Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 August 1919 — GREEN FANCY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GREEN FANCY

By GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON

it -GRAUSTARK.” THE HOLLOW OF HER HAND," THE PRINCE OF GRAUSTARK." ETC.

C-n '/* br Dodd. Mm 4 *ml Cmw. h*. BYNOPBIBCHAPTER I—Thomas K „ Baraaa. wealthy New Yorker, on a walking trip through New England, la caught in a ■torm miles from his destination. At a crossroads point he meets a girt In the same plight While they discuss the situation an automobile, sent to meet the girl, arrives and Barnes is given a Utt to Hart’s tavern, while the girl Is taken on to her destination, which she tells Barnes Is a place called Green Fancy, CHAPTER H—At the tavern Barnes falls in with a stranded troupe' of barnstorming" actors, headed by Lyndon Rush croft, and becomes interested in them. CHAPTEfIR ITT—Aa the storm grows, Barnes finds himself worrying over the safety of the girl, traveling over the mountain roads at what he considers dangerous speed. He learns tnat Green Fancy Is something of a house of mystery. Two mounted men leave the tavern in 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 the bringing of a dying man to the tavern, one of the two who had ridden away a short time before. They tell of finding the dead body of the other man. 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 Beto, guests at Green Fancy, visit the tavern, apparently much mystified over the 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 Vll—She seems not to be desirous 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 hie absence. O’Dowd comes to the-tavern and with Barnes and others goes over the scene of the previous night’s shooting. Barnes is Invited to dinner at Green FancH CHAPTER IX—His acquaintance of the Btorm is Introduced as Miss Cameron. The makeup of the house party, particularly a man Introduced to him as ’’Loeb,” and the number of menservants about the 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 Is a conspiracy of moment Hatching at Green Fancy. CHAPTER Xl—At breakfast the supposed book agent introduces himself as Sprouse, 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 Xll—Banyos agrees to accompany Sprouse on a nocturnal visit to Green Fancy, Sprouse with the object of securing the jewels, and Barnes with the hope of rescuing “Miss Cameron.

CHAPTER XIII. The Second Wayfarer Receives Two Visitors at Midnight. The coroner’s Inquest over the bodies of Roon and Paul was held that afternoon at St. Elizabeth. - Witnesses from Hart’s Tavern, were among those to testify. The verdict was “Murder at the hands of parties unknown.” Sprouse did not appear at the Tavern until long after nightfall. The secret agent listened somewhat indifferently to the latter’s account of his telephonic experiences. At nine o’clock he yawned prodigiously and announced that he was going to bed, greatly to the surprise of Mr. Barnfis, who followed him from the taproom and demanded an explanation. “People usually go to bed at night, don’t they?” said Sprouse patiently. “It is expected, I believe.” “But, my dear man, we are to undertake —” “I have some cause for believing that one of those chaps in there is from Green Fancy. Go to bed at ten o’clock, my friend, and put out your light I don’t insist on your taking off your clothes, however. I will rap on your door at eleven o’clock. By the way, don’t forget to stick your revolver in your pocket.” A few minutes before eleven there came a gentle tapping on Barnes’ door. He sprang to his feet and opened it, presenting himself before Sprouse fully dressed and, as the secret agent said later on, “fit to kill.” The night was as black as pitch. Barnes, trusting to the little man’s eyes and hanging close upon his coattails, followed blindly but gallantly in the tracks of the leader. It seemed to him that they stumbled along parallel to the road for miles before Sprouse came to a halt. “This Is the short cut to Green Fancy,” he whispered, laying his hand on Barnes* arm. “We save four or five miles, coming this way. Do you know where we are?” “I haven’t the remotest idea.” "About a quarter of a mile below Curtis’ house. Are you all right?” “Fine as a fiddle, except for a barked knee and a skinned elbow, a couple of more or less busted ribs. 7 I’ve banged into more trees than —” “Sh!” After a moment of silence, intensified by the mournful squawk of nizht y l —*- chorus of katy-

dlds, Spouse whispered, “Hid yon hear that?” - Barnes thrilled. This was real melodrama. "Hear what?" ha whispered •hilly. “Listen!” After a second or two: “There!" “It’s a woodpecker hammering on the limb of a—■" "Woodpeckers don't hammer st night, my lad. Don't stir 1 Keep your ears open." Sprouse dntched his companion’s arm and, dropping to his knees In the thick underbrush, pulled the other down after him. Presently heavy footsteps approached. An unseen pedestrian passed within ten yards of them, 'they scarcely breathed nntll the sounds passed entirely out of hearing. Sprouse put his lips close to Barnes’ ear. "Telegraph," he whispered. "It’s a system they have of reporting to each other. There are two men patrolling the grounds near the house. You see what we're up against, Barnes. Do you still want to go on with It?” *TII stay by you,” replied Barnes sturdily. Several minutes went by. There was not a sound save the restless patter of rain tn the tree tops. At last the faraway thud of footsteps came to the ears of the tense listener. They drew nearer, louder, and once more seemed to be approaching the very spot where he crouched. Then came the sound of a dull, heavy blow, a hoarse gasp, a momentary commotion in the shrubbery, and—again silence. Barnes’ blood ran cold. He waited for the next footfall of the passing man. It never came. A sharp whisper reached his ears. “Come here—quick!” He floundered through the brush and almost fell prostrate over the kneeling figure of a man. “Take care! Lend a hand,” whispered Sprouse. Dropping to his knees, Barnes felt for and touched wet, coarse garments, and gasped: “My God! Have you killed lilm?” “Temporarily,” said Sprouse, between his teeth. “Here, unwind the rope I’ve got around my waist. Take

the fend —here. Got a knife? Cut off a section about three feet long. I’ll get the gag in his mouth while you’re doing it. Hangmen always carry their own ropes,” he concluded, with grewsome humor. “Got It cut? Well, cut two more sections, same length.” With incredible swiftness the two of them bound the feet, knees and arms of the inert victim. “I came prepared,” said Sprouse, so calmly that Barnes marveled at the iron nerve of the man. “By heaven, Sprouse, I —l believe he’s dead. We —we haven’t any right to kill a—” “Don’t be flnlckx,” snapped Sprouse. “It wasn’t much of a crack, and it was necessary.’* Straightening up, with a sigh of satisfaction, he laid his hand on Barnes’ shoulder. “We’ve just got to go through with it now, Barnes. We’ll never get another chance. Putting that fellow out of business queers us forever afterward.” He dropped to his knees and began searching over the ground with his hands. “Here it is. You can’t see it, of course, so I’ll tell you what it is. A nic4 little block of sandalwood. I’ve already got his nice little hammer, so we’ll see what we can raise in the way of wireless chit-chat.” Without the slightest hesitation he struck a succession of quick* confident blows Upon the block of wood. “By gad, you are a wonder I” “Wait till tomorrow before you say that,” replied Sprouse, sententiously. “Come along now. Stick to the trail. We’ve got to land the other one.” Turning sharply to the right, Sprouse guided his companion through the brush for some distance, and once more came to a halt. Again he stole on ahead, and as before the slow, confident, even careless progress of a man ceased as abruptly as that of the comrade who lay helpless in the thicket below. Barnes laid a firm, detaining hand on the man’s shoulder. “See here, Sprouse,” he whispered, “It’s all very well for you, knocking men over like this, but Just what is your object? What does all this lead up to?” Sprouse broke in, and there was not the slightest trace of emotion in

hir wnmper. “Quite right You ought to know. I suppose you thought I was bringing you up here for a Romeo and Juliet tete-a-tete with the beautiful Miss Cameron —and for nothing else. Well, In a way, you are right But. first of all. my business is to recover the crown jewels and parchments. I am going into that house and take them •way from the man you know as Loeb, If he has them. If he hasn’t them my work here is a failure.” “Going into the bouse?" gasped Barnes. "Why, my God, man, that is impossible. You would be shot down as an ordinary burglar and —the law would justify them for killing you. I must insist —” “I am not asking you to go into the house, my friend. I shall go alone,” said Sprouse coolly. • “On the other hand, I came up here to rescue a helpless—” “Keep cool I It’s the only way. Now listen. She has designated her room and the windows that are hers. She is lying awake up there now, take it from me, hoping that you will refine tonight. I shall lead you directly to her window. And then comes the only chance we take—the only instance where we gamble. There will not be a light In her window, but that wont make any difference. This nobby cane I’m carrying is in reality a collapsible fishing rod. First we use It to tap gently on her window ledge or shade or whatever we find. Then you pass up a little note to her. Here is paper and pencil. Say that you are below her window and —all ready to take her aw’ay. Tell her to lower her valuables, some clothes, etc., from the window by means of the rope we’ll pass up on the pole. There is a remote possibility that she may have the jewels in hA’ room. For certain reasons they may have permitted her to retain them. If such is the case our work is easy. If they have taken them away from her she’ll say so, some way or another —and she will not leave! Now I’ve had a good look at the front of that house. It is covered with a lattice work and huge vines. I can shin up like a squirrel and go through her room to the —" "Are you crazy, Sprouse? You’d take your life in your hands and —” "See here,” said Sprouse shortly, “I am not risking my life for the fun of the thing. I am risking it for her, bear that in mind —for her and her people. And if lam killed they/ won’t even say ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.' So let’s not argue the point Are you going to stand by me out?” Barnes was shamed. “Hl stand by you,” he said, and they stole forward There were no lights visible. The house was even darker than the night itself; it was vaguely outlined by a deeper shade of black. At last they were within a # few yards of tfye entrance and at the edge of a small space that had been cleared of shrubbery. Here, Sprouse stopped and began to adjust the sections of his fishing rod. "Write,” he whispered. “There is a faint glow of light up there to the right. The third window, did you say? Well, that’s about where I should locate it” The tiny metallic tip of the red, held in the upstretched hand of Barnes, much the taller of the two men, barely reached the window ledge. He tapped gently, persistently on the hard surface. Just as they were beginning to think that she was asleep and that their efforts were in vain their straining eyes made out a shadowy object projecting slightly beyond the sill. After a moment or two of suspense Barnes experienced a peculiar, almost electric shock. Someone had seized the tip of the rod; it stiffened suddenly, the vibrations due to its flexibility ceasing. Someone was untying the bit of paper he had fastened to the rod, and with fingers that shook and were clumsy with eagerness. (TO BE CONTINUED.)

"My God! Have You Killed Him?”