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Show 'mARTIN tell, beside me M the orer the enemy .charged A"rldgV The old surgeon lied aside the red curtain displaying eomplete wired skeleton, hanging In the young (M closet Doctor Curtis, grue-yonseemed It shrank Interns, eren to a ned!cal man to hear of a rack of ooi talking intimately -tout. We bad a compact, Doctor," tn M man, "it was afc ni that In case of joke t between to hare the was other frgfl, the for anatomical purpose and the oraer gtleton aa a reus. ,i got an when Marvin was the colon) 00m to-tcity got tnd took his body he collef where I dissected it and skeleton as you see totally itrnng the "itbera." Doent it seem aneer to have his W , bs.. td ca-fg- teoei ground that way?" Queried the yowl doctor. laughed filling Uy, bo." the surge bk Ml P'P- - "Marvin was a wonder via the scalpel, and when I'm stuck onetimes I hare a talk with the old seems to tell me partner there and he Tbat to do." With a shudder Doctor Curtis went dainty, of Hilda Blair moved deftly ths tea things as she bevpoured and served the steaming erage to her young guests. "Well, If I ever marry," she declared, handing a cup to the girl on btr right, "I am going to marry a man real live man, with muscle and, hands. No shimyei, with calloused or society pirates mying, tor me!" This remark caused a great deal of comment and amazement among the "girls whom Hilda was entertaining la her luxurious apartment at the Misses Gregory's fashionable boarding school. That Hilda Blair, whose father controlled millions, and whose mother held the most enviable position in exalted Bociety, should even think of calwas bad enough, but loused hands, when It came to marrying them why, that was preposterous! Then several years flew by and Hilda, like all other girls in her "set," graduated from the finishing school, where she had learned thoroughly how to powder her nose In a genteel without manner, the art of flirting making oneself "common," and how to Juggle a teacup in an reception room without spilling the contents. ed THE fox-trott- Over-crowd- ed ZjLLSMMSSBBSsMS. frim the Jaws of th sVull. " With a trentblins toee he used tb The Astral Surgeon 2 5n Tyr'pyj to his room in the hospital. He dearly surgeon and noticed that of late he was gently falling in health. Several weeks later an orderly "artjed Curtis in the middle lof the night The old surgeon was very 111 and wanted him at once. ,A the sun toped the big buildings, the Fend old soul slipped Its temporal home. On the desk was a sealed envel-oaddressed to Doctor Curtis. It was a request In will form, giving him all his books and instruments and his office equipment The stipulations were that his body should be thoroughly dissected and the skeleton hung in the closet with his old army pal. Doctor Marvin. The document closed with the underlined sentence, "Call upu me if you need me." Fame perched on the banners of Doctor Curtis. The Memorial Hospital became a country-wid- e known place where surgery reached Its highest development Medical Journals resounded with the name of the brilliant young surgeon who was waktng. marvels. In the sombre office back of the red curtains the white, polished bones Of Doctor Marvin and the old surgeon loved the white-haire- d old -- pl Next, followed tiung by side, foi a: long jiuiJ Curtis felt the un tanny axsrciation i.t the "relics' and hesitated abou; be!g alone in the big oilire. Nwrse.i an i orderlies when they heard ihe si ry absolutely refused to enler ti e iooiu alone. Fate put Dorter Curti In hi trim red roadster that Sunday afteinrmn on the River boulevard. By a" turn, of he mystic wheel the touring car of Banker Carrlngton struck a sliapery.. oily piece of road and skidded iiit i the ditch. The banker cleus to the wheel. Two young ladies in the rear seat were hurled over the side, tearing off the curtains, and landed in a rumple;! heap on a grassy ban!; The trim, red roadster was just behind them. Mo.e frightened than hurt, the girls were helped to their feet by a steady-eye- d young doctor, who laughingly took off his coat and hitchtd his sixty horsepower car to the car of the banker and soon had it on the road again, little worse for the aci'idnt. A certain banker's daughter with hazel eyes and led gld hair dream d that night of an athletic doctor pu'.lriE. out a 'ditched car, and a young surgeon toe k two oelJu ii.uib to read ihiee pages oi ical wtrk ;h uooui" ibe " J daughter a rued-- l;ai can do? Wnat sball 1 do?" He had reached the limit of his sktll an i' was bufiifd. There whs a flutter of the red curtains A rattle ,n the, dark closet wheie the s.ke eton htttu. Startled he n ghiuced up. The b ,ues of the old v. etc moving. First a shadow of light, thn a curtain of haze was .around the moving boues. Curtis tried "to move, cry out, "he could not A figure stepped cut of the closet. The skeleton now clothed In an auiao of blue white baze came to the head of the table. There was still the grinning skull, the bony finders and creak of tfae wire Joints. One boay arm point-- , ed to Curtis. A voice hollow as the echo of the grave spoke to him. "I said tail me if you need me." It was the vice of the old surgeon spcaklr.g, With a mighty effort Curtis jerked back in his swivel chair. He felt the chills race down his spinal et a sense of security, of column. klni'ncss enve'oped him. "WJint shall I do for Blanche?" he gulped out. "Bring her here at once," whistled Car:n'-ton- , Inter and a :e;l lay en a bed ofpaiu ir l.ei cituisw.i h me. On her Irf hand islued the sol ;aire diamond ring Doctor Curtis had placed the.re whou sUc consented to be his ifA Fro:n the tale f mystery a st'augc malady had ti e b atitifiil b,(Jy. All the range of materia Medka had fulled to reach the seal of the trouble. I'ay by Cay she deel ned. Kneeling by he bedside. Curtis bogged, pleaded an! di l a'l medical skill could do to biing bark hialth to his loved .n"e. The X ray revealed Trained nothing. bards detected no organic displacement or growth Somewhere iu the delicate rnecha: i n a stoppage or flaw was cVohing the life hi ol and death huvertHl near. In despar and mental agony he bent his t.red head to his folded arms in the scelirfon ( f his study. All t'c f itiv1, the honor, the credit of his n, were as nothing if Blanche v. as tak n ftotn him. This f. aritsj as a lion Iran of cT'jrd out In If? Mon hs Joinson Oh. : 'i' 'b-u- e wbn 1 sur-peo- dft-in- uin m'f-cry- . her debut dance, and after that , she took her place among the eliglbles In the marriaae market And the suitors came In dozens! Hilda was a beautiful girl, and Papa Blair's money was not to be scoffed at They all looked alike to Hilda She would have chosen any of them, and, with a sigh of relief, exclaimed: "Well, that's that." But Mamma Blair was the director, ringmaster and advance man of the Blair outfit, so she said: "Wait awhile, daughter, until something really worth while comes mu-isc- al along." Mr. Really Worth While made his appearance In the form of a count from Cordova or some such country. The count was long on names, but short on looks and shorter on funds. But the match was considered an ideal d one; .approved by a mother, followers, and a father patronizing whose objections would have amounted So the courtto little if submitted. The couple ship began in earnest golfed in the morning, motored In the afternoon,- - and Jazzed almost every evening. Hilda sported a solitaire as big as a dime, and everything was going wonderfully well. Then the Inevitable happened. title-ma- kI .c..ai . Chauffeur vs. Chef chauffeur's broad, athletic shouideis with the stooped, narrow ones of her affianced husband. she found Also, something irresistible about the way her chauffeur's hair waved about h;s temples. Mr. Count of Cordova's head resembled a new, shiny billiard ball Then the chauffeur had eyes that, were bright with happiness, health and the love of living, while the eyes of the count were red, dissipated looking and thoroughly repulsive. One afternoon, shortly after Hilda had discovered the physioal attractions of the man at the wheel, they were driving in the country. The count had just finished' relating one of his everlasting accounts of "when I was a lad in Cordova." It was then that Fate took a hand that caused an perfectly good romance to be utterly ruined. An inebriated gentleman returning fr m "omt village t,Tne past, as thtvy For som bootlogger's establishment. i:i a car and in a bibulous uiuod. a Hifda had been comparing the yuise Kate took while she played her hand. The drunken man's car swerved dizzily from its course and plunged headlong into' tlie limousine c n.ain'ng Hilda and her lover. No serious damage wns done, and with the exception of two broken headlights, and the eouul's hat and wallet being thrown to the floor, all was well, considering what might have ocurrcd. The lights were and n replaced by a near-b- y the eo'in's hat recovered unharmed, but in the excitement th- wallet wa left unnoticed. It was fyund the next however, by the chauffeur, morning, who promptly delivered it in pers. n to his beautiful mistress. Now all womankind, from Mother Eve down to the modern flapper, ia said to be curious, and Hilda Blair was no exception. She had a great desire to Fee whethar !er sweetheart loved her enorgh to earrv h"r p'enre -n- iTh-In e e, p. auu w.th it a soiled and ic.er. tlie. gjra'-e-ma- - - i v.n parent soreness. "That's alL It is well," the sksal H Doctor Marvin said. Clanking of wires, the rattle of bones, the swish of air, the gilds of light and the two figures swept across the operating room and vanished through the door- of the passageway. Rushing to the other door. Doctor Our tia called the nurses la Blanche was hurried to a bed in a private room. Iu a state of collapse the young surgeon went to his office. It took long while to pull back the red cor tains. Swaying in the motion of the. cabinet the two skeletons were then -- - as usual. "Not even a scar, Arthar," whispered the doctor's wife after they were married and discussing the operation which had restored the, girl to perfect health. "You are som surgeon, my , dear." Kneeling before - ths cabinet, tha doctor held back the red curtain and prayed that these men of skill had found peace and comfort In the great unknown, thanking them both for tha life of the beautiful wife, now his for ever. Two bony hands reached out and rested on his bead. Mr making speed, per resebuds, and Bob had wanted a low to avoid the blue tarlatan mist effect with that overhung the nore at the stern as Maid of the river, she was fairly digging her Mist Lenore had stamped her foot Paddle Into the water and Jerking In fury as Bob showed no inclination it swiftly back for the next stroke, to yield to her wishes.. In the next An alder stretched ' out its green moment she had flung hie ring back fingers and snatched at the net at him and her engagement was which confined the wayward gold of broken. She had flounced down to wonderful hair. The alder the pier, jumped Into the Ianthe, and did more than tear the net; it paddled away in a rage, loosened the pins and let the soft n(i n0w, several miles from the waves of hair fall freg about the boat' club, Lenore was still angry. Rlrl'8 shoulders. Tossing her head, gne struck at a muskrat as he leaped Lenore sped on. The canoe leaped (r0m tne Dan. She tried to knock a convulsively up the river. turtle from a snag with her paddle. Lenore was in a vicious mood. Then an island invited ' her to land. Less than an hour before, she had Always a creature of impulse, she returned to ths donor a perfectly ran the canoe ashore and jumped good solitaire diamond set in plati- - out Her white kid slipper caught num. She had never supposed that in the mire and stuck fast Poising ?9b Would let her break the engage on one looU Lenore debated whether ment But he had, and had even or not to retrieve the slipper, and seemed glad to be rid of her. The petulantly decided to abandon It for quarrel had been silly enough. It the present She hopped to the top was over the matter of decorating of a little knolL and, suddenly losing the canoe that together they bad ber balance, sat down precipitately Planned to enter for the boat club on the grassy incline regatta that night Lenore bad In- - Turning over and lying out at full slated upon pink lights In crsps pa- - length, face down, she began to cry. By Claire Wesson ers who sometimes shared bed ana Dick had never cared to know any- board at their cabin. The blue of the distant peaks thing beter than the squr.lid mounto swim like a blue lake seemed tain ways. A "batch's round of bisbitter tears. There was her through cooked with soda, mat cuits, yellow a mournful wall In the wind It was to rags and canned goods "No use! You are doomed to did not seem to have sickened him. saying d old slattern bebecome a At least he sauced the food Janet fore you are 30. You will be lazily his with most carefully prepared fat as a meal bag tied in with a sneers. The year as his housekeeper and you'll twist' up your string, to the eons seemed like poor girl; hair with one hand while you greasy bow long had it really been since she shovel out greasy ham and eggs onto and had heard words of appreciation greasy plates for sullen, tam-fo- ol maids"? flat-tasti- dull-eye- courtesy? After all, what was the use of trying any more? Why mix tho biscuits according to rule, sweep and scrub and polish the tinware until it shone like silver, why put mountain pinks in a tumbler for the center of the table? She won only mockery and scorn, even before the rough strang men with the other! No use! No use!" little head was The discouraged still bent beneath Its burden of chestnut braids when what? waa that hoof beats? Yes, and a strange voice. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I can't ride farther without a glass of milk, I see you have a cow pastured JrVV VVTTTl By Hazel Courtney that she, one" mcapt thought that fhe was doing wrong in examining another person's property. Quite Innocently she opened the note, and instead of tlnding a touching little ballad, tell ig of her beauty, the following l.nes met her horrified eyes: "Mr. Antonio Gilbrctti: "Dear Sir Won't you overlook our quarrel and cohie and cook for us again? Our rasto'n' rs are clamoring for your famous dishes. Would it be an Inducement to you if we raised your pay? Please come back. We need ytfu for the good of the bus'ness. "Proprietor of the Gild' d Lamb." Her beOh, what an awakening. trothed husband, her count, a ham and egg specialist! What should she do? What would her friends Bay? She v 'mid bo the laughing-stoc- k of the entire city! SjSMSSv taught by a pack of uj "Does Count Gilbretti Kill the Hand-som- o Chauffeur?" "See Calloused Hands' at this Theater Every Thurs., Fri. and Sat" A young girl sitting halfway down in Just called in"her chauffeur, her real the audience pressed her finger tightly hero and she rewarded him by giving against her chewing gum, causing tt to lilia tier promise to became his wife. snap loudly. She turned to her com01 eouise her mother wept and society panion and uttered a groan of disgust, held up its hands in horror, but in "Gee," she said, "It's one of them spite of everything Hilda made ar: pitchers. Wouldn't rangemcnts to be married yery simply that get your goat? -- I wisht we'd gons town. out of in the house of u minister to the Palace Theayter like you wanted And as her chauffeur sweetheart stood to and seen Luckless Fairbanks in the beside her on that day of days, and 'Three Musty Beers.' " held her hand in his, Hilda noticed for the first time that the man had calA coal merchant had advertised for ft loused hands. 'But Just as she was boy. about to murmur "I do!" the pseudo A boy applied count appeared In the doorway, brand- for the Job. ishing a dagger in either hand. And "Do you like work?" asked tha then. . . . chant. The plctuer dimmed and gradually "No, sir," said tha boy. "Then you can have ths Job I TMw faded from the screen, and immediately the motion picture operator flash- the first boy who's been hars todaf tag ed on these words: hasnt told a Us." "Ah," righed Hilda "a sonnet written Djd she pine away aud seek secluto me declaiming h's love. These forsion in some convent In order to avoid eigners are so romantic!" her associates? I guess not! Hilda wits so sure that the letter was meeting Hilda Blair was a good loser, so she for her never ' heavens, Janet! Look bow She had pulled her chair into the you waste time peeling those doorway, where, as she peeled the puds; why doat you boll potatoes, her eyes could sweep over a wide range down the green moun(hem, jackets and alir Janet's brown eyes flashed; then a tainside to a valley threaded with the hopeless look dragged down tilt cor- silver cobwebs of rivers. The great ner of a normally sweet mouth. peaks towered again on tho farther side, blue, green and wonderful The mat"Oh, Dick! Ton never think it ters how I do things, , and all my clouds rested on their crests and school lessons on making a home at- cool winds came drifting over to the tractive Just wasted on you, for you lonely girl; but these brought no don't care, no matter how hard I message of comfort today. A happy girlhood in the valley try." "I'm no softy! Give me plenty of school had been Janot's. The girls srub and a place to sleep, and what all worked for their board and she do I care about Oil- had delighted to put into practice the your cloth on ths table! Shine up the tin dainty household dovlcea the school platesr Posies In a mug!" taught A sneer twisted his none too pleasWas It only a year ago that the ant expression still more, aa the man death of her qule. hard working faswung out of the cabin. ther had brought her back to the Janet let her busy hands hang idle cabin of the brotBer who refused to a moment In utter discouragement. provide more money f jr "schooling rfn ' Ck shafts ra the fcilut, a sharp ton hand dropped to hi eMa, BMW Curtis let his Jaw fall U aw. " tM wound slowly closed, the rtlgaa ing and healing without- - Mead T XYY WJV Jv The New Forest Ranger LENORE and directed the ambulance to 'ph he ready for an emergency trip in a few moments. He then 'phoned the Carrington home and told the nurse in attendance to have the patient ready for a trip to the hospital. The luminous skeleton stood rigid while he talked on the 'phone. "1 will be ready when she comes," hissed through the bony Jaws. It turned and clattered back to the closet and the red curtains fell to place. The patient was brought down and placed in the operating room by tender bands. Ordering all nurses and attendants to leave the room, the doctor opened the .door to the passageway With a cry of running to bis office. amazement he jumped back. At the door of the operating room stood the two skeletons from the closet Shuffling across the polished floor the- two clanking forms went to the operating table. For a moment the hollow eyes peered at the etheriied form on the Then deftly the bony, white table. hand of the old surgeon took up the scalpel. The other skull leaned close as the blight blade made a deep incision. Doctor Curtis bent over with sponges and gauze to catch the blood. The bony hands waved him back. Not a drop gushed from the wound. Deep iHjhe abdomen the knife went White bony fingers searched for the vital organs. The old surgeon reached In the ne. here, but I'll be grateful for condensed!" The man, hat In hand, smiled pleasantly at her as he Bank down on the doorstep with a Jingle of spurs. "There's milk If you wish It," Janet replied, with a bright tinge of color concealing the tear stains; "but It Is almost noon. Surely you will stop here It's a long ride to the next cabin." "I didn't Intend to," was the laughing confession, "for I'd rather ride empty than swim In grease as at most of these snacks. But yours is a real picture place; and can it be I smell baked beans T" "You smell my regular Saturday dinner," said Janet, with a long lost dimple flickering in and out "The potatoes will be ready by the time Won't you have my brother returns. till then?" the milk as a stop-ga- p red-fac- ed d, " The man looked at the shining glass with Its creamy contents, almost In bewilderment "I seem to have strur! an oasis in a desert a desert of trees!" He did full Justice to Janet's food and gold; the Bymphony In brown yellow with beans topped cream, Bmoking with crisp pork, the Bteamed brown bread stuccoed with plump raisins, and the cuRtard pie whose thick and under a golden filling quivered meringue light as foam and over a crust that crumbled with flaky richness. Dick ate In silence for once; perhaps the stranger's compliments for the menu twisted his mouth a bit He did not but he said nothing. leave until Steve Sargent the new fluffy mashed potatoes, the I'm afraid I'm going to try to this Summer." "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!" teased Janet releasing hand from Sargent's hearty clasp" a clasp that yet had something in It so tender and reverent that sh was to dream of it happily. 'That's a mighty good fellow if ths tales I've heard are o. k.," said Dick, as he swung onto his own horse. "He seemed to tike quite a shine to your fancy ways, Janet Wouldn't be a bad thing for me to stand in with him for lumber reasons." Janet only nodded In response; her her eyes were fixed on the peaks beyond. They were still swimming like a blue lake, but ber tears were happy ones now. "What If I had given up in discourshe asked agement before today? forest ranger, had risen reluctantly herself, as Bhe watched that distant from the shining white oilcloth and figure turn to wave her a parting sastarted on his way. Dick even grum- lute with his broad ranger's hat bled an invitation when Sargent announced he would be back that way Tough One. next week. "Do you call that a beefsteak? It "This Is a place to ride fasting makes me laugh." seven days to get to at last I hope "I'm glad to hear it sir. Most I shan't wear out my welcome, but people Bwear. was Two In a Canoe blind fury, and an intense within her for struggled mastry; and a bitter disillusionment at the thought that the man she had had left her first impulsive loved suggestion that they part, filled ber heart with a poignant ache that would not cease. Long she wept until wearied to exhaustion, she caught her breath in great irregular gasps, sighed many times, and fell Rage, self-pit- y asleep. Around the side of the island upon which Lenore had cried herself to sleep, the river ran with more current than was perceptible in the seemingly sluggish stream Little at the by . little the river teased It .grounded canoe, and finally drew shore. the from off completely It was the empty canoe that Bob met on his way up the river. In stantly he recognized the Ianthe, and a quick fear came over him. But when a survey of the paddles and cushions assured him that there had been no accident he conclulded that Lenore, In her usual careless manner, had left the canoe unfastened on the bank and that she was somewhere high kud dry by the river with no means opgettlng home. After beaching the empty canoe Bob's first Impulse was to leave Lenore t her own devices. She had surprised him with her fit of snger, and he had not reconciled this angry Amazon with ths loving and lovable companion be had pictured her. But the strength of a kind of habit of doing things for Lenore ude blm reluctantly decide to go t her rescue. did not hurry. Be dawdled Bob blax-Ing- ly along, exerting himself enough to make a slow progress against the current until he came to the Island where Lenore slept He saw traces of the keel of the Ianthe, and recognized with a quick thrill the white slipper in the mud. Suddenly through an opening in the bushes he saw Lenore Sleeping on the knoll with her peacefully lovely hair spread about her. As Bob watched her he forgot the petty quarrel, the angry departure; be forgot hli surprise and his own sudden anger, and be knew then, as he had re.er known before, how much this girl meant to him and to his whole life On the opposite side of the narrow Islam he moored his canoe and v uen tho full yellow moon v. sited, loomed over the black wall of pines By Hazel Courtney RememLenore opened her eyes. bering the events of the afternoon she sprang to her feet and In the leaned over to pick ber shoe out of the mud. Then she uttered a sharp cry. Her canoe was not there. Tall and slender in tho light of the moon, Lenore stood irresolutely on the edge of the island. The mist enshrouded ber figure and seemed to catch and hold the moonlight in a bazy aura around the glory of ber flowing hair. Her anger was gone, she was filled with a deep regret that she had quarreled so foolishly with Bob. Probably be was now at the regatta without her, some other girl playing the maid In his blue tarsemi-darkne- ss latan mist "Maid of the Mist" she cried with a sob at the end. "Oh, sud-du.l- v, Bob, If you were only here to seems you would know that I am your Maid of the Mist!" "Are Bon you, my darling?" out of the bushes and stepped clasped her In his arms. "Are you, and will you be my own dear Mist Maid?" The Maid of the Mist did not enter the regatta, for long after the prizes were awarded a man and a girl In an undecorated canoe slipped down out of the darkness to the boat club and, although for a moment they looked down at the gay canoes on the river, they saw only the light in each other' eyes. Son I knocked 'em cold with my studies this month. PaHow's thatt 8on I got zero. v , j |