| Show The Evening Telegrams Telegram's Daily Short Story I MERELY ACTORS By THOMAS GRAY FESSENDEN Copyright 1914 b by y the McClure Newa- Newa pap paper r Syndicate The third morning Belden Smith walked walked put pat that white farmhouse doWn doom the glen lien road and aw saw the girl reading beneath th the biff aple tree he did something which was U a au w to him for many days after for Balden Belden Smith waa waR a very er self leU contained and conventional young man The first that at surprised him was that he walked walked straight Into that far farm house gate crossed a bit of or lawn to the the tho II apo apple le tree removed his hili hl cap and said I Pardon toe me but unless I am eaU mistaken you Ou are the young lady Ip I Du pulled Rater out of ot the te water at Long Beach last lut Bummer sum sum- mer And u as he spoke he felt the th-e hot blood surging u up to his hi neck and Into his hll face an and Inwardly he hew w was himself a all An 1 kinds of a cad cad and covertly wishing the earth would open and swallow wallow him up for Belden S Smith had never seen uen this girl before The Tho truth of the matter was that Belden Bel Bel- den Smith had found the hotel on the mountain very ery dull and the people stayIng staying stay stay- Ing Ing- there ther even eren more so and something ng about this girl under tho the aple ople tree had appealed to him strongly and an overwhelming overwhelming over over- whelming desire to see her more closet closely to speak to her to shear he r her voice had got him Into this silly scrape What hat was as his surprise then when hen she looked up quickly with those wonderful dark oyes eyes of hers smiled prettily flushed Rave Kao a pleased little cry and took his hla hand In hers he heWell Well WeB this thle Is a surprise she said eald Belden Smith felt the earth tottering beneath his feet in his surprise He sat Mt down In Ina a nearby chair which the girl was Inviting Inviting- him to occupy That was a n. mighty might narrow squeak for forme forme me me said ld she I 1 should not have ha gone out so 10 far Belden Smith stared To think that someone meone had pulled this girl from tho the water at Long Beach and he be had stem stem- bled upon that very cry place to mention and she ehe had mistaken him for her res rca cuer I I 1 I wasn't want at all sure lIure joud you'd remember remember remember ber me he said Remember you ou Ho ITow lloa could I ever er forget you out You lOU seemed to wear ear a halo that morning when you ou camo came up to meIn mo me moIn moin in the water lust just as I was all In pushing pushIng push push- Ing against that tl tide e What hat a fuss furs I Imade Imade Imado made mado I Inde Indeed d you ou didn't Most people grab ab you you round the neck when you RO JO to their rescue in the water Inter You Tou didn't do that You were we BO so perfectly splendid about It and so modest when hen they tried tomake to tomako tomako mako make a n hero of you ou It was WIlS you who WA was really splendid putting up that losing tight fight as you ou were when I got fot to you ou said he hoping he was as right It seemed a safe cafe enough thing to say ay a Evidently It was perfectly safe rate for tor she sho sighed reminiscently I I couldn't have lasted much longer said Mid she Belden Smith looked at hf her Closel closely She was even m prettier han ban she had 8 seemed from the road Her hair was wan dark and wavy and her checks cheeks smooth and rounded and she had the nicest t voice ho fro thou thought ht at that moment he had ever over heard Then and there he decided he had saved M herat herat her herat at Lon Long Beach Bench Funny he had stumbled stumbled bled on on the exact place and too that she he had really been boen saved ave by somebody He could coul 1 CArce scarcely belle believe In such luck Juck But he was has happy happ sitting opting there talking to hr her and being car carefully lull r ml r 0 v 1 They were talking soon loon like old friends It was lunch time b before fore he realized realised It it She was wa visiting Malting tier fter aunt at ILL the farm farmand farmand and th the house was filled with people else she would Insist u upon On his staying but she would be here herft for three weeks an and wouldn't he run tun over oYer to seo see her of often ten 7 No there were no other young people staying at the farm fann lie He mustn't t for for- gf get Belden elden Smith did not forget He went t to the farm down don the glen Itlen road the tho next nest da day and the next and every following day daT walked the hilly roads road tho they went canoeing on the river they thoy motored through the surrounding country Belden Smith found h her r thy the th most enraging engaging comand companion companion com com- panion and altogether the most moat wonderful wonder wonder- ful tul girl he had ever eyer met met- Now and then he had little twinges twinges' of conscience Buthe But Buthe Buthe he put them firmly from him Of 01 course he fad iad had no right to speak to her that Or first t day dal dand and perhaps he lie was Inviting disaster in posing as hr her rescuer At such times Umes he would make up his mind to tell her the truth the next time he hew saw w her and risk the cons consequences But Dut somehow the next day 3 it would look easier ealler to do yet one ont da day further removed d. d So three weeks went past and her visit at the farm tarm was AS drafting to u tI close The last Jut day came carne and still he had not made his hla confession That last afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon thc they were to motor together over tho the Black mountain road At 2 o'clock Smith came whirring up to the farm fann in his hie big gray road car She was waiting for him under the apple tree where ho had first seen her Today fee ae e had made up his mind to tell her as soon as 08 he saw SeL her but she looker looked 11 so 80 very ory lovely and so 80 very ry happy happ that instead he helped h her r Into the car cat and the they went spinning down tho the road It was a cloudless afternoon A recent rain had laid the tho dust o of tho the mountain road Up Lp and up the they climbed d until the they were far up tho the mountain aide side looking down at to toy roads and nd trees and villages and fields neld stretching out b below low t Then near the summit Smith stopped the car Ills Ilia lips were set lie Ile had hl made lade up his mind that hero here and now ho would t tell lJ tile tie whole truth He lie b began san Ing weakly III Ills own voice when he began be began be be- gan ho he scarcely recognized so o faint taint and unsteady was a It There Theres something I 1 want to sa say to you you something something Ivr Ive simply got sot to sa say to you ou ho stammered The Tho girl suddenly turned her eyes from tho the vista I ta below them She looked at him keenly Something In his manner brought her quickly something alert alert something In his manner manner man man- ner and otter other things that had cry very evi wi dently been leading up to It the past fe few days dai She Sho held out a hand hane to check him Walt please wait she urged Be fore fore before before you jou oU say 13 anything I J have e something to say something say something to conte confess confers Oh Im I'm so 10 ashamed 1 I I I H Her r voice failed her she looked down the mountain Had S 'S H found out about him then before hI ho could confess Confes Belden Beiden Smith felt his throat tighten and all tho the stiffening go out of his spine I I-I- I I tho rho girl was speaking with great difficulty you nee ace Im I'm horribly o. o ashamed to own up to It It but bul I was W never nover at Long Beech Beach e. ch In to my mJ life and I hate the water R tor I ca cant can't net tn swim I never nc go 0 in fn That da day you ou c came mc Into the yard ord I was u lonesome and and and- Belden Smith let out outa a great whoop Then he lie began bagan to In laugh ugh He roared arid and twisted with merriment The girl stared a at t him Youve YOU a n perfect right to feel teet like Uke that about abouL tt It she said eald a little coldly coMly I I de TIlt r jt 1 J What hat Im I'm laughing at wild said ho lie sob fob suddenly Is l have Q I. I only been een cn at at Long Long- B Beach ach lust lint once Hn and t then tien len In A t motor and I didn't get et out of ot th the c car rIve r. r Ive I've been wondering all along how it tt W was wasI I II I happened to stumble upon a girl who had been saved at on I Long Beach and and and- Then and there he made mode a full fuJI and complete confession ton Ten minutes later tho car started on again They wore were both laughing now At the tho point where t tie e road Toad crosses the summit Smith Smith- the car So S 'S long as I didn't av save your lire life dont don't you think It really belon belongs to mo ho lie asked ked leaning toward her Sho She smiled demurely Such Io logic c I Is hr imply unanswerable the said slipping hor ham Into his |
