Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1919 — GREEN FANCY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GREEN FANCY

By GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON

XfJUr a “GRAUSTARK." TW HOLLOW OF HESHANU-THE prince of graustark." etc

C«nWM W DUI. m 4 Cmvmt. Im. x SYNOPSIS. croaaroads point ho moots a girl In tho aamo plight. WhUo they discuss the situation on automobile. sentto meet the girl, arrives and Barnes is given a lift to Hart's tavern, while tho girl is taken on to her destination which she tolls Barnes is a place called Green Fancy. CHAPTER ll—At the tavern Barnes tails in with a stranded troupe of "barnstormlng" actors, headed by Lyndon Ruahcroft, and becomes interested in them. CHAPTER ITT-As tho storm grows, Barnes finds himself worrying over the Sk\fety of the girl, traveling over the mountain roads at what he considers dangerous speed. He learns tnat Green gUncy Is something of a house of mystery. Two mounted men leave the tavern tn a manner which arouses Barnes curiosity. CHAPTER IV—He meets "Miss Thackeray," leading lady of the stranded theatrical troupe, who is acting as chambermaid That night he is aroused by tho bringing of a dying man to tho tavern, one of the two who had ridden away a short time before. They tell of finding the dead body of the other Both had been shot.

CHAPTER V—The wounded man, registered at the tavern as Andrew Paul, dies, and Barnes is informed he must not leave until after the inquest. O’Dowd and De Soto, guests at Green Fancy, visit the tavern, apparently much mystified over tho affair. CHAPTER VT—Barnes advances Rushcroft money sufficient to release the company from its embarrassing position, thereby becoming its official backer. He visits Green Fancy, and In the grounds meets his acquaintance of the night before, finding her a girl of surprising beauty. CHAPTER Vn—She seems not to be Ceslrous of recognising him, and turns away. ‘O’Dowd appears and in apparently friendly fashion escorts Barnes (who feels he Is unwelcome) from the grounds. CHAPTER Vlll—Miss Thackeray warns Barnes that a man stopping at the tavern, ostensibly a book agent, had searched his baggage in his absence. O'Dowd comes to thestavern and with Barnes and others goes over the scene of.the previous night’s shooting. Barnes is invited to dinner at Green Fancy. CHAPTER IX—His acquaintance of the •torm Is introduced as Mias Cameron. The makeup of the house party, particularly a man introduced to him as Loeb," •nd the number of menservants about tho place, somewhat astonishes Barnes. CHAPTER X—Miss Cameron informs him she is a prisoner in the house, appealing to him for aid and binding him to secrecy In conversation with the chauffeur who drives him back to the tavern, Barnes becomes convinced there >ta a conspiracy of moment Batching at Green Fancy. CHAPTER Xl—At breakfast the supposed book agent introduces himself as Bprouse, a government secret agent. Sprouse tells Barnes he is there to watch the party at Green Fancy, describing them as refugees from a country overrun by the Germans. He -asserts that "Miss Cameron” is a relative of the former ruler of the devastated country and that she or "Loeb” have with them the crown jewels, of enormous value, which Sprouse would recover.

CHAPTER XII. The First Wayfarer Accept* an Invitation. Barnes insisted that the first thing to be considered was the release of Miss Cameron. “If we can’t think of any other way to get her out of this devilish predicament, Sprouse, I shall apply to Washington for help.” “And be laughed at, my friend,” said the secret agent. “It is not a matter for the government to meddle 'in at all." “Well, something has to be done at once,” said Barnes doggedly. “She is depending on me. If you could have seen the light that leaped into her glorious eyes when I —” “Yes, I know. I’ve heard she is quite a pretty girl. You needn’t—” “Quite a pretty girl!” exclaimed Barnes. "Why, she is the loveliest thing that God ever created. She has the face of —” “I am beginning to understand O’Dowd’s interest in her, Mr. Barnes. He has probably fallen in love with her with as little difficulty as you have experienced, and almost as expeditiously. He has seen a little more of her than you. but —■”

“Doni talk nonsense. Tm not in love with her."

“Can you speak with equal authority for Mr. O’Dowd? Ho la a very susceptible Irishman, I am told.” “I don’t believe he will get much encouragement from her, Mr. Sprouse," •aid Barnea stiffly. “If she is as clever as I think she la she will encourage him tremendously. I would If I were in her place. Mr. O’Dowd is only human. He Isn’t immune." “I catch the point, Mr. Sprouse," •aid Barnes, rather gloomily. -He did not like to think of the methods that might have to be employed In th® subjugation of Mr. O’Dowd. “There la a rather Important question rd like to ask. Is she even remotely eligible to her country's throne?" “Remotely, yes,” said Sprouse. “So remotely that she could marry • chap like O’Dowd without giving much thought to future compllcatlons?” Ke ventured. “She’d be Just as safe in marrying O'Dowd as she would in marrying you," was Sprouse’s unsatisfactory response. The man's brow was wrinkled In thought. “See here, Mr. Barnes, I am planning a visit to Green Fancy tonight How would you like to accompany me?" “I’d like nothing better," said Barnes, with enthusiasm. “Will you agree to obey Instructions I I can’t have you muddling things up, you know." “The grounds are carefully guarded,” said Barnes, after they had discussed the project for some time. “Miss Cameron is constantly under the watchful eye of one or more of the crowd.”

“I know. I passed a couple of them last night,” said Sprouse calmly. “By the way, don’t you think it would be very polite of you to Invite the Green Fancy party over here to have an Oldfashioned country dinner with you tonight?” “It would be useless, Mr. Sprouse. They will not come.” “I am perfectly aware of that, but it won’t do any harm to ask them, will itr Bternes chuckled. “I see. Establishing myself as an Innocent bystander, eh?” “Get O’Dowd on the telephone and ask him If they can come,” said Sprouse. “But there Is Jones to consider. The telephone Is In his office. What will he think—” “Jones is all right,” said Sprouse briefly. “Come along. You can call up from my room.” He grinned slyly. “Such a thing as tapping the wire, you know." / Sprouse had Installed a telephone in his room, carrying a wire upstairs from an attachment made in the cellar of the Tavern. He closed the door to his little room on the top floor. “With the landlord’s approval,” he explained, pointing to the Instrument, “but unknown to the telephone company, you may be sure. Call him up about half past ten. O’Dowd may be up at this unholy hour, but not she. Now I must be off to discuss literature with Mrs. Jim Conley. The hardest part of my Job is to keep her from subscribing for a set of Dickens. Conley’s house is not far from Green Fancy. Savvy?” Barnes, left to his own devices, wandered from taproom to porch, from porch to forge, from forge to taproom, his brain far more active than his legs, his heart as heavy as lead and as light as air by turns. More than once he felt like resorting to a well-kfiown expedient to deter* mine whether he was awake or dreaming. Could all this be real?

Ten minutes later he was in Sprouse’s room, calling for Green Fancy over an extension wire that had cost the company nothing and yielded nothing in return. After some delay O’Dowd’s mellow voice sang out: “Hello 1 How are you this morning?” “Grievously lonesome,” replied Barnes, and wound up a doleful account of himself by imploring O’Dowd to save his life by bringing the entire Green Fancy party over to dinner that night

O’Dowd was heart-broken. Personally he would go to any extreme to save so valuable a life, but as for the rest of the party, they begged him to say they were sorry to hear of the expected death of so promising a chap and that, while they couldn't come to his party they would be delighted to come to his funeral. In short, it would be impossible for them to accept his kind invitation. The Irishman was so gay and good-humored that Barnes took hope. “By the way, O’Dowd, Pd like to speak with Miss Cameron If she can* come to the telephone.” “Don’t be surprised if you are cut off suddenly. The coast is clear for the moment, but — Here, Miss Cameron. Careful flow.” Her voice, soft and clear and trembling with eagerness, caressed Barnes* eager ear. “Mr. O’Dowd vdHl see that nd evil befalls me here, but he refuses to help me to get away. I quite understand and appreciate his position. I cannot ask him to go so far as that. Help will have to come from the outside. It will be dangerous—terribly dangerous —** * “You say O’Dowd will not assist you to escape?” “He urges me to stay here and take my chances. He believes that everything will turn out well for me in the end, but lam frightened. I must get away from this place.” “Then keep your eyes and ears open for the next night or two. Can you tell me where yqur room is located?”

“It is one flight up; the first nt the two windows In my room is the third to the right of the entrance. I am confident that someone is stationed below my windows all night long.” “You atlll Insist that I am not to call on the authoritlee for help?” “Yes, yea I That must not even be considered. I have not only myself to consider, Mr. Barnea. I am a very •mall atom Id —” “All right I We’ll get along without them” he said cheertlf. "Afterward

we will discuss we importance or atoms.” “And your reward as well, Mr. Barnes," she said. Her voice trailed off Into an indistinct murmur. He heard the receiver click on the hook, and after calling “hello” twice hung up his own with a sigh. Evidently (VDowdhad warned her of the approach of a less considerate person than himself. (TO BE CONTINUED.)

“Hello! How Are You This Morning?"