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PAGE TWELVE (v* t INTRODUCTION Isabel Perry recommends a life of crime, adventure, romance and ex citement as a cure for Archibald Ben- net’s nerves. Archie goes to Bailey Harbor to investigate a house for his sister—and spends the night in the empty house. He is awakened by foot steps during the night; the intruder fires at him and misses. Archie fires in return. He doesn’t know whether he has killed or only wounded the man, but fearing the publicity, plans to make his escape. In his flight he meets “The Governor”—a master-mind criminal who mistakes him for a fel low criminal. Archie, afraid to tell the truth, falls in with “The Governor.” A series of events lead him to believe he has has shot Putney Congdon—the owner of the house. They proceed to New York, where they are visited by Julia, the Governor’s sister. Archie promises her he will stick with the Governor through the strange phase she claims he is passing through. While strolling in the park, Archie sees Mrs. Congdon with her two chil dren, and is witness to the kidnapping of the little girl, Edith. He learns from the Governor that the father-in- law of Mrs. Congdon—a very wealthy man—is engaged in the circulation of counterfeit twenty-dollar gold pieces. They -go to Rochester, where the Gov ernor receives'a letter from Ruth, the girl he loves, in which she tells him he* may be able to serve. At a dance at Ruth’s, home, Archie meets Isabel! Now read on: . or 1 shouldn’t have flared as I did at i Archie, is to find the Congdon child Portsmouth and I was even more ir- and turn ht r over to your Isabel and responsible when I saw’ you in that my Ruth. /. very pretty job, demand- parlor car/at Bennington. And please; ing our best attention.” don’t think that because I am showing “But we’n not leaving here until—” you so much tolerance I am wholly “You werj about to say that we satisfied that you weren’t trying to can’t shake he dust of Rochester from thwart my own criminal adventures, our sandah before we’ve made our When we met at Portsmouth I was party calls Alas, no! We shall not 1 trying to meet’ poor Mrs. Congdon communicats with our ladies again, somewhere to help kidnap her little girl!". “Edith First we must justify their confidence 4in us and find the Congdon child. It’s a lovely child,” Archie re- still the oj>en road for us, Archie. marked, and picked up the napkin Good-night and pleasant dreams!” that slipped from her knees. He en- The new car which the Governor joyed her surprise. purchased proved to be a racer and “If I hadn’t been warned by Ruth he drove it with the speed of a king’s that you were to be trusted in this messenger bearing fateful tidings, business I should begin screaming.; “We ride for our ladies! Let the How did you know’ the child’s name? constables go hang!” What do you know about the Cong- At Buffalo the Governor made ear- dons?” “Volumes! Let my imagination play on your confession. You were trying nest efforts to rent a yacht, without confiding to Archie just what use he expectedto make of it. No yachts be- !. r"' s ' “In spite of my warnings you con tinue to follow me!” said Isabel when they were 'established in the supper room. “Are we goirjg to have another row ? I don’t believe I can go through with it.” “No; for -rows haven’t got us any where. And Ruth whispered to me a moment ago to be very nice to you. While the gentleman on the other side of me is occupied we might clear up matters a little.” “It’s not in my theory of life to ex plain things; I tried explaining myself at Portsmouth and again at Benning ton but)* you were singularly unsym pathetic. Please be generous and tell me why you were skipping all over New England, darting through trains and searching hotel registers and man ifesting uneasiness when policemen appeared.” « “It occurred to me after the Ben nington interview that I might have been unjust, but I was in a humor to suspect everyone. When you said you had shot Putney Congdon you fright ened me to death. Of course you did nothing of the kind!” “This is wonderful'chicken salad,” he said hastily.* “I beg yoy to do it full justice. The people about us must not get the idea that we’re discussing homicide. Now, to answeriyour ques tion. I had shot Mr. Putney Congdon and in edging away from the scene of my bloodshed I was guilty of other in discretions that made me chatter like a maniac when I saw you.” ’ “My own nerves had gone to pieces In a Bad Fix from INDIGESTION ”1 had suffered with indi gestion for 6 yeara,” says Mr. H. C. Dove, R. F. D. 4, Chester, I 8. C. 1 had gotten to the place where I could hardly eat a thing—everything hurt me. I had smothering spells and fell off 20 pounds. I was in a bad fix. "I read of Black-Draught and decided to try it. I do not believe that I would have been living today had It Qot been for Black-Draught. I-had gotten to where J -enly -ate milk and crackers, but after, taking Black-Draught I began to eat and gradually got my appetite back. I gained in weight and felt better. 1 have not had a bad spell of indigee- tion in ten months. 1 ' Thedford’s Blfck-Draught is prepared is s powder from medicinal roots and herbs. In use over 86 yeaf*. Sold everywhere. 26 < to find Mrs. Congdon and whisk the j ing in the market, the Governor set child away to your camp, when I'ran about hiring a tug, and did in fact into you. You had missed connections | lease one for a month from a dredjg- with the mother and thought I was j ing company, paying cash and the trying to embarrass or frustrate you ? ' wages of the crew in advance, and re- I had troubles of my own and you serving an option to buy. The Arthur couldn’t have done me a greater B. Grover was to be sent to Cleveland wrong!” and held there for orders. He might “Mrs. Congdon was in a panic, skip- want to negotiate the lakes as far as ping about with the children to avoid Duluth, he told the president of the her husband; but it was really her company, who was surprised and cha- father-in-law who was pursuing herr grined when the aingular Mr. Sauls- Mrs. Congdon loves her husband and bury readily accepted a figure that from what Ruth says he’s devoted to was intended to be prohibitive, her, but he father-in-law is a mali- j “We must be ready for any thing,” cious mischief maker. I came here to he remarked to Archie. “The signs meet Ruth, who is an old friend of point to a disturbance of great waters, hers, hoping she might be able to de- and there’s nothing like being pre liver the little girl to me undetected, pared.” I was to run with Edith as hard as I At Cleveland Archie’s last doubt as could for Heart O’ Dreams, my girls’ to his mentor’s connection with the camp, you know, up in Michigan.” underworld of which he talked so en- > “How stupid I am! With a word tertainingly was removed. Reaching you might have made unnecessary-our the city at midnight the car was left two altercations! W’e have but a mo- at a garage downtown, their trunks ment more, and I shall give you in | expressed to Chicago, and they £rrix-j tabloidfortn my adventures to date.’V'ed by a devious course at an ill-smell-1 Of the Governor he spoke guarded- ing boarding house. Here, the Cover- j ly, finding that Isabel knew nothing nor informed him, only the aristocracy | about hi mbeyond a shadowy impres- of the preying professions were re-! about him beyond a shadowy impres-; ceived. * he was a wanderer who had charmed j * Next morning Archie was dragged her fancy. When he finished he said: : from the hardest bed he had ever slept “We can’t stay here any longer, I' in. suppose; there’s a young blade at the “No more scented soap!” cried the door looking for you now. Is there Governor. Here’s where we get down any way I can serve you?” to brass tacks and let our whiskers “Ruth has explained all that to Mr. flourish!” .Saulsbury by now. She felt sure that He threw a rough suit of clothes on he would help; and, believe me, I have a chair and bade Archie get into it as confidence in you.” quickly as possible. Archie and the Governor walked “We shall leave this thriving city as back to the hotel in the best of humor, farm hands eager to step softly upon As they crossed the lobby the Gover-ithe yielding clod. We go by trolley a nor suddenly slapped his pockets and | little way, and if you have never sur* walked up to the cigar stand. A tall veyed the verduous Ohio valley from man in a gray traveling cap Y as talk-1 a careening trolley car you have a joy ing earnestly to. the clerk, meanwhile.; coming to you. But don’t assume that spinning a twentyrdollar gold piece on ; we shall ride all the way; it’s afoot the show case. The Governor purchas-; for us, Archie! We shall be tramps ed some cigarettes and while waiting seeking honest labor but awfully for change nodded to the stranger who choosey about the jobs we take!” absently responded and began tapping The first night they slept in a barn, the coin with the handle of a penknife, without leave, begged a breakfast and “Not many of those things in circu- walked until Archie cried for mercy, lation nowadays,” the Governor re- At the end of the fourth day as they marked, thrusting the cigarettes into kicked their heels against the pier of his pocket. The stranger carelessly a bridge that spanned the Sandusky, inspected the two g'entlemen in even- watching the stars slip into their plac ing dress and handed the coin to the , es in the soft tne^er sAy, the Gover- Governor. nor’s quick ear detected the step of a i“What d’ye think of that?” <he asked, pedestrian approaching from the west. The Governor turned the gold disk “Unless we’ve missed a turn some- to the light and then flun& it sharply where, that’s Perky. A punctual chap; on the wooden end of the counter, this is the exact time and place for | where it rang musically. He handed it our meeting, and he should be&r tid- ( back with a smile. ! irtgs of interest in our affairs.” “The real thing, all right! Wish I, The man, who was dressed like a had a couple of million just like it.” farm laborer, responded carelessly to “It’s a good thing you haven’t!” the i the Governor’s greeting, and swung ! man remarked with a grin. j himself ^o a seat beside him on the l “It doesn’t seem possible we cafi' abutment. lose!” he said when they reached their! “What news of the lamb in the-pas- The Christmas Store Fjor Men The Old Cry of “What Will I Give Him?” Is Answered by Something from Dillard’s ' Gifts men appreciate are gifts to wt lar. We have them for you, one and all, assured in style and worthy in War and value, something to please your taste—and his—at every price. Come soon, while selections are at their best, arid your search for “gifts mien appreciate” will be richly rewarded. ( QUALITY MEN’S WEAR “Choose Men’s Gifts in a Men’s! Store” L. B. Dillard “THE ONE PRICE STORE” Clinton, S. C. . / Phone 142 rooms. “There will be cross-currents yet; but a strong tide has set in, bear ing us qne.” “That chap was Dobbs, a Govern ment specialist in counterfeiters, and that twenty-dollar piece had* almost the true ring, but not'quite. The man who turned it out showed me the dif ference only yesterday. Perky? Cer tainly! He said Eliphalet Congdon had taken a bagful to pass on the unwary. The old boy had changed a lot of them in New England and the Government is not ignoring the matter.” “You don’t think old roan Congdon has been here lately?” asked Archie. “Only a day or two ago! I picked that up while I was buying my maga- *21 zinc. Congdon bought some stogies cigar stand and changed Thcdforti/ L . .r Tjuj ‘ ■ < twenty. “We’re all loaded for Elipha let, Archie. After you told roe your kidnapping story, I telegraphed to Perky for all the possible places where the old man might be. Perky has ranged the country with him and from his data we can keep tab on old boy. Dobbs Tchows nothing of. <[he kidnapping; it’s the gold piec^fthit interests^ him.. -I •overheard ^tfough to know we’re on the right y rac k ¥ gij. phalet Congdon owns a ffr rm in Ohio. Perky spent a month t^gre boring but gold pieces. What w£ve got to do, t|ire ?” the Governor inquired. “The little lamb is not happy. The father is expected tonight. I’ve got orders to chop wood while he’s on the reservation.” ♦’The son is not wise to the metal trick and you drop into the back ground?” “The true word has been spoken, brother.” “The son has long been on the road,. What caused him to linger?” y “A’broken arm, so the old maifhas it; and repairs have been m^ e in a hospital at Portland by th£ eastern sea.” “Is there work in the. fields for will ing hands? Shall wf^ find welcome as laborers keen for <die harvest?” asked the Governor. “The slsvejdriver weeps from lack of help ,and th* pay is high. You will be welcome^' When the sun makes its sbort^t shadow tomorrow you will siSTs papers for the voyage,” ” /“Do I understand,” Archie a^ked at (length, “that tomorrow we’re going to find jobs on Eliphalet’s plantation and kidnap his granddaughter?” “Much as I hate to anticipate, Ar chie, it’s not only little Edith we’re going to kidnap! 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