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Show "Then why not start a detective with aome of this gang." But there are other lawyers who agency?" ahe demanded. "There's kite to bo done here. Pur Instance are called upon to defend criminals," Tom-to-n tha & P. offers a reward for tha objected Brice. robbers. Five thousand would "But they dont play tha stock come ia pretty handy, juat now market," he said. Alnscoe does. 1 wouldn't It?" waa in Green Creek the other day "Five thousand!" he gasped. "I and I heard a wire. I used to be a don't recall when 1 saw such a sum telegrapher oat." last." "What'a to bo done?" be asked. "Then let's get busy," she urged. "How shall we trace that letter?" "I've been all through this country REPRESENT the Golden Reprrtuire company," announced the young woman, aa idle iwjiH into the sanctum. "lljr name ia ilk Vincent. I've aome mb! here that yon might like to use." I'd be delighted, Mine Vincent," area the brisk response from the young man at the dealt, but there are taro reaeona why I cannot take it. In the first place, there ia no longer an AmityviUe Eagle. The bird of freedom baa squeaked ill laut. It wae not worth whlla anal going for the benefit of the creditor. It Just flapped Its winga feebly and died." I gueaa tbnt'a reaaon enough," aha laughed. "Never mind the oth- ahead of tha show, lvs got some Ideas. What do you say?" "I any heres long Ilfs to the firm of Vlurmt A Brice, private Inquiry agents," ha said, offering his hand. "My name la Paul Brice, by the way." "You can he working on the doser." up of your paper. I'm stranded ing "But the other ui-- re Intimately hero and looking around for someconcern yon," h aai "The Golden thing to da You have n typewriter, Repertoire eontpany crossel the great and 1 burrow It to do some copying divide along with the Eagle." on. That accounts for us. I'm go'Stranded?" abe gaaped. ing down tbe street to see tbe law'Burned, alranded and deeerted, yer." he aiuiented. The opera houae at "Alnecoe," be asked. "I don't Molrevllle burned down laat night think that he does euough law busiwith all the euNtuiues and thing. ness to make It worth while." Golden and the manager made n getThe sort of law business he does away nblle tba fire waa mill bura-in- g la what I want la find out," she and the rent of tbe company baa "I'll be bach later and wa'l either atarted up the track or arroea go to lunch. I've Juht ft left." the abort trail." It was an hour before she returned "Now, laa't that providential? and her eye sparkled. "I got a Job laughed Mian Vincent, "la tha laat the first thing," she announced. town I traded eight paaaea fur the "Made 7k rents copying a letter. It ahow for a pair of boot a waa la French, so I raised price. "There are allver lining! to all It took me longer because I had to clouds, be chuckled.- "But thin cloud read It from tbe letter lbe lawyer appears to be leather lined." wrote." "Like aa automobile met," ahe "Who la he writing French to?" suggested. "Talk of automobiles! If asked Brice. "Hpanish la the only 1 only had one now." other language they use here." "I tried to get one In eichanga for Alice looked cautiously about thu advertising," be said, "but I did not office; tbca drew closer to Brice. succeed la pulling It through." "He waa writing to the head of the "Modem person, she commented. Tom ton band, abe whispered, lie "I suppose you tried to mako the does not know that I understand manufacturers think that this for- French, so ha let me copy the letter, saken Arlaona town ' ' Juat hunger-la- g lie explained that the inan he was for automobiles." writing to was not able to read very "I spoke of the chances for devel- well and be had to typewrite it." opment," ho admitted, "but thero "But what haa ho to do with the was no chance." Totuton band?" atannnered Brice. "I suppose you'll land all right," li'a Just intuition," explained the abe Mid. Their common trouble had girl. "You aee tha train robberies aetabliabed a friendly relation. have been commented upon very I hope so," he said, "but tha out- freely along Ihe line. I have beard look la not so very good. You see all the gossip of a doxen town. They my capital waa tied up In tba Eagle. all aeeiq to feel that tbe band bad a I am aot a practical newspaper man. source of information. Now, Aina-co- s used to be a detectiva bark east, bad defended a lot of outlaws ut my lunga went bark on me and very auccessfully and It waa ouly naI came down here." tural that he should coma In contart across the street. "Ho seat It," aha whispered aa ha entered. "Thera waa a Mexican with a splendid horse. He was la the office about 20 minutes ago, and rode out toward the foothills. I know he had tha letter because I could sea It sticking out of his belt." Two days later Alnscoe seat up for Miss Vincent. His messenger was a ragged and disreputable Utile Mexi her a letter to copy. It was Juat n general letter of ad- vice bearing on special information, but when, a little later, Alice saw the little Mexican galloping out of town on Alnacoes best horse, ahe smiled hopefully nt Brice. Then commenced the siege of Jose. This cheery, fresh complexloned young woman was vastly different from most of the women In Amity- - - V . James taylor had Sybil, if ha had naming of ber'eha would have been called Mary Jnne. after hla mot her, who had taken more prises at the county fair for the best ten ysrds of rag rsrpet than any other woman In Monros county. Ills wife had Insisted on the name Bybil, however, aa ahe had found It In a weekly story paper, and rather than have trouble tbe husband had let It go at that and alwajs abbreviated the luuna to "81b." Sybil la a romantic name, and the girl grew up rbuck full of romance. When alia was 12 years old she stand at the gate and hoped for a knight to route along. When she waa 14 she wanted to he the young lady who jumped through hoops of fire at tbe cirrus. At lfi sbs went to the city and lived for two year with an aunt, end eha returned to pastoral life more romantic than ever, she wanted permission to go on the stage. She had been to tba theater a doaea times and had become a hero worshiper. Sho did not know any actors, hut she reverenced them and looked up to them with awa. Senators, judgus and mllllonqrea were not in It compared to tho hero of tbe melodrama who slid off a cliff, leaped a ravine and killed three or four outlaws to save a sunburned maiden. "It's all durned nonsense, and you can't go," waa the father's edict . "Someone haa got to help me wash and bake end make soft soup, end 1 cant spare you," wae tbe mothers reply when appealed to. Sybil bed to put on i checked apron and go to work, but she held to her romance and bided her time. It came one June day. While the fanner wee In town he was accosted by n stranger who wanted to spend three or four weeks In tho country at a quiet place. Terms were boob arranged and Augustus De Quincy rods home with hint in the farm wagon. Auguatua hadnt slated bis profession, but was auppoaed by tha farmer to be a wire-fenc- e men, seeking rest from kis strenuous labors of convincing farmers that cattle rubbing against tha barbs Improved (0 per cent over the old way. True, tbe etrenger used many big words and indulged In many gestures, but perhaps he represented a new brand of fence, and these characteristics were thrown In without extra coat. Mrs. Taylor looked upon the new arrival an a windmill man yrho had talked himself lo a standstill and wanted lo rest hla lunga, but Bybil waa not to ba deceived. Bhe solved the mystery in five minutes. One of her melodramatic heroea hod arrived. Bhe had seen him on the stage, and of all the heroea he waa the choice. He had killed the moat outlaws and saved tha moat maidens. On the three nights sho bed seen him net she had felt hie greatness so much that had they been Introduced she would certainly have fainted away with embarnutsmeBL Had iJie been possessed of $10,000 Instead of a few shillings she would have willingly given It for a small lock of hla hair. Farmer Taylor wa. troubled when he learned who his boarder was, and tbe wife shook her head and hoped that trouble would not reme of It. The daughter waa delighted, but did not make the situation known at once. Ia fact, shs waa a bit disappointed. Her hero didn't wear Buffalo Bill hair nor carry an arsenal of guns and knives, nor toy with a rifle. He wasn't posing against cliffs nor shouting for the ont'.sws to come on. The summer suit he wore had seen "Of course you know the poat (De"Iban you drop around there. I'll go over to the hotel. It's right across from his office." Brice made hie way across the street to tha poalofflcc. Aa hour later Alice at rolled In to get wime stamps and, with a significant nod la tha direction of the office, went aler?" Brice nodded. can boy who swept out tha office and did odd Jobs. Bhe detained him for several minutes, chatting with him, before abe followed him down the dusty street to the law office. Alnscoe questioned her sharply aa to her antecedents, but her replies were frank and convincing, la tha end hla fears vanished and be gavs vllle, and Jose straightaway became her slave la those leisure momenta permitted him by hla employer. "I think it's about ripe, she announced one evening as she and Brice atrolled down tha single street of the town and out Into the open country where eavesdropping was 1 don't Intend to promise to marry anyone juat now," . exclaimed Alice Falrlelgh. "Why Is it that man can't be good friends with a girl wltboat spoiling everything by fancying hlmaelf In love with her? "You know that this Is no fancy on my part," returned Norris Btay-do"My love for you la a very serious fact." O. that Is the way all of you talk," aald Alice. "Come, let ue remain comrades aa we have been all through this delightful summer and forget that wa have had this very solemn conversation." That's Just It." Norris rejoined, agerly. "I want that we shall be comrades always." "And you think that our marriage would bring about euch a consummation T Dnn't you know that all married people quarrel dreadfully?" "We would not quarrel," said Norris, with an air of conviction. Th," returned Alice, "each Im- f glass that someway he will be for- lunate enough to tbe common n. em-ap- lot. We are certain to go unscathed while all sorts of disasters may overtake other folks. . . IDEAL, better days, end hla draw hat had Ha did rouse himself on an occanot been rejuvenated while he wait- sion and taka a pall to milk, but ha ed. hero didnt have the bearing of Aa her hero of the atage sho had and ho didn't look a bit like one when supixieed that he lived on angels' the row kicked out and sent him food or aoinethlng equally dainty, and sprawling. she felt a bit provoked when he sat Ha had shouldered a maiden and down to fried pork and other things walked backward! over a bridge ate and with the appetite of a hired while facing tha desperate outlaws, men. but Instead of shouldering tho cow I,nrer on she found that he smoked and crying ont: "Back, ys bounds of n pipe, end that holes could be seen hell, or 1 fire! ho had made a beeIn hla socks when he put on hla runline for the house. down slipper. On the stage the gallop of hla horse Farmer Taylor knew a bit about had been heard behind the scenes as human nature. He knew the dtffer-enc- e he came dashing up to tho rescue, between n hero on the stage and and couldnt see him, a man boarding at a farmhouse at sho though Sybil what a hero figure ho imagined $4 a week and sewing on his own cut. One day on tho farm he mountHe therefore warned his ed the old gray mare for a little exbuttons. wife lo say nothing, and he didnt ercise, hut the moment she struck a warn Sybil at all. trot ho was bounced off, and comWhen the first week was up and of hla bark for two days ihe boarder remarked that hie remit- plained Tha second weeks board wae due, tance hadn't come the father simply Quincy didn't allude to alluded to ihe fact In a careless way but Mr. De waa to here the second $4 as he would have remarked It. Sybil buy a shirt walsL In one way It that the old spotted row wasn't giv- to seemed to her that It wee beneath a ing quite aa murh milk aa formerly. heros dignity to speak of $1 In cash, But for that careless observation In another ahe wondered if he Sybil muni have that day aurprlaed but to drop from hla bedroom her hero by Informing him that aba wee goingaome window night and leava her had seen him play sad waa dying to shoeless end waistleea. become a great actress. 8he had her She had decided not to make hermind made up to it, but hesitated when she learned that ha had not self known to him, but there was yet aome of the romance left. squared up his board Mil. The father had been sawing wood Bhe had never before thought of heroes In connection with board by and saying nothing, but when the the week, but ahe had been promised time came to act he wae oa deck. He that $4 to buy n new pair ot ahoea felt that one good shock wae all that waa needed, end he prepared it. As with, and that altered tho ease. A real hero would have gone 10004 he eat resting his aching back after the country In search of mad doga to dinner he remarked to the hero, who kill or highwaymen lo arrest. Mr. had eaten aa heartily as If he had Do Quincy did nothing of tha sort. paid his board la advance: By the way, have you hunted for Ho sat on the veranda and smoked, or lay under tho apple trees and the nests of any madder larks yet?" "I have not. was the reply. enoosed, and mad dogs sad highway"Better go down In the madder men had a good time of 1L -- where you aee that bush and tha tall grass around It Ive read a heap of poetry about madder larks" At that, Mr, Da Quincy stood up and recited a poem ia which the meadow lark was referred to in terms of highest eulogy, and then eat down and said that aa aoon as he was cows and old gray mares. There was an artificiality about them that ha did not like. He kad been studying the trees, the grass,' tha growing corn and many other things, and now tha meadow lark, rising to greet the new-bor- n sun and trill her glad lay, should come under his observation. Just THE rO, m west-boun- east-bou- CHANGING Farmer "I shaU disappear and then pres- ward the now deeerted camp. to the reward." Only two men had been left (. should if "But and these were disposed ot in happen anything charge as short order. Then the pollen seniel "Nothing will happen," she smiled. down to wait All through the night "In n week we shall hava the lot." and the next day they mourned The next morning Alice Vincent guard. Then Alice, slipping bade farewell to Alnscoe, and with the brush from the lookoutthrough point much publicity waa eaoorted to the brought word that the gang luu d train." bark. lag None save Brice knew that she was All unsuspecting they rode Into via back the same evening. He met her narrow valley, the pass to which n In a deserted ranch houae at tha edge so obscure that few could discover i; of the town. Only the little Mexican boy waa waid Her thick hair had been shorn in ing for them, and to him the leader close copy of Joee, and her tattered rode up. suit waa exactly like that wora by "Tell Alnecoe," he called sharply her worshiper. "that everything is nil right. Late that night Joee crept up to held up the men and got the whole the house. Before she had left, Alice bnneh. We have more than Xuu had asked him to meet her there. He ounces of dust. Understand?" neither knew nor cared what ahe "SI, senor," and the lithe figure wanted. It took but a moment to slipped away. overpower and bind him, und ahe Alice had Juat reached the corner had assumed his personality. of one of the cabins when the police It was she who reported to Ansooe sprang out with leveled rifles, inthe next morning, and for two days stinctively the bandits' hands went aha worked about tha place and suf- up, but tha leader, with a curse, shot fered hla brutal treatment. Then the straight at tbe fleeing hoy and with a little moan Alloa dropped. opportunity came. You will have to ride out this aft"It's In the shoulder, she whisernoon," announced Alnecoe, and she pered. "Don't worry, partner. It's departed to saddle the fleet pony that only a flesh wound." She reached up and tore away tha was Alnscoe's pride. Bravely she started from town, shirt that he might staunch the flow and Brice watched her go with anxi- of blood. Tbe captain of police, comous eyes. Some hint of her direction ing up Just then, gave a cry of asshe had gained from Jose, and it was tonishment. not long before she wae In the footBrice roughly bandaged the wound and helped Alice on the pony, it waa hills A horscuian waa waiting for her a rough ride and ones or twice aha and she followed her guide Into the swayed in tha saddle, but at lent pretence of the outlaw, a swarthy, they drew up la front of tha hotel underslsed Frenschman whose lack where already a knot of tha curious of stature wae made up by a formid- had gathered. able armament of pletole in a belt Medical attendance was obtained about hla waist. and when Brice came the next mornHa questioned her rapidly in Span- ing, Alice was propped up against ish and spoke with hla lieutenant in the plllowe. French. It was apparent that n raid "Good news," Le cried. "They have waa planned for that evening, for discovered the leader to be the fawhen aha waa dismissed from the mous Capron. Tho aggregate rewards foot up to $24,000 end you camp the men were all astir. carried get It all. That night the aa extra car and when well out from "We, aha corrected. "It was a AmityviUe, came to a halt in tbe partnership. I suppose that it's over desert. From the car Issued half a BOW. "Not unleea you wish," ha said, doxen members of the railroad police and. they were galloping toward tha tenderly. "Let's mak a new partfoothills before moat of' the passen- nership, this time for life. We shall have to wait until my gers were aware of the stoppage. A few miles beyond they were met hair grows out, she smiled. "Walt nothing," he said. "I'll hava by Brice end Alice, the latter atill in her boyish disguise. Silently they the minister over here la half aa fell in and Alice guided them to hour." heading for tha meadow and the hush. He looked about the bosh la vain. Not n meadow lark or a neat. He waa turning away In n pnssled state ot mind when he got a lift that jumped him two feet high and made him yell out. Hla yell waa not heroic. Then tha meadow larks began to rise up from the grans Ilka the locusts of Egypt Other farmers would have called them bumble bees, but fanner Taylor wae a bit careless la his choice of names. Those bees were hopping - mad. They went to business with a vim. They Jumped Da Quincy straight up In the air. They jumped him sideways They jumped him over tbe hush and tha nearest fence. They run him up a hill and down a hill and across a creek, end all the time ha was Jumping and running ba was yelling, When he had Jumped a second fence he found himself in n field with a bull, and the bull couldnt let such an opportunity, pass. Ha Joined In and gave chase, and the last seen of the hero he was disappearing Into the woods. He came not buck. The third week was up within a day, and hia only baggage consisted of two old ehlrte end a pair of socks. Why should he return? "I kinder think I ought to go np ONE DAT ON THE FARM HE MOUNTED THE OLD GRAY MARE FOR A LITTLE EXERCISE. through smoking he would take a wander down to the hush end investigate. He loved nature. Thats why he waa out in the country instead of putting In tha weeks a: the Waldorf. He wanted to get Just as close to nature as he could, except kicking Ho might hare added that he had been studying what to do when hla board bill reached the sum of $12, but he refrained. He knew that heroea were always taken care of . somehow. An hour later Sybil's hero waa secs wish It so, abe added. But that la preposterous. Alice, cried Norris, springing to hla feet. Suppose that I fall, whlrh it la almost certain I must do? Surely you will not ao foolishly risk our happi- her, she sorted them rapidly, presently drawing one out and throwing It down before him. "There! Doubting Thomas," said she. See for yourself." He picked up the queen of hearts. Fair queen," he said, my fate rests with you; be merciful!" Alice was rc sclous that his eyes were nnt fixed upon the queen of hearta which he held In hie hand. 0, don't be tragic!" cried she, snatching the card from him and replacing It In the pack. "Let's get this horrid business ovr. Ones more she shuffled the cards, and handed the pack to him. As she did so. he thought that her hand trembled a little. Norris cut the pack boldly, and turned up tbe queen of hearts! to tho woods and look for that feller," observed the farmer jxt the supper table that evening. "Youd better get the constable after him and make him 'pay bis board!" Indignantly exclaimed Sybil. Then, as she dropped her fork and bent to pick It up, the father winked at the mother, the only wink sho had ever known him to Indulge In during the SO years of their married 66 course." cried Alice, gayly. And there is positively no hope for me?" queried Norris. "Likewise, there's always hope," replied Alice, "it springe eternal, you know. Then give me a chance!" said Non Is, eagerly. "If It is only one chance In a hundred I'll take it, for 1 am fairly desperate. "O, men wenry me." exelalmed Alice. "Why should you single out cue girl and Insist upon her promla Ing to marry you? Wont someone else suit you Just as well? I know heaps of girls who "Bui I want you." he Interrupted. Alice wt In '.houghtful silence for e few moments, and Norris fancied that In the glorious depths of her blue eyes there were eigne of relenting. Presently sbe looked up at him with e smile. "You've given me an idea, ahe ALICE. You spoke of being willing said. to take one chanr la a hundred. If "I suppose theres someone else, I give you that rhauce will you promsaid Norris, frowning, ise to abide by It?" "O. there's always someone else, of "Assuredly," said Norris, but whet do you propose?" "1 don't propose, she retorted. Man proposes you know, and you've done that times enough already. Walt till tomorrow night" And no more satisfaction was Norris able to obtain. so a a o ' "I have here. proclaimed Alice, "a pack of playing cards." "Pass them over for inspection, please," requested Norris. . O, therell be no opportunity for cheating In this game, she returned. "You will recall that a certain young man, who has been persecuting u certain young woman for some time past, entered Into a certain agreement with her the other day, and " She blushed deeply aa she met his puzzled glance, and then continued hurriedly: "You asked for ona chance In hundred. Now here are IS cards. I will shuffle them thoroughly. Then you may rut them. Should the rard you turn Up be the queen of hearts. I surrender. Otherwise are to remain friends simply. That la If - u ness! I do not know that our happisaid Alice, a ness waa In question, trifle coolly. "You asked for one chance la a hundred. 1 make a very murh better proposition. What could be fairer?" and then determined to respond to her mood, hoping that If ha should fall to bring the right card to light, as seemed Inevitable, he might find aome means of changing her determlnailOL. "All right," he cried, "T accept to your fantastic proposal. Let the performance proceed." She ehuffled the pack deftly. "Hold! exclaimed Norris. How do I know that there la a queen of hearta at all in that pack?" "Do yon. think I would stoop to such deception? she replied. The., turning the facaa of tha carda toward He hesitated, 4 S s is The honeymoon had stretched Itself far beyond lls allotted time, when one day Norria said: . "Alice, where Is that dear pack of carda which has brought me no much happiness? I should like to have it kept always In aome . Really I never knew how lucky a man I was until that night. "That wae rather a dear pack of cards,! replied Alice, musingly. "A sad hole In my pocket , money It gem-studd- casket made!"- - "You tease! retorted Norris. "Von know very well that I didnt mean-'dea- r In that way. It struck me as being a Tory ordinary looking p&k of cards" "That's all you know about It, laughed Alien. "You stupid boy! Why, there were Juat' SI queens of hearts in that pack! v la 1920. "This," said the stage manager, "Is the setting for the balcony ecene In Romeo and Juliet. "But 1 seem to mien something," said tha critic. "Where is the ladder?" "Ladder? The modern Romeo doesn't climb a Udder. He cornea in aa airship." |