro- Singleton reads leads Searles Searles' play with approval Aunt Alice Allee arrives es unexpectedly meets with a alively alively alively lively reception and turns out to be young and charming Mrs Farnsworth Farns- Farns worth Is her traveling companion Torrence Bashford's lawyer suspects suspects suspects sus sus- the two women and warns Singleton Aunt Alice may be an impostor The mysterious stranger Count makes a call and andIs Is seen to be very much Interested In Aunt Alices Allees plume ostrich fan tan which has been repaired by a Jeweler In Japan Singleton is fascinated fascinated fas fas- by Aunt Alice Allee AntoIne reports a spy has been tempting a woman servant to steal the fan Can f p CHAPTER III III III-Continued Continued 9 9 I had nd noticed that she had hall substituted substituted a tiny Japanese fan for the one that had inspected so eager eager- ly ty When I spoke of the change she had bad said the other was too precious for everyday use and she meant to keep It locked up I hate to bother you sir knowing fou Th The mention of the fan had brought ate aie to an nn abrupt halt I res resented bavIng having hay hav ing ng the thing thrust at me in the ecstatic snood mood In which I left the douse but the visit Is It of the German German- speaking stranger was serious and Antoine knew that his story had startled me He told that the man had carefully outlined to EIle Elsie Elsie El El- sie le Just how bow she could take advantage of her freedom of the house to appropriate appropriate appropriate the fan when the ladles were out and the servants of off the second floor door She was to be paid for her assistance assistance as as- two hundred dollars had been promised even eveD more had been suggested Elsie and the stranger had left the garage and passed out of earshot earshot earshot ear ear- shot before Elsie fully consented but Pierre had given Antoine the impression slon sion that she would make the attempt It was to be for the kaiser for Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many declared Antoine bitterly And she was to be careful about Flynn I always thought Flynn Fynn was straight I I did Indeed sir I think Flynn and his wife are both honest bonest but well we'll take no chance Warn the guards to be on the alert We dont don't want Elsie to get the Idea that she's being watched so tell the men to keep away from the garage Ill I'll keep an cm eye on the Flynns You go home and go to bed I The deep calm of ot the country night had settled upon the shore and the Flynns' Flynns F quarters were perfectly tran tran- quil It didn't seem seem possible that an nn International episode was in process of ot incubation in that quiet neighborhood I X began to think that the th general distrust distrust distrust dis dis- trust of the German woman by her associates associates associates as as- might be responsible for Pierres Pierre's story But viewed in any light I 1 had a duty to perform If Elsie had visited the house and purloined the fan she would be very likely lIkey to get rid of ot it as quickly as possible and I determined determined de de- to keep watch I 1 drew the blinds got Into my dressing gown and enforcing re-enforcing the lampshade with a to deaden the light proceeded proceeded proceeded pro pro- to read It was on toward one o'clock and I Iwas Iwas Iwas was dozing when a sound roused me A A. door on the Flynn Fynn side of ot the hall creaked there was silence then 1 heard beard furtive steps on the stair I snapped out my light and peered out of oC the window just as Elsie's robust disappeared Into the shadows I Iwas Iwas Iwas was about to follow when the creaking creaking creak creak- ing of the Flynn door was repeated In Ina a 11 moment another peep through the shade hade showed me Flynn himself and be too quickly vanished Here lIere was a 11 situation indeed I 1 If Elsie Else was keep- keep keeping tog ing tryst with her conspirator co-conspirator of the afternoon and her husband was spying upon her a row of large proportions was likely to result at any uny moment I leaned from the window as far as I dared and saw the woman close to th the wall at the further farther end of the building The scene was well set for trouble and umI andI I was vas as I what who 1 t could dp lip to toj j 2 a avert crt the disturbance disturbance and the exposure of ot the foolish woman when the whole matter was taken out of ot my hands You fool You scoundrel I she bellowed bellowed bellowed bel bel- bel- bel lowed In 10 German That you should think me a plaything to commit a robbery robbery rob rob- bery for you That I should steal fro from n my iy mistress to satisfy you you piece of swine flesh 1 I had often heard Elsie vocally dIsciplining disciplining dIs- dIs her Irish husband and knew the power of her lungs and the vigor of her Invective but she seemed bent upon apprising the whole commonwealth commonwealth common common- wealth of Connecticut of the fact tact that she was vastly displeased with the person she was addressing who was certainly not Flynn Amid sounds of n a l scuffle and the continuous outpouring of billingsgate the light over the garage door flashed on suddenly and disclosed Flynn Fynn in the thc act of ot precipitating precipitating precipitating tating himself Into the fray Elsie had harl grasped and was stoutly clinging to a atall atall tall man who was trying to free himself himself himself him him- self of her muscular embrace Her cries meanwhile Included some of the raciest terms In the German dictionary and others others mouthfuls mouthfuls of frightfulness 3 that that I didn't recognize When I reached the open Flynn was dancing round the belligerents like lIle an excited boxer occasionally springing in to land a blow and all the Ute while Elsie continued to address her captive and the world at large in her b r native natI tongue Flynn Fynn was rather more than sixty and Elsie was not much his junior junior junior ju ju- ju- ju while the invader was young oung and agile The man had loosened one arm armand armand i and drawn a revolver with which he was pounding Elsie In the face I knocked the gun guri from his hand with my walking stick and shouted to Elsie to let go of him Her lieI shouts had roused the guards and hearing answering cries and the beat of hurrying feet on the walks he redoubled his efforts to escape I had hardly got my hands on him when with a twist of his hie body he wrenched himself free and sped away a aVa Va in the darkness I hadn't gone far in pursuit of him before belore I tripped over the skirts of my dressing gown and fell into a bed bell of ot 5 r t L g t ll 1 1 Flung Him Backward Over the Stone Curbing cannas This would have hn been less melancholy if Flynn hard behind hadn't stumbled over me and belIevIng believing believing ing he had captured the enemy gripped gripped grip grip- ped my legs until I could persuade him to let go The lights now flared on all ull the walks and driveways and Antoine was bellowing orders to the guards to surround surround sur sur- round the sunken garden I surmised that the fugitive surprised by the attack attack attack at at- tack had lost his bearings and was now nov far from the boundary wall back backof backof of ot the garage from which presumably he had entered the grounds With the Sound cutting oft off his exit be beyond ond the residence there was a fair fall chance chanco of catching him If Antoine's veterans were at all vigilant I found Antoine armed with a club and swinging a lantern majestically posed at the nearer entrance to the garden gar gar- den With a tall swallow coat over his nightshirt and his nightcap tipped over o one ear he was an enthralling figure As he strode toward me his slippers sUppers flapped weirdly upon the brick walk Theres somebody In the garden sir he whispered huskily The troops has hasIt hasIt hasit It surrounded No general in all fill history hIstory history his hIs- tory reporting In some critical hour the disposition of his army array could hun have been more composed You have done well Antoine Shall you dig In until morning or go over the top now nosy As you sa say sir Its It's better you should take charge I walked walled round the garden and found his men well distributed but the old I fellows were exceedingly nervous Its a bit suspicious sir that he broke for forthe forthe forthe the garden gaiden rema remarked Antoine lie He broke for tor the garden I suggested suggested suggested sug sug- because his line Une of retreat was cut off oft and he had to go somewhere Its queer though sir when Dutch has JUtS been sleeping on 00 the long bench down there by the fountain You know how we feel about him sir he being of ot that race Dutch told me he was camping In Inthe Inthe inthe the tool house I answered The liThe boys drove him out sir and he took to the garden Nasty of the boys I should say If that Interloper should murder him himA him him- A yell yeti rose roso from the tile midst of the garden followed by a crash and an Instant Instant instant In In- stant later by a splash that Interrupted Interrupt Interrupt- ed another yell rell I snatched lantern and ran down the steps toward the scene of commotion When I reached the pool the Jet was still playing gayly but the waters on one side were In furious agitation Two men were rolling and tumbling about as though thought bent upon drowning each other I swung the lantern over them just as Dutch got upon his feet gripping gripping gripping grip grip- ping his antagonist by the collar He flung him backward over the stone curbing of the pool and fell upon him In the walk with a swish of wet gar gar- garments ments The guards from the outer edges of ot the garden had clambered down and they gathered about us as I began questioning Dutch Dutch undoubtedly enjoying his victorious victorious victorious vic vic- encounter was tearing open the prostrate captives captive's collar to give ghe him air all and with his knees clamping the mans man's bod body was disposed to delay the story of or his adventures to Increase Its dramatic effect It lilt happens this evenin he began spouting water that I seen Elsie who's been me meals to the theold theold theold old stables an she says to me Dutch she says sas theys all nIl agin us here callin us Huns an we gotta show em wes we's good good Americans she says sas An she tole me a n feller been to tos s see e er erat at er et to rob the house fer Ter irn he er likely to do ut for fer love lo o 0 the kaiser She said as ow shed she'd nail Im when he comes tonight to o git a n fan tan she's promised to lift fer im She said that'd prove she wasn't no Dutchwoman and recommended If of T I got the chance to do the same I thought goin to happen an in on me bench here In Inthe Inthe inthe the garden when the hollerin at the garage woke m me up I sits quiet lIsten lIs- lIs ten In an nn this guy drops Into the garden garden garlen gar- gar den len an crawlin past me bench benchan benchan benchan an I pinches fro Im He Ile fer a fight an aD we knocks over one of the big lg urns an an lit in the tank He lie says Its It's a thousand bones an ye turn me loose he says an nn I soused m fer that The man was still sUll choking from the tho sousing and Dutch turned him over and pounded him vigorously on the back assisted b by Zimmerman the obliging valet who had seized the occasion occasion occasion oc oc- casion to show his hand on the side of the he allies Shall I telephone for the theBarton theBarton theBarton Barton police sir asked Antoine with an extreme exaggeration of his professional manner This was obviously the thing to do but I feigned not to hear bear the question while I debated the matter It lt was plain that many things relating to the capture were veiled In mystery that If f Mrs Bashford and her companion were vere involved in an International tangle tangle tan tan- gle and had in their possession something something some- some thing that vitali vitally concerned the tho na- na nations lons at war common chivalry demanded demand demand- ed d that I handle the arrest of Montant's Monta- Monta nl's nt's agent In such a manner as to shield them I was thinking hard andIn andin and In n my perplexity even considered sending ending a messenger to Torrence j but butic buthe he be ic was already suspicious and wo would ld be very likely to summon Raynor Immediately immediately im Im- mediately and precipitate a crisis I 1 Ivas Iwas was vas not prepared to face To Invite the he attention of the American state department department department de de- de- de to the Increasingly complex x situation would not be giving my ray aunt the he chance I meant she should have to clear lear herself hersel The captive had hall got upon his feet and nd stood dazedly staring at us He refused refused reused re re- re- re fused used to answer m my questions even when I suggested that if ho he could give a satisfactory account of himself he lie would be released He lie only doggedly shook hook his head When I asked If he had lad been hurt burt in his bout with Dutch Dutchie he ie smiled and extended his arms in denial He was a very looking decent fellow ellow blue e eyed blue cd and smooth-shaven smooth who vho seemed to accept his plight with witha a de degree ee of good humor I decided that as nothing would be gained toy by sending him to the Barton Burton calabo se that night I would assume the he responsibility of detaining him un- un until until til II I had groped ray my way through the haze taze of ot suspicions and circumstances that enveloped him Aunt Alice Count MonI Mon Mon- tani and the mysterious fan I TO BE CONTINUED |