Show r DINSMORES DINSMORE'S FOLLY fOll C Y By CRITTENDEN N MA MARRIOTT ROTT Illustrations by YIN IR MYERS DYERS I Service e 0 Copyright A I JJ 1 CHAPTER IX IX-Cont IX Continued IX-Continued Continued 15 15 The reporters groaned In chorus No use asking Mr Paul n L anything explained the nice one lies lie's got the sphinx backed ofT off the map mop A clam clamIs Is real voluble compared to him If you wouldn't mind asking him anti and then tipping Upping It off ofT to us wed we'd be bc awfully nw aw fully tully gra grateful I Inu laughed he The mans man's Impudence was was' refreshing Well Vell I suld Ill think about It Meanwhile Ill I'll have to talk to him first If It theres there's nothing el else you want to ask osk nie ne Ill I'll talk to him now This was a 8 pretty broad brond hint and andI r 3 I hated to give gl It They were all such nice boys But I l was getting scared They were altogether too toor r nice 1 I didn't know what they might V make me say If I kept on talking r By this time Mr Pauls Paul's auto had bud come up Mr Paul Jumped out of ol the car cor and ond came up on the porch lie nodded In do response to the thc newspaper newspapermen's newspapermen's newspapermen's mens men's greetings and then turned to tome tome tome me and Josephine and said Good morning Then he turned b brick back ck to the newspaper men I 1 hope Im I'm not Interrupting you gentlemen he said Oh no not at oil nil chorused two going when or three We were Just Miss Dinsmore Ins more suggested that we wait walt and ond ask osk you to tell us where Mr Dinsmore Is Mr Paul shook nis bead I 1 haven't beard anything from him he de claret I came out here to see whether Miss had beard nn anything His properties will suffer suITer badly In Inthe Inthe Inthe the stock market today If It he doesn't turn up to support them wont won't they ther asked one of the reporters I III dont don't know I dont don't know responded responded re re- Mr Paul Of course well we'll miss n assistance but well we'll try to protect pro protect hl his holdings for tor him Still SUII ol of course the situation Is serious You all nil know that It wouldn't do any ony good for me to deny It It IL It lilt Is rumored that the X R Y Z has hos already gained control of Mr Ir Dinsmores Dinsmore's railroad Is that so Mr Paul Mr I r. r Paul shook his head If It Is IsI 1 I don donl know It he be replied The uTile Gazette te says there was treachery Mr Dinsmores Dinsmore's supporters sup sup- porters suggested tej another reporter and that some one In to his confidence threw him down dawn How Flow about that Nothing to soy say replied Mr P Paul ulI ul I 1 cant can't deny cleny all the fool stories you young youn men Invent inxent How do you explain the large sales of ot X Y I Z tock stock yesterday demanded another reporter orter Mr Paul seemed a n little startled I 1 hadn't noticed that there were any ony large lame sales snIps of X S Y Z 7 Z he said sold I 1 dont don't think there were ere though thought I must admit that Ive I've been more Interested In watching our own own road thun In bothering the X N Y Z I don dont t I suppose the sales can enn he be of much con consequence fJ Now ow gentlemen gentlemen- Depo Lie He po paused used This time the reporters took the hint and turned away When th they y were out o of nf f earshot Mr Paul turned to me and Josephine Is that story In the Gazette this morning substantially correct he In in- I nodded Yes Its It's about right I sold said Except that neither Josephine nor I or are quite the noble self self- and altogether fair damsels that daft Fred made us out to be And you ou b haven't nen seen your faCher fa father father ther Cher I shook my head No uNo 1 haven't seen II him Im but I 1 ha e have have- Josephine trod on my foot again This time I 1 didn't show uny any emo 1 J had bud gathered that Josephine did not want me to tell the tile newspaper newspapermen men that I had heard Fathers Father's voice on the telephone und and now I grasped the fuel filet that she didn't want me to tell Mr Paul either I couldn't under understand understand stand why she didn't want him to ro know but I knew that Josephine never ne acted without pretty good gOllel ren reason when she acted at all nil So I turned the subject We haven't ho seen hire him and w eve Wt haven't hO S sw seen n J II u 01 who could tell us about him him I said salcI In foot fart we haven't seen anybody hlll but Fred James and nud he Just said that he was sure Father would win out Humph 1 Mr Paul grunted Then he looked at nt his watch Ive got to hurry burry back to town for tor the opening of the market he sol said In all ull probability probability ability it today will show considerable perturbation and ond I J want to he In reach reach of It It If you yon near anything of your fathers father's whereabouts be sure to telephone me at once Dont Don't forget torget This Is la extremely Important It may affect your four fathers father's entire fortune He De pulled out a card cord My ly telephone number Is on this card he added Dont fall fail to call me I took the card cord he offered I wont won't forget I said Mr Patel got Into his car and ond started toward file Uie break hrank In the wall As I 1 stood watching him Idl Id I l saw siw a woman woman wooman wo woo man coming corning the road toward him and of course toward the house She wu was a n long way ny off ore but I recognized lH her r at ot once as 08 Miss Inbert tubert I 1 couldn't mistake that prancing walk of hers Mr Jr Paul Poul seemed to recognize nize her too tuo for he stopped the car suddenly though so su far as os I 1 could see she had not en e noticed him Of if course 1 I could not hear henr what hut they said and I 1 could coul not see Mr Ir Paul for the car concealed him but hut I could see Miss Labert taher and ond 1 I watched her herwit wit with h much The conversation was short Mist Miss Labert listened fi for r a 0 moment then she tossed her head and came on toward the house Mr Pauls Paul's auto stood still for a while and I could imagine him staring starin after her Then he went on Then I heard a 0 sort of ol rumbling beside beside be side me nie and looked loul d around and saw nw Per Ier Perkins kips kills glaring toward Miss Lahert thrusting his hen head II In aria and out and cuss CURS W im 1 V Vf f r I i m v 1 J t I t 1 I II t e Nothing to Say Replied Mr PaulI PaulJ Paul I J 1 Cant Can't Deny All the Fool Stories You Young Men Inv Invent nt ing lag beneath his breath I couldn't understand a 8 word he said hut but I 1 krew It was cuss words It couldn't e have been anything on else This gave me something to think about I 1 suddenly remembered that A An Au Angust August II gust day long before when Perkins hind had glared after Mr Jr Paul and I remembered remembered remembered re re- how he had dived ert between the plants In the ballroom after Miss Labert only the night before Now he was glaring at ot both of them theta A dim suspicion began to shape Itself Itsell In my mind Miss Labert Lahert was Pei kins' kins lost wile wife and Mr Paul had hatI been the villain who had enticed her away I I was perfectly certain of it Miss Labert rt was still some sane distance away ayay I glanced toward her and then turned to Mrs Jal James Intending to tu tute te tell teH 1 her ot of my discovery ery But nut she beat beut me to It Was that Mr air Paul she slue asked She sl seemed a u little disturbed I nodded Why I yes I said Do 00 you know him He called coiled on me a 0 week or t two vo ago about a u thousand shares of stuck stock I owned In the A ABO B U 0 railroad lie He said paid 0 leI that your yur father wanted to buy huy them I refused to sell and then he lie heu u asked ked fat foi UI my proxy for use at nt a n meet meetIng Ing log that rim I he said was about to h 1 he held A dim rf recollection of ot time tile converse erso tion flun het veen lither and und Mr r Paul came ame lute luto my ary Yes I That must have been the tile thousand shares thai that father asked Mr Paul to 10 I trace I think he said some one oue had taken them WP West t A tt good many years year ago and that flint unless he got flIt thc diem no UP would Luse cant control of the tile runt road Mrs Jut James mimes looked Inched doubtful Alt Ah Jr Paul aul didn't toll loll me cite m that It II was su so necessary us as all that she said lint But Bult t these may he be the time silo shares res fill foi I 1 did get het e thorn them from the West I Inherited them fn an un uncle who died In San Sun Francisco l two or ar three years year ago I gave e a Mr Paul taul the proxy Thank you sou ever er fo so much flinch I 1 said ald Im Tm hp beginning to recollect pretty I well ui-ll II now V and I know Father wanted the time timeshares shares pretty prett badly hadly lie Ile Ie said suh that Flint with that thousand shares he tie would he all allright allright right and without thorn them he would be he beall beall all nil wrong It II was au nu fully frilly good gaud of you Sun But flat But glanced toward Miss Lahert who was now v very cry near near near- hut theres there's something I want to tell Mis Mrs James Interrupted you know how women do Interrupt I III 1 was us glad to do It she said e T nl always s 's been heen satisfied with your our fathers father's manage manage- mont of the road rondo From rom what Fred red I told mt lost Ins nl ni night ht h I gathered that some one was trying to take It away awny from him and ontI I was gin glad glud d to help I him retain It I 1 wanted to ask osk Mr Paul Panl about It H. From rom your our fathers father's having ha disappeared I 1 was os afraid that there here might have ho been heen some mistake No o there wasn't wasn t any ony mistake I said Father told Mr Jr Paul to get the shares for him and If It he be did ro o 0 Its It's all rl right ht But I want to to- to I broke e oft off oIT offIt It t f was too late to tell my suspicions I for Miss Labert Lahert was almost upon us So perforce I turned to greet her Mrs Airs James and ond Josephine and nad fallen fallena a u little back and I decided not to In Introduce traduce them I didn't think she wa wu waa wuI wua I a proper person pelson for Josephine to know or or me either for that matter Still In the Interest of of-er-In of er In Fathers Father's In Interests Interests I would risk her Good morn Inc inn I said Miss Lahert returned my gr greeting cheerfully Aunt Aint It the truth she said It sure Is cne one good morning I reckon these October days are about the flossiest bossiest In the year Hows How's Mayo today Mayo Indeed I Almost I 1 flashed out at her How dared she she how how dared Perkins' Perkins wife e even en If It she hadn't disgraced disgraced dis dis- graced herself how herself how dared she call Mr Braxton by his given gl name I shook nil all over for a minute then I quieted down I couldn't he be Jealous of a creature lII like e her And besides she wn was wo o n lot 10 older than thon I was Mr Ir Braxton has hns gone cone I 1 answered sweetly Gone I Good Heavens Where The womans woman's consternation was evident evi l dent dentI I J 1 dont don't know I 1 ed still sweetly tIe lie went away very ery early The doctor took him I believe e HP ila did lid not wake us ns to say good hy He lIe left a note for us Miss Labert's face foce cleared Say Suy that was a real rotten thing to do she exclaimed with conviction I didn't think It of Mayo In o Hes He's always peen been real gentlemanly However If it time the doctors doctor's got gut him Its It's all rl right ht So long she nodded d and ond turned away Then abruptly she glanced hack back and burst out Dont von vou orr worry she said Hell come back hark all nil right Take Ta Ie It from me She turned away again oguin and ond this time she he did not nut look heck back h k It II was Just as os well for I 1 was completely com corn flabbergasted Great Grent Scott I IDid IDid Did I betray myself so plainly as os nil that brit Very ery nearly I fainted with mar mor Mrs James James' voice olce brought ht me hack back to earth Who U IF tF that remarkable person she asked as ns she and Joseph Josephine JosephInc ine Inc came carne forward Instantly Perkins lashed Into my 01 memory Who I Is she sheT I echoed Who Is she She calls herself Miss Mis lIs Labert Lahert but that Isn't her name She's She Perkins Perkins' runaway wife trite und and she eloped with Mr Jr Paul If I hud had wanted to create n a sea sen sat ion I had hucl succeeded beautifully boa ii Josephine gasped anti anel for once broke out nut In speech itile Ellie l J she cried In horror st stricken tones Wiles Are you jou HI sure How slid did you thud out nut Does Ines Perkins know v I was about to tell I the he w whole lole tale talc when Mrs l James Interrupted Youre ro wrung wrong II J Edith II slip she sold said positively I knew Mary Alary Perkins lerkins well weli and she sill Isn't half the tile size of rf Miss l Labert and she doesn't doesn look a 11 hit lilt her TO BE CONTINUED |