| Show f 0 y LAIK 17 UDIT a cy CHAPTER IV continued 12 lynn flynn has caught the spirit 1 cried alice exultingly Ba badent Nent you flynn ilynn turning to confirm this caus ed the car to swerve and graze a truck plied piled high with household goods we may elude the pursuing knights I 1 suggested but some village constable may take it into his head bend to pinch us oh that would be lovely cried alice and well telegraph dear mr torrence lorrence to come and ball us out we ive reached barton at nine and after an informal supper I 1 listened to antoinet An solemn reports as I 1 walked to the garage the prisoner had dad made no sign he said and nothing had occurred during the day but theres tills this ar mr singleton which you ought to know sir the rhe old did people dont like the goings on liere here admit its all mighty queer I 1 dont complain sir but some of the boys threaten to leave sir and I 1 toot look at it this way that nobody understanding who what the spying and bribes offered and taking prisoners Is all about Is most peculiar we got to know where we stand what its come to sir and and the widow being flighty like and flynn coming home and saying nothing but shaking his head bead when we ask him where hes been you see for cor yourself sir how it looks to us what lie said as to the the general aspect of things was true but I 1 admit that it was true allep alice had con verten me to the notion that I 1 was a character in a story a plaything of rate fate and I 1 lighty brus brushed lied aside an colnes olnes melancholy plaint any man of you I 1 said who leaves this property will be brought back and shot tell that to the boys boesl I 1 nevertheless the perfect equanimity of the gentleman in the tool house a heu hen I 1 visited him the next morning shook my faith a trifle in the storybook features of life at barton he was an exemplary prisoner the guards guard s reported and lie he had maintained the strictest silence in my absence lit ate smoked and read courteous 13 thanking the men for their attentions and that was all when I 1 showed myself at the window lie he rose and threw down the magazine he bp was reading and replied good natu to my inquiry as to how lie was getting along 1 I have no complaint except that the guards snore outrageously the poor old chaps will steep sleep you know it if youre so badly guarded why dont you escape I 1 asked tartly it would relieve your mind a lot if I 1 should disappear lie asked insinuatingly you are impertinent I 1 replied irritated that lie he should have surmised that his pres presence euce was causing uneasiness it if you will come to your senses and tell me the meaning of your visits here we may agree upon terms As it stands stand youre a trespasser you tried to bribe n servant to rob the house if youre at all familiar with crimi criminal nat law in this country you can estimate the number number of years imprisonment that will be handed you tor for these little In discretions if its so plain why dont you hand bond me over tu to the authorities lie he asked provokingly cool im giving you a chance to confess and tell chos back of all this tell A yr whon I 1 showed myself at the window he rose we me just why your confederate mon tout Is annoying mrs bashford Bash tord and ill turn you loose it you wait tor for me to confess any thing you will wait forever he be re plied piled 1 I repeat that we are Im by the same motives you and 1 I think I 1 enlighten you as t what they are f awu 1 I shall be glad to hear bear your laa idea of rny my motives I 1 answered feebly 1 I shall be frank he replied readily the reason you dont turn me over to the police Is the very simple one that you dont want to embarrass the mistress of the house yonder by causing the light of publicity to beat upon her very charming head you wish to save her annoyance and possibly something much graver I 1 can see that you are impressed but it ought to please you to know that I 1 share your feeling of delicacy where she Is concerned and let trie me add that the count Is animated by like feeling so there we are exactly on the se same ground I 1 you yon answered my questions I 1 blustered to hide bide my annoyance at being thrust further into the file dark you dont understand mrs bashford I 1 went on hurriedly it Is inconceivable that anyone should wish to injure her or that she could have committed any act that would cause her to be spied upon ashes tremendously imaginative site she indulges in little fancies that are a part of her charm I 1 little fancies I 1 he repeated hiding biding a yawn its deplorable for a pretty woman to have an imagination theres danger therel there 1 your philosophy bores me I 1 said and left him he had lied about the snoring of the guards antoine satisfied me of that but I 1 gave instructions to double the watch CHAPTER V alice I 1 wanted to be alone and struck olt off for a wood that lay on the northern end of the estate this was the most picturesque spot on the property a wild confusion of trees and boulders on a summit in the midst of it uncle bash had built a platform round a majestic pine from which to view the sound I 1 mounted the ladder and was brushing the dead leaves from the bench when nhen somewhere below me and farther on I 1 heard voices try it from that boulder there alice said mrs airs farnsworth its an ideal place created for the very purpose I 1 could see them moving about and hear the swish of shrubbery and the scraping of their feet on the rough slope how will that do asked alice beautifully replied mrs farnsworth now go ahead from the beginning of the scene cautiously drawing back the branches I 1 espied alice striking a pose on a mammoth rock she bent forward clasping her knees and with an occasional glance at what appeared to be an open book beside her she began you ask me who I 1 am my lord ford it matters not at all who or what I 1 am let it suffice that berries are my food and the brook that sings behind me gives me drink to be one tiling thing or another Is weariness would you ask yonder oak for a name mime or trouble the wind with like foolish questions no it Is enough that a tree Is strong and fine to louk look upon ulon and that a wind has healing in its wings with her licad to one side and an all arresting gesture find and throwing into her voice all its charm and a new compelling innocence and sweetness tess she but ion would have a name then oh foolish one so much I 1 will tell you yesterday yi I 1 was lie liedell lell who launched it n choun and blimps and shook shoji the topless towers of ilium alay I 1 nm am rosalind aoi 11 in the forest of arden and tomorrow I 1 may be antigone or arlel ariel or viola or what lint you will I 1 lint am what hot I 1 wake make myself or choose to 10 lie be I 1 pray you let tillit that suffice my face was wet with perspiration and my heart thumped wildly for either I 1 was stark staring in mad ad or j these were ceru lines from searles larkspur the manuscript of abich mas carefully locked in my trunk that should he be spoken a trifle more slowly slid and with the best air of you can put into it mrs farnsworth was saying you can work it out better when youve the lines its lul lu morsely mon sely effective having the last scene come back to the big boulder on the mountainside let me look at that a nill minute nute slip took up the manuscript there was oo no question of the blue cover of my copy of lady larkspur and turned to the passage passage she sought let me road read this over mrs farnsworth continued 1 I have played my lord at hide and seek with the stars and I 1 have run races with the brooks you alone of all that have sought me are equally fleet of foot and heart I 1 if you but touch hand I 1 am lost forever and this hand I 1 beg you look at it la is as brown as a berry and as rough as hickory bark A wild little hand and not lightly to tc be yielded at any mans behest look at roe me carefully my loril lord she to full height quickly let me seo e you do that alice alices golden head became mort distinctively visible as she stood erect upon the boulder oh oo no I 1 you can improve on that I 1 it must be done lightly and quickly just touching the UPS tips of your fingers to the rock ah splendid now stand with one hand band dropped upon the hip let me see bow that looks very good now repeat these lines after me this other world of which hl ch you speak shake your head slowly frown frowning Ipg every hint bint of sincere doubt and questioning you can throw into look and gesture Is 19 it a kind I 1 world a place of honest hearts you have spoken of cities and crowded avenues of music and theaters and many things thing I 1 have read of but never seen you promise me much but blit what should I 1 do in so vast it a company I 1 am very happy here spring and summer sur miler flu fill my hands bands with flowers and la in iwanter winter I 1 lay my face to the wind that carries sleet and snow all this Is mine arms stretched out you make that stiff very good bearth and sky and forest belong to roe me the morning comes down the sky in search of me and the tired lay day bids me good night at the western gate you would mould change rags for silk you turn your body and catch your skirt in your hands looking down yes I 1 you are barefoot in this scene have to practice that turn now ow and yet I 1 should lose my dominion in that world you boast of I 1 should no more be lady larkspur alice had repeated these lines testing and trying different modulations sometimes a dozen repetitions hardly sufficed to satisfy mrs farnsworth worth who herself recited them and postured tor for alices instruction please rend read the whole of the second net act again said alice seating herself on the boulder I 1 waited tor for a few minutes enjoying the beautiful how flow of mrs Farn voice then mystified and awed I 1 crept down the ladder and stole away its dick searles play I 1 kept whispering to myself it was the lady larkspur k 41 A please read the whole of the second act again that he was polding folding back until tie he cou could find the girl that had so enchanted him in london and for whom lie he bar written this very comedy with its setting in the virginia bills hurrying to the garage I 1 snarled it t flynn who said torrence had bad been calling we me all morning and had finally left word that he would motor to carton barton nt at eight the next evening to see me on urgent business I 1 unlocked my trunk and dug out my copy of lady larkspur not even the lie wizardry of alice and her friend could have extra extracted eted the script the two women omen had in some way pos se c aed themselves of f another copy an exact duplicate even to its blue paper cover and I 1 sat down and began recalling everything searles hid had told me about his efforts to find the actress the telephone bone on the table nt at my elbow rang until flynn came in ly to quiet it if its k mr torrence currence Tur rence I 1 begin began its the barton station sir theres a tele telegram giana I 1 the hie receiver spitefully thinking it only I 1 the torrence Tor renco cotilli ining we hie appointment ande by telephone tele phyne put I 1 ut the ilia began reading spring field ohio september 30 1917 cable from london agent says last forwarding adi adili liess oss for violet debing wit was hotel in seattle Se atile please lease ask harkaway Hark uway stein nud anybody else on oil broadway who might know what companies are on coast or headed that way iud field no clew in theatrical papers and dont want to mess things toy by making inquiries direct if party ell ann cnn to be located will start west immediately wed lately searles thy the thou glit of searles was comforting and I 1 reproached myself for not having summoned him at the beginning begina a 1 I 1 ng of rov my perplexities I 1 immediately diCta dictated tid this reply take first train east and come to me at barton as quickly as possible hope to have news for you yoo TO to BE CONTINUED |
