Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 September 1919 — GREEN FANCY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GREEN FANCY

By GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON

“GRAUSTARK." “THE HOLLOW OF HER HAND," “THE PRINCE OF GRAUSTARK." ETC,

QavtWhi bv E>Ui Mm 4 mJ Cm»mv. Im. SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I—Thomae K. wealthy New Yorker, on a walking trip through New England, is caught in a storm miles from hie destination. At a crossroads point he meets a girl in the same plight While they discuss the situation an automobile, sent to ta««t the girt, arrives and Barnes Is given a lift tq Hart’s tavern, while the girl is taken on to her destination, which she tells B&r&es is b place called Green Fancy. CHAPTER IT—At the tavern Barnes fhfia In with a stranded troupe of •’barnstorming” actors, headed by Lyndon Rushcroft and becomes interested in CHAPTER ITT— As the storm groww Barnes finds himself worrying over the safety of the girl, traveling over tha 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 manner which arouses Barnes* curlCHAPTER TV—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 tha 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 Boto, 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 VH—She seems not to be desirous of recognizing 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 the tavern 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 Storm 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 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 tnat 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, Sprouse would recover. CHAPTER Xll—Barnes 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 Xlll—They enter the grounds in safety, Sprouse overcoming two men evidently on guard. Reaching the house, Barnes sends up, by means of a fishing rod carried by Sprouse, a note to “Miss Cameron,” Informing her of their Intention to enter the house. She tries to dissuade them, but Sprouse climbs to her room and goes through it on a quest for the crown jewels ana state papers.

CHAPTER XIV. A flight, a Stone-Cutter’s Shed, and a Voice Outside. “Why have you come up here 5” She came swiftly to his side. “Thank the Lord, I made it," he whispered, breathlessly. “I came up because there was nowhere else to go. I thought I heard voices—-a man and a woman speaking. They seemed to be quite close to me. Don’t be alarmed, Miss Cameron. I am confident that I can —” “And you are here, trapped as t am, what do you purpose to do? You cannot escape. Go back before it is too late.” "Is Sprouse —where is he?” “He is somewhere in the house. I was to wait until he —Oh, Mr. Barnes, I— l am terrified. You will never know the—” “Trust him,” he said. “He is a marvel. We’ll be safely out of here in a little while, and then it will all look slmole to you. You are ready to go?

Good! Sit down, do! If he doesn’t return In a- minute or two, I’ll take a look about the house myself. I don’t Intend to desert him. I know this floor pretty well, and the lower one. The stairs are—” "But the stairway is closed at the bottom by a solid steel curtain. It Is made to look like a panel In the walk You are not to venture outside this room, Mr. Barnes., I forbid It You—- “ How did Sprouse get out? You said your door was locked.” “He had . a key. I do not know where he obtained —” “Skeleton key, such as burglars use. By Jove, what a wonderful burglar he would make! Courage, Miss Cameron! He will be here soon. Then comes the real adventure —my part of IL I didn’t come here tonight to get any flashy old crown jewels. I cam? to take you out ot —” “You—you know about, the crown jewels?” she murmured. Her body seemed to stiffen. “Then you know who I am!" “No. You will tell me tomorrow." “Yes, yes—tomorrow,” she whispered. For some time there was silence. Both were listening Intently for sounds In the hall. She, leaned closer to whisper In his ear. Their shoulders touched. He wondered If she experienced the same delightful thrill that ran through his body, fcjhe told him of the man who watched across the hall from the room supposed to be occupied by Loeb the secretary, and of Sprouse’s Incomprehensible daring. “Where Is Mr. Curtis?” he asked. Her breath fanned his cheek, her lips were close to his ear. “There is no Mr. Curtis here. He died four months ago in Florida.” “I suspected as much.” He did not press her for further revelations. “Sprouse should be here by this time. I must go out there and see if he requires any— ■” She clutched his arm frantically. “You shall do nothing of the kind. You shall not —■” “ShH What do you take me for. Miss Cameron? He may be sorely In need of help. Do you think that I would leave him to God knows what sort of fate?” “But he said positively that I was to go In case he did not return In —In fifteen minutes,” she begged. “He may have been cut off and was compelled to escape from another —” “Just the same, I’ve got to see what has become of — “No! No!” She arose with him, dragging at'his arm. “Do not be foolhardy. You are not skilled at —” “There Is only one way to stop me, Miss Cameron. If you will come with me now—* “But I must know whether he secured the —" “Then let me go. I will find out whether he has succeeded." He was rougher than he realized In wrenching his arm free. She uttered a low moan and covered her face with her hartds. Undeterred, he crossed to the door. His hand was on the knob when a door slammed violently somewhere in a distant part of the house.A hoarse shout of alarm rang out and then the rush of hearty feet over thickly carpeted floors. Barnes acted with lightning swiftness. He sprang to the open window, half-carrying, half-dragging the girl with him. “Now for It!” he whispered. “Not a second to lose. Climb upon my back, quick, and hang on for dear life.” He had scrambled through the window and was lying flat across the sill. “Hurry! Don’t be afraid. lam strong enough to carry you if the vines do their part” With surprising alacrity and sureness she crawled out beside him and then over upon his broad back, clasp-

*•3 .MS* Ing her arms arcmnd his neck. Holding to the ledge with one hand he felt for and clutched the thick vine with the other. Slowly he slid his body off of and swung free by one arm. An Instant later he found the lattice with the other hand and the hurried descent began. His feet touched the. ground.' Ip the an exe he picked her up in his arms and; bolted across the little grass’-jjfbt Into the shrubbery. She did not utter a sound. -

Presently he set her down. His breath was gone, his strength sxc

hausted. * •‘Can you—manage to —walk a little way?” he gasped. “Give me your hand, and follow as close to my heels as you can. Better that I should bump into things than you.” Shouts were now heard, and shrill blasts on a police whistle spilt the air. On they stumbled, blindly, recklessly. He spared her many an injury by taking it himself. More than once, she murmured sympathy when he crashed into a tree or floundered over a log. Utterly at sea, he was now guessing at the course they were taking. Whether their frantic dash was leading them toward the Tavern, or whether they were circling back to Green Fancy, he knew not Panting, he forged onward. At last she cried out quaveringly: “Oh, I—l can go no farther! Can’t we—is it not safe to stop for a moment? My breath is—" “God bless you, yes,” he exclaimed, and came to an abrupt stop. She leaned heavily against him, gasping for breath. “I haven’t the faintest Idea where we are, but we must be some • distance from the house. We will rest a few minutes and then take it easier, more cautiously. lam sorry, but It was the only thing to do, rough as It was. “I know, I understand. I am not complaining, Mr. Barnes. You will find me ready and strong and —•” “Let me think. I must try td get my bearings. Good Lord, I wish Sprouse were here. He can see in the dark. We are off the path, that’s sure.” “Do you think he escaped?” “I am sure of it Those whistles were sounding the alarm. He may com? this way. The chances are that your flight has not been discovered. Do you feel like going on? We must beat them to the Tavern. They—" “I am all right now,” she said, and they were off again. Barnes pow picked his way carefully and with the greatest caution. He could only pray that he was going in the right direction. , An hour —but what seemed thrice as long—passed and they had not come to the edge of the forest. Her feet were beginning to drag; he could tell that by. the effort she made to keep up with him. From time to time he paused to allow her to rest “You are plucky,” he once said to her. “I am afraid I could not be so plucky if you were not so strong,” she sighed, and he loved the tired, whimsical little twist she put into her reply. To his dismay they came abruptly upon a region abounding in huge rocks. This was new territory to him. His heart sank. “By Jove, I —l believe we are farther away from the road than when we started. We must have been going up the slope instead of down.” “In any case, Mr. Barnes,” she murmured, “we have found something to sit down upon.” He chuckled. “If you can be as cheerful as all that, we sha’n’t miss the cushions,” he said, and, for the first time, risked a flash of the electric torch. The survey was brief. He led her forward a few paces to a flat boulder, and there they seated themselves. “I wonder where we are,” she said. “I am inclined to suspect that we are above Green Fancy, but a long way off to the'right of it Admitting that to be the case, I am afraid to retrace our steps. The Lord only knows what we might blunder Into.” “I think the only sensible thing to do, Mr. Barnes, Is to make ourselves as snug and comfortable as we can and wait for the first signs of daybreak.” He scowled —and was glad that It was too dark for her to see his face. He wondered If she fully appreciated what would happen to him if the pursuers came upon him In this forbidding spot. He could almost picture his own body lying there among the rocks and rotting, while she —well, she would merely go back to Green Fancy. “I fear you do not realize the extreme gravity of the situation. We must get out of these woods if I have to carry you In my arms.” “I shall try to keep going," she said quickly. “Forgive me If I seemed to falter a little. I—l—am ready to go on when you sax the word.” . (TO BH CONTINUED.) Place your "Wanx Ad” in The Democrat and get results.

Holding to the Ledge With One Hand, He Felt for and Clutched the Thick Vine With the Other.