Show BE L LE OF edna startling discovery now new and Fash fashionably ional iby dressed admirer a burglar by WALTER J DELANEY edna wllbur wilbur never hooked prettier in her life than upon the day when the industrial exchange opened at milvine milville imagine on an old double store etore made over into a modern emporium of trade permanent counters and gaily decorated booths all about it add an airy dancing room over head and you have a more idea ot or what the village young ladles club had done for the factory hands down the river and the families of farmers all kover the county the original idea of this progressive move for the social and business betterment of tho the district had been born in tho the busy little brain of the hello belle of the town edna and tier her girl friends had got rich old jabez hull to fl fix x up the ancient building her club had set everybody at fancywork fancy work chovil the village age merchants had donated some of their goods liberally oven even the farmers had subscribed handsomely tho the place was to hold bold a sort of permanent pel fair every saturday admission was tree free all the articles carried were for sale or exchange it was hoped to encourage the poor mill girls in needlework and give to all cheap household at cost price then thero there was to bo be a 0 band a supper a clean instructive picture show and dancing the and economic features of the enterprise appealed to everybody and now just before dusk a great throng crowded the tha busy street in front of the exchange it was a pretty eight tho the doors of the place were crossed and re crossed with whito white ribbon in tho the center of these lust just over the tha knob of the door was a great aorl colored rosette all life animation and beauty edna stood at the tha threshold the mayor of tho the town in evening drass arr ss lifted his glossy silk hat first to her and then to the crowd in a neat little speech ho he oried his J the tha edge of the sash saah imprisoned hla his nock townsmen to the exchange then he drew a pair of silver scissors from his bla coat pocket edna took them placed them across the ribbons and snipped them in twain they floated like streamers in tho the guy gay breeze and pressing in the doors the mayor pr proclaimed loudly the exchange Is open welcome A fashionable dressed young ra man an pressed hla his way through the throng about the first of at those to enter the exchange lie he was at ednas side as aft sho eho passed into the cash cashiers lera boot the sweetest ot of all flowers for the belle of the occasion he bo said impressively pres edna received the bouquet of redolent lilies of the valley with a hap happy py smile and secured them at her cor sage A handsome couple look as if they were mated for one another said an observant visitor to his companion panion who Is be stranger I 1 see yes was the reply been here only a tow few days chicago stock they say taking a little vacation calls himself eugene allen alien rich I 1 suppose pretends to be acts a pretty active figure automobiles and all that taken quite a shine to miss bliss wllbur wilbur edna was very busy as were all her assisi assistants ants for the next hour there was a great throng and the affair acair was certainly a wonderful success more than once edna stole ptole a f hurried disappointed look about the room 1 why did robert not corne come sho she asked herself and her rosebud lips t pouted slightly she had been flattered i at the graceful attentions ot of alien but why had not robert dean 1 I 1 abeen been on hand band as she had anticipated 1 I 1 ps as she eha had a right to expect t they wore were lovers almost engaged hey they were neighbors their homes innear near together mary dean was ednas closest friend arid and then as edna at last saw robert enter the room a randsome tand somo brunette a stranger to her fan n his arm tier her face drew down and t ahe be turned her back deliberately up 0 robert is as he smiled at her te purposely she evaded him after aa 1 when the band struck up and wa daniA dancing nf began upstairs she alti sm lowed the handsome st stanger mr allen alien to take roost most of the dances on her card 1 I want to introduce somebody to you edna robert managed to say eay to tier her in a crush at the supper some other time retorted edna pettishly and when tho the dance danca was over she abe again evaded robert seeking for her with a hurt mystified look on his face edna allowed mr allen alien to see tier hor homo home and to carry the handbag containing tho the proceeds eda of tho the sales she listened to his handsome bands compliments ments and spitefully compared tits his elegant ways with those of the plain but honest robert when she ehe got home however and reached her roop room she sat down with a sigh and a dull pain at tier her heart her parents were away visiting a relative in III another town only deaf old aunt jane was in the house hoube the place seemed dreadfully silent and lonesome it was waa the moro more he BO because of tho the sentiment that sho ond and robert had become estranged before she know it seated in a comfortable arm chair edna was asleep sho she woke to the echoes of something falling a human groan tho the light was still belll burning but nang in tho the room with a low cry edna sprang to her feet A startling picture was revealed to her tho the window overlooking the porch root rooi was waa partly open and held so BO by a masked man the edge of the eash imprisoned his its nock neck one arm was waa reached through striving to reach roach a pistol that had fallen from his hand band and over near tho the dressor dresser in a flash edna realized that tho the intruder was a burglar who bad opened tho the window to have it fall upon and imprison him upon a table lay the handbag and her diamond sunburst pin there too were the silver scissors the man was struggling to forc dorco u up p alio the sash edna summoned up all her h e r courage she darted to tho the table babl seized tho the scissors and ran at the intruder if you move she cried in a tremulous but brave voice 1 I will stick you with the scissors scissor sl I 1 what should she do she dared not leave the room the burglar might release himself iler her eyes eye s fell upon a toy telephone apparatus near another window and an near it it ran over the trees to the dean home robert had rigged it up to enable his sister bister and hla his love lore to hall each other when they liked the button operated a wire electrically charged and ringing bells at either end of at the line soon there was a response the bell rang in the room maryt maryl mary gasped edna rouse somebody send over afonce there Is a burglar herel here inside of five minutes robert dean his sister elster their brunette visitor and a hired man hailed balled edna from the garden she called to them to force a way into the house bouse the burglar was unmasked behold mr eugene oh roberti robert roberti robert sobbed the tha repentant edna when the elegant stranger was safe in tho the town jail and hr lover had explained that the dark brunette was hla his cousin can you ever forgive me 1 I can love you replied robert staunchly and that should answer every question copyright 1913 by W 0 chapman |