| Show t 3 of hulda by charles L doyle t by a chapman hulda was having a hard time ot it tor she found herself unable to decide which of her two suitors she preferred hans she had to confess possessed lome advantages which weighed neav aly in his favo mr ball the man across the street who owned the big building was particular about his birnace man and she knew that he liked hans besids hans speak swedish and the edged that it was pleasant to talk with him in the laia aage ot the dear old home across tl e sea but whenever his plain open coun cenance with the blue eyes twinkling below the yellow hair was pictured in her mind she blamed him tor be ng a little too ordinary she could see a dozen such any sunday in the 1 atle swedish church now with a man who wore a fine blue coat with a five pointed star on the front of it and carried a mahogany club it was differ ent no one who looked at him could fail to see that he being a part of the was superior to the corn mon run of men michael had to d mer that he was the right arm 0 the law and she had looked her adolina lion she had known him almost as long as she had hans and he was very good to her on sundays in the park he neild get her a seat close up to the band stand then ft hen the concert vas over he would stroll across that part of the park that had signs to kepp off the grass erected upon it of course micheal the all powerful could walk wherever he pleased he was a are that hans was his rival for one sat arday night he had come to see hulda and found the swedish swain there hulda had said hans this Is mr flanagan and hans had responded cordially but michael accepted the introduction sul ally and sat scowling at the sink all the rest ot the evening after that the sagacious mr flana gan ceased visiting hulda on satur days and obtained a transfer to an other platoon so that he could do his calling on monday or tuesday nights hans did not alter his ule so the rivals never met at hulda s home again indeed michael tobit so little pains to cultivate han s acquaint ance that he never even dreamed of inquiring what the former did for a living and this disdainful indifference was destined to prove costly in the end how hulda would have learned to know the sentiments of her heart had not hank 0 day the ice man set in motion a fateful train of circumstances one cannot guess hank did not know hulda he does not know her to the present day and yet it was none other than the guar dian of the ice wagon who unwitting ly unmasked her heart s desire hank 0 day d ove a pair of remark ably high spirited horses one n orn ins when the ice wagon was empty his aesthetic instincts led him to re turo to the yards by way of the street that skirted the park as the chariot of fate was nearing hildas home the chain at the back of the wagon slipped and let the end gate drag upon the ground hank swore impatiently stopped his team and jumped to the ground to fasten the chain he jerked it quickly through the iron rings and then swore livid ly again as the team becoming alarmed by the sadden noise sprang forward and galloped madly down the avenue making straight for the bear est entrance to the park the I 1 orri fled hank stood still long enough to eee the end gate banging out defiance then he started after as fast as his rubber boots would let him when officer michael flanagan Fla naran turned from his faithful guardianship of bevy of simpering nurse girls in the park he saw coming toward him at full speed a pair of wild eyed horses with an ice wagon swaying from side to side behind the seat of the wagon stood a man trying desperately to get hold of the reins at once michael rec the waving yellow hair and pale features of the driver as those of the detested hans and in the same moment there came to him the real of his opportunity for revenge he ran into the roadway and as the ing wagon passed caught the chain of th end bate and swung himself in to the box As he gained his feet the wagon slowed suddenly and he lurched forward bringing up against the back of the sturdy driver seizing him nemly by the collar officer flanagan gasped I 1 arrest you in the name of the law hans did not qu te understand but the hands on his collar in the mo mant of s access made him angry hat you wanta let me go he cried ina grantly t me retorted michael triumph antly you are under arrest tor daiv ing a traffic team in the park and must go wl h me to the station fians clung to the reins and ret ased to come in his broken english he explained and expostulated he all but explode d another officer was approaching pro aching and when he came w ahin earshot the victim of circumstances appealed to him volubly but the comer was indifferent it hans was arrested why of course he must go to the station and so to the station he went in charge of the exultant flanagan the magistrate vaa busy when aney arrived and hans was al owed to go until the afternoon when he was I 1 old he would be given a hearing police man ri anagan smiled grimly to him self as he stroll d back on post there was a goodly chance that han s employer would fire him tor careless ness and what would hulda say ft hen she heard that hans had offended tha majesty of the law and been arrested there was no fear that she of the flaxen hair and bright eyes would not hear of the occurrence michael would attend personally to the convey ance of the tidings in the afternoon officer flanagan made his appearance in court hans came in due time by no less a person than hulda with trem were also his employer mr ball and hank 0 day the iceman michael nar rated the details of the arrest and then mr ball had his innings he told the magistrate how bans at the risk of his life had sprung into the runaway wagon as it dashed by the building where he was employed and succeeded in bringing the mad bened team to a halt after passing the park entrance this statement was corroborated by hulda who had wit hessed hans daring leap and last hank 0 day testified tl at he was th regular driver of the team before discharging hans the magis addressed a few remarks to boffl flanagan which made that zeal ous member of the force wilt bibly michael left the cou broom with such sentences as officious ious interfere int erfer ence bungling stupid work utterly unfit to wear a police uniform ring ing in his ears but the hardest par to bear was the sight of hulda cling ing to hans stalwart arm as they walked away together |
