The Early Bird | Page 7

pleasantly at them, but not yet rising. He was in the midst of an
important statement.
"Just you run on with the girls, Billy," ordered Mr. Westlake. "Mr.
Turner will be over in a few minutes."
The others of the circle bent their eyes gravely upon Billy and the girls
as they turned away, and waited for Mr. Turner to resume.
At a quarter past ten, as Mr. Turner and Mr. Princeman walked slowly
along the porch to turn into the parlors for a few minutes of music, of
which Sam was very fond, a crowd of young people came trooping up
the steps. Among them were Billy Westlake and his sister, another
young gentleman and Miss Hastings.
"By George, that bowling tournament!" exclaimed Mr. Turner. "I
forgot all about it."

He was about to make his apologies, but Miss Westlake and Miss
Hastings passed right on, with stern, set countenances and their heads
in air. Apparently they did not see Mr. Turner at all. He gazed after
them in consternation; suddenly there popped into his mind the vision
of a slender girl in green, with mischievous brown eyes--and he felt
strangely comforted. Before retiring he wired his brother to send some
samples of the marsh pulp, and the paper made from it.
CHAPTER III
MR. TURNER APPLIES BUSINESS PROMPTNESS TO A
MATTER OF DELICACY
Morning at Meadow Brook was even more delightful than evening.
The time Mr. Turner had chosen for his outing was early September,
and already there was a crispness in the air which was quite
invigorating. Clad in flannels and with a brand new tennis racket under
his arm, he went into the reading-room immediately after breakfast,
bought a paper of the night before and glanced hastily over the news of
the day, paying more particular attention to the market page. Prices of
things had a peculiar fascination for him. He noticed that cereals had
gone down, that there was another flurry in copper stock, and that
hardwood had gone up, and ranging down the list his eye caught a
quotation for walnut. It had made a sharp advance of ten dollars a
thousand feet.
Out of the window, as he looked up, he saw Miss Westlake and Miss
Hastings crossing the lawn, and he suddenly realized that he was here
to wear himself out with rest, so he hurried in the direction the girls had
taken; but when he arrived at the tennis court he found a set already in
progress. Both Miss Westlake and Miss Hastings barely nodded at Mr.
Turner, and went right on displaying grace and dexterity to a quite
unusual degree. Decidedly Mr. Turner was being "cut," and he
wondered why. Presently he strode down to the road and looked up
over the hill in the direction he knew Hollis Creek Inn to be. He was
still pondering the probable distance when Mr. Westlake and Billy and
young Princeman came up the brook path.

"Just the chap I wanted to see, Sam," said Mr. Westlake heartily. "I'm
trying to get up a pin-hook fishing contest, for three-inch sunfish."
"Happy thought," returned Sam, laughing. "Count me in."
"It's the governor's own idea, too," said Billy with vast enthusiasm.
"Bully sport, it ought to be. Only trouble is, Princeman has some
mysterious errand or other, and can't join us."
"No; the fact is, the Stevenses were due at Hollis Creek yesterday,"
confessed Mr. Princeman in cold return to the prying Billy, "and I think
I'll stroll over and see if they've arrived."
Sam Turner surveyed Princeman with a new interest. Danger lurked in
Princeman's black eyes, fascination dwelt in his black hair,
attractiveness was in every line of his athletic figure. It was upon the tip
of Sam's tongue to say that he would join Princeman in his walk, but he
repressed that instinct immediately.
"Quite a long ways over there by the road, isn't it?" he questioned.
"Yes," admitted Princeman unsuspectingly, "it winds a good bit; but
there is a path across the hills which is not only shorter but far more
pleasant."
Sam turned to Mr. Westlake.
"It would be a shame not to let Princeman in on that pin-hook match,"
he suggested. "Why not put it off until to-morrow morning. I have an
idea that I can beat Princeman at the game."
There was more or less of sudden challenge in his tone, and Princeman,
keen as Sam himself, took it in that way.
"Fine!" he invited. "Any time you want to enter into a contest with me
you just mention it."
"I'll let you know in some way or other, even if I don't make any direct
announcement," laughed Sam, and Princeman walked away with Mr.

Westlake, very much to Billy's consternation. He was alone with this
dull Turner person once more.