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Show I A RUDE AWAKENING BY FRANK DAVIS. (Copyright, ISM, by Dally Story Pub. Co.) "I heard something In towt yesterday yester-day that made me a bit uneasy," ho Mid; "I was told that that dude from St. Louis has been shining around her. Begins to look as though thore wm a rival In the Held," und Jack Gladden assumed a melodramatic air. "No, sir," sho said, sharply, "there's Bo 'rival' In the Held only your lack of manners; a gentleman wouldn't talk the way you dp." He had always liked to see her flare UP like this It was a refresh ns break in the monotony of smooth love making; but, somehow, Bho seemed more In earnost now than usual, and it Irritated him. "No, Grace," ho sold, "I presume a gy 'gentleman wouldn't talk that way, A, but a man would, when he wants the Kirl ho loves to turn from the error "61 her ways." They wore Bitting in the shade of n big elm, back ot tho house. The day was warm, and tho girl fanned horsolf vigorously with tho magazlno ho had been pretending to read. Her face was flushed with something besides be-sides the heat, as she replied to hli sarcasm. "Jack, you aro always talking about tho girl you ovo, whon, If you only j know it, you don't lovo anyone but yourself. You really mako me weary With your everlasting nonsense," and tho fan moved with accelerated vigor. "We havo known each other nil our llvos, dear," said Jack, in sudden humility, "and I havo loved you ever since I can remember; do you really think 1 am that sort of a fellow?" "What sort of a fellow ?" asited tho Kirl, not looking at him, and she very I carefully examined the advertising H pages of her magazine. "Didn't you just say that I am self- 1h don't love anyone but myself?" B "Well, you don't," sho retorted; "If B you did, you would talk less nnd do . something. You aro 23 years old, and H J you don't seem to havo any ambition to do anything except work your H mother's 40-acro farm. You have a H good education, why don't you uso B Ho generally enjoyed these scolding B motherly lectures; now, they stirred B him to bitterness, nnd ho said, with B boyish petulance: "I supposo you aro B mentally comparing mo with Mr. Honry Souders, tho gentleman from St. Louis." B "You talk llko a boy, Jack; and I B am afraid you will always be one." B Sho was 19. B Jack subsided Into sulky, troubled B silence. Abovo ithem, In tho topmost B branches, a thrush began to sing, In B puro, sweet notes, a love-song to Its B mate. B A stop was hoard on tho walk, fol- B lowed a moment lator by Mr. Henry B Souders, "tho gentleman from St. B Louis." "Good, afternoon," said he, BJ hat lu hand. "J hopo I don't Intrude. Bj They told mo at tho houso that I BJ should And you here, but they did not BJ Inform mo that you had company," BJ and he glanced In a deprecatory way BJ at Jack; but that young man did not BJ appear to notlco him. X Miss Grace Hndloy rose to her feet. BJ J "Why, how do you do, Mr. Souders? BJ Certainly .you don't intrude. My BJ friend, Mr. Gladden, Mr. Souders." Jack acknowledged the introduction BJ itoth awkwardly and rudely. "Glad to BJ make jour acquaintance," ho said, BJ without rising. Grace shot him a BJ ' oolt of mlnglod anger and disgust. BJ What u boor Jack is. She wondered BJ now she had over fancied herself In Jovo with him. Mr. Souders, with perfect solf-poB-cession, sa. down on n corner of tho ruBtic seat, and began making hlm- BJ self agreeable "For shade," he said, BJ ."tnoro's nothing comparablo with the BJ American white elm," and ho glancod BJ up at the heavy masses of dark green BJ foliage overhead. H "No, I'm suro there Isn't," ac- BJ Qulcsced Graco. 'Tapa says that be BJ wouldn't take f500 for this tree." Jack mentally concluded that tho old gontleman wouldn't, either, and ho felt like saying so, but he didn't. This question of shade seemed an H Important one, and Mr. Souders BJ turned to Jnck: "What Is your opln- HB Ion about It, Mr. Gladden?" he asked. H "Owing to tho kind of weather," Bj waB the reply, and Jack continued to . watch a "measuring" worm, as It BJ ''measured It's way up a blado of grass. H Mr. Souders smiled appreciating. B Mr. Snudors was determined to bo B pleasant. "Yoii'ro a farmer, uron't B you?" ho asked. B Jack lookc up from his worm. B "Yes, sir, I am, Why?" B Grace stlrrod uneasily In her seat. Mr, Saudors, however, had mot B country bumpkins before, and smll-B smll-B lngly ropllcd: "0, nothing, only I thought I hut you plowing in the held near the Bchoolhouse as I passed yesterday morning." Jack felt, somehow, that this well-groomed, well-groomed, city-bred chap was politely making fun of him. Jealousy, llko love, Is blind, and Jack was absurdly Jealous Just now. Mr. Souders, however, how-ever, was simply trying to bo agreeable agree-able to an Inferior. Tho conversation after this was chiefly between Mr. Souders and Grace, Jack vouchsafing an occasional occasion-al remark. Finally, Mr. Souders arose to take his leave. "I had hopod," he cald, ''to take you riding this afternoon, Miss Hadley, and drove around this way for that purpose; pur-pose; but, under the circumstances, I prosume that It would bo out of place to ask you to go?" Grace hesitated a moment. "No, thank you over so much," she said; "I couldn't very well go this afternoon." after-noon." "Some other time, then?" Insinuated Insin-uated the suave Mr. Souders. "Perhaps," smilingly assented the girl. "With a "Good afternoon," Mr. Souders departed. Ab the gentleman from St, Louis disappeared around tho corner of the house, Jack said, maliciously: ma-liciously: "Didn't tarry long, did ho?" With a burst of passion tho girl turned on him: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself, to act that way In tha presenco of a gentleman? You oh, I'm disgusted with you!" and, catching catch-ing up her magazine, sho started for the house. Jack met tho shock lm-perturbably, lm-perturbably, "Good-by, Grace," ha called after "her. ' II. A pink parasol, a plnk-and-whlta-girl, and a well-groomed young gentleman gen-tleman were moving slowly along the grassy side of tho narrow road. The man was talking earnestly, wltn bent head beneath the pink parasol, the girl, with flushed lueeks and downcast down-cast eyes, listening. "I know that we have known each other but a few months," ho said, "but, fox me, those months havo held more of life than all the past years of my oxlstence. I havo mot many women, but none has over touched my heart but you. Let mo look Into your aweet eyes, dear" Bang! bang! enmo tho almost simultaneous reports of a Bhotgun, down the road toward town; thon shouts, nnd the barking of dogs. "Oh! what Is It?" exclaimed tho startled girl. The love light had loft "Mr. Soudors' eyes, and they had nn anxious look. "I don't know," he an-swored; an-swored; "somebody hunting, maybe." Presently, they saw a crowd of men, nrmed with guns, pltchfonts nnd clubs, running up the road; and, in advanco of tho crowd, 200 yards or more, running with head down, and frothing mouth, camo a gaunt, bound-llko bound-llko crenturo, which, at every bound, gnvo vent to short, snarling cries. Straight on It came, up the road toward them, with long, swinging leaps, its great red tonguo hanging out, its open jaws dripping froth at overy leap. "Oh! what shall wo do?" cried the frlghtoncd girl. Her lover of a moment ngo wn gazing at tho frightful thing In a sort of fascinated stupefaction. Tho girl's voice seemed to break tho spoil. Seizing Seiz-ing her by tho arm, ho cried, In n voice hoarso with terror: "Bun!" nnd ho broke for a clump of trees, In n Hold some hundred yards distant, hall dragging the girl nftor him. The mad dog was only n few rods behind them now, and the trees wen about tho same dtstnnco away. Tin man gave one backward glance, lot go of the girl, and redoubled his efforts; to reaoh tho trees. With a moan o terror, Grace stumbled and fell. III. Sauntering along the road that Sabbath Sab-bath afternoon, swinging a heavy hickory stick as a cane, camo Jack Gladden; and he wns In no pleasant mood, for he hnd Just come from the Hndloys' whore he learned that Grace was out walking with Mr. Soudcra. Ho heard the gunshotB, and tho Bhout-Ing, Bhout-Ing, and saw the mnd dog and Ita pursuers; pur-suers; and, Just ahead of the swiftly approaching terror, ho saw Grace and Mr. Souders, Ho caught a better grip on his stick, and started on a run toward them. Ab Grace foil, the slavering brute was almost upon her. The noxt instant in-stant It lay stunned and quivering from tho offocts of a well-dollverod blow from Jack'B stick. A few more blows, nnd tho danger was past. "Oh. Jack!" she said, as ho helped hor to her feet; and thon sho put her arms around his neck nnd kissed him, Mr. Honry Soudors slid silently down his tree and joined the crowd from town. |
