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Show 'SERIAL? i2 STORY CVJ IzitheH SMUGGLER j By 1 ELLA MIDDLETON i TYBOUT I 1 Illustrations by Ray Walters jj (Cuwriiriu, iwl, iij J. ii. I.ii'piucott vo.i CHAPTER I. If Kllzabctli did not Indulgo In hay fovor every year and consequently hnvo to ho vory careful about breathing breath-ing whoro thero Is vegetation It would novor havo happoncd; or, rather, wo would not have boon mixed up with It. I don't know after all wliothor It was not Onbrlollo's gold beads that were to lilnmo Just as much as Elizabeth's hay fnvor; for if the string had not broken everything would havo boon nil right. Qabricllc and Elizabeth aro friends. They know eacli other's Inmost thoughts, nnd their past lives contain no reservations whatovcr from ono auother which seems n llttlo hard on tho men whoso pictures thoy havo frnmcd and presorvod as relics. I am their friend also, but I still hnvo a few undlvulged thoughts, as well as a modest number of reservations. reserva-tions. My name. Is EHzn, but I prefer to spell It Kllse, and porhnps I am n llttlo envious of the othor two, having lost my own alter ego by hor marriage mar-riage nnd nover replaced her. However, How-ever, that doesn't belong to tho Btory. whlcli really begins on tho steamer that carried us to Cannda. lOllzabcth had heard of an Island village) vil-lage) up there whore hay fever was unknown, un-known, nnd slio read us so many extracts ex-tracts concerning it from a booklet she kopt In her work basket that about tho first of Juno wo cut adrift from our respective families and started oft to spond tho summer thoro. We could do this with propriety, for we had all passed tho pin-feather age, although al-though I wish It distinctly understood wo wore still a long way from bolng stringy about tho throat. Wo wore sitting on tho deck of tho steamer watching tho moonlight on tho water nnd enjoying ourselves very much Indeed whon a man came around tho corner of tho cabin nnd sat down near us, as, of courso, ho had a perfect per-fect right to do. Suddenly Oabrlolle, who was next him, jumped up and clutched my arm. "Como away," sho whispered. "Como away." And, of course, wo camo forthwith. Sho was quite palo and trembling when wo reached tho cabin, nnd for a few minutes wns unablo to satisfy our curiosity; but at last sho spoko. "Ho throw a chair Into tho water," bIio said, In an awed voice. "Oh!" snid Elizabeth, with ovident disgust, "is that all? I thought It was something Interesting." "It was quite enough," Insisted Qnbrlolla. "I was afraid ho might throw mo next. You should havo seen his fnce and heard him muttorlng." "What did ho mutter?" Elizabeth liked the whole, of a story or nono at nil. "1 couldn't hoar, nut I think" Oabrlolle Oa-brlolle glanced around approhonslvoly "I think ho's crazy, and I don't llko being on a boat with an unguarded In-sano In-sano man. You novor know what thoy aro going to do. Ilesldcs, ho looked at me," I did not blnmo him thoro, for Oabrlolle Oab-rlolle Is well worth looking at, cspo-dally cspo-dally when sho Is gazing at tho m,oon with tho uplifted expression sho reserves re-serves for Hint purposo. I sometimes wonder why sho doesn't think somo man on earth worth It, but sho says distance lends onrhnntment In such matters, and I suppose sho knows her own affairs best. "I'erhnps his hooper Is somowhore around," speculated Ellzaboth. "Lot's go back nnd sco If ho Is still thore." So wo reconnoltcred stealthily, nnd saw him sitting quietly smoking and not looking nt all dnngorous a rather tnll, sparo man In bluo sorgo clothes, with n cap pulled down over his oyes. nnd tho air of ono who is Quito satisfied sat-isfied with his surroundings. It was a cool nlKht, and tho deck was almost deserted, so ho had our sccludod cor ner bohlnd the cabin nil to hhnsolf, and we could stand just outside the door and examine him at oyr leisure. "Ho looks Just llko anybody else." said Kl'zaboth, plainly disappointed. "I didn't say ho had- a hump on ills back," returned Oabrlollo, Indignantly. "I said ho throw a chair overboard and so ho did." "It hi a now way of boglnning a flirtation," I murmured, "but customs differ In various places. Perhaps you Bhould havo sent your chair aftor it, by way of acknowledging tho attention. atten-tion. Oh!" For at that moment ho leaned forward, for-ward, looked with Interest at tho chulr bcsldo him, felt Its back and legs, poised It lightly In tho air, and shot It ovor tho railing into tho wator bo-low, bo-low, whore wo saw It bobbing In the foam In our wnko'. "There!" triumphed Oabrlollo, "Now what do you say?" Wo said nothing, for just then ho rcachedi for another chair. This time, bowover, ho was not bent on destruction, destruc-tion, for ho merely detached a dark object hanging on Its back. For tho second tlmo Oabrlollo clutched my unfortunate un-fortunate arm, which was quite bruised with hor attentions. "It's my .bag!" Bhe exclaimed, "My now shopping bag. I left It hanging on my chnlr nnd ho's opening It! Oh, tho wrotchl" The "wretch" procoeded to Invcstl- gate tho contents of tho bag, nnd ' carefully examined ench artlclo as ho I drew It forth. First a pair of gloves, , and then a handkerchief, which he hold critically to Ills noso after scrii-I scrii-I tlnlzlng tho monogram. I "1 hopo ho likes It!" cjaculnted Oabrlollo, In an Indignant whisper. Next a small powder puff and a bit j of chamois skin (regarded with tolerant tol-erant amusement), n stubby pencil in I mm a point and much dented from thoughtful biting (having been used to calculate our expenses), 25 cents, thrco street car tickets, a liltch key, and a squnro card, at which ho looked long and earnestly. ! "It Is a good thing you wear your 1 money around your neck," remarked I Elizabeth, but Oabrlcllo pointed an I odtraged finger at tho unconscious bluo sorgo back. "It is our picture," Bhe said "we threo togother. Did youjovcr!" Finding tho moonlight nut bright onough for his purpose, ho moved nenror tho cabin window, happening, as he did so to glance behind him'. Springing to his feot, ho lifted his cap and advanced towards us, hag In hand, but with ono nccord wo turned nnd fled. It was best .to tnko no chnnces within reach of his hands. We had no desire to follow tho chairs ovor tho railing, j I went with Qabrlello and Elizabeth to their stateroom, whore wo spent somo tlmo in discussing tho strango Incident and the fact that our picture was still In tho supposed lunntlc's possession. pos-session. At length I bade them goodnight good-night nnd set out to And my own berth, as we had not been fortunato , enough to get adjoining rooms. In tho saloon I found tho stewardess, steward-ess, who at onco accosted me, with an apologetic cough. "Oh, If you please, miss," she said, "could I speak to you?" Tho burden of her speech wns a re-quost re-quost that I sharo my stateroom with Shot It Over the' Railing Into the Water. n lady who had not been able to secure se-cure ono, nnd who was much fatigued. "And I thought, miss," sho concluded, con-cluded, "that as you havo n room to youolf, perhaps you would bo so kind as to lot hor havo tho Bparo borth, since it Is tho only ono on tho boat. Would you mind obliging her?" I did mind very much, nnd was about to say so In no uncertnln Inn-guago Inn-guago when tho stewardess twitched my skirt wnrnlngly. "That's hor," sho whispered, "ovor thero under tho light. Speak low, It you pleaso, miss, and don't go for to refuse tho poor dear a bed don't, now." I looked in the direction indicated, and folt glnd I had not spoken. It was a comparatively young faco which rested against tho back of tho chair, but so pale, so worn, so unutterably weary, that ono wondered Instinctively what blow fato had soon fit to deal this woman to so rob hor of her girlhood. girl-hood. Tho pitiless glnro of tho electric elec-tric light fell directly upon her, accentuating ac-centuating tho purplo shadows bo-' bo-' ncatli her oyes and tho hollows In hor ! cheeks, whllo hor listless poso sug- gostcd henrtHlckness as well as fa-' fa-' tlgue. Ono hand lay on tho nrm of her chair, nnd ns I advancod toward hor I noticed the gleam of hor wedding ! ring. J "Tho Btewnrdoss tells mo you havo no stateroom," I said. "I am alone, and shall bo glnd to sharo mine with you." Tho heavy lids lifted slowly, and I found myself looking Into a pair ct wistful dark eyes with an unanswered question In tlilni. "Thank you," she said, In n sweet, low voice. "You aro most kind. I know it Is not plensnnt to sharo ono's room with n stranger, but I will come gladly, for I am very tired. My husband" hus-band" She paused abruptly and a faint color col-or tinged hor cheeks ns a man np-proached np-proached and bent over hor with an unmlstakablo air of possession. "It's no use, .Juliet," he said; "I can't get you a stateroom nt any price, nnd you aro regularly dono up, too! .Wo muBt manage with ono of those sofas." "It Is all right, dear," sho replied gently. 'Thls young lady Is good onough to offer to sharo her room with with mo. My husband, Mr. Graham, Miss " I supplied tho namo and bowed to Mr. Oraham, looking curiously at him ns I listened to his effusive thanks. Tho man ovldently possessed tho vitality his wife lacked. His every movement Indicated that ho was filled to tho finger tips with vibrant, pulsing life, nnd ono admired him with tho admiration ad-miration ono Involuntarily nccords a perfect specimen of tho nnlmal kingdom, king-dom, whether man or beast. Perhaps his Hps wcro a trifle too full and red, and his tooth rather unpleasantly dazzling daz-zling when thoy gleamed under his dark mustache; porhaps, also, thero was something In his large black eyes now nnd then which might causo a woman to blush nnd turn nsldo If ho looked too long nt hor; but his manner man-ner wns very gcntlo as ho bent over his wlfo, nnd ho collected her wraps and helped her to rise with gonulno solicitude. Tho stewardess was waiting to show Mrs. Oraham the room, and I decided to remain In tho saloon until she had retired, so I sat down In a green plush chair and amused myself watching my fellow passengers nnd speculating ns to their destinations. I had Just determined deter-mined thnt a fat old lady opposite was tho mother of a large family and going to visit a married daughter, when tho cabin door opened and Mr. Graham returned alone. Ho raised his hat as ho passed, hesitated a moment, then 'seated himself him-self oft tho arm of an adjoining chnlr. "Wo renlly owe you a debt of gratitude," grat-itude," ho said. "Of courso I can got nlong perfectly well anywhere, but Mrs. Graham is not strong. Sho. has had a tiresomo Journey, and to-night seemed to bo tho last straw. I Blip-poso Blip-poso you noticed how awfully dono up she was." "Sho certainly seemed very tired." "Sho will ho all right to-morrow, after aft-er n night's rest thanks to you. Wo nro going to' spond tho summer In Cannda. I think tho cllmnto thoro will bencOt her. It is bo Invigorating. And you? Arc you nlso bound for Cannda, and nro you traveling alone?" I roplled somowhat curtly thnt I was with friends, for I had no dcslro to prolong tho conversation. Mr. Graham, however, lingered with tho manner of ono who has something on his mind, but finds expression dllllcult. At last ho roso and said good-night, after offering to look out for our bag-gago bag-gago when he landed in tho morning. "And by tho way," ho remarked, carlos8ly, "don't bo nlarmcd If my wlfo should talk a bit In her sleep. She docs It now nnd then, especially If she Is overtired. Sho Is apt to drenm, I think, and sometimes talks a. lot ofglbborlsh. I trust you may not bo disturbed, but I thought I ought to warn you. Good-night again, and mnny thanks." So Mrs. Graham talked In hor sloop! I thought rather ruefully of my prospects pros-pects for a peaceful night as I slowly walked tho length of tho cabin foi mlno was an outside stateroom, and It was necessary to go on deck to reach It. Tho moon shono brilliantly, a path of silver light falling across tho water, which rippled and sparkled alluringly. I wns so fascinated by tho beauty of tho sceno thnt when I renchod my door I did not enter nt onco, but leaned over tho railing, watching tho white foam that marked our course, and quite forgetful of tho flight of time. After n whllo two men approached nnd ono of thorn fitted a key In tho door next mlno. As ho stooped to ox-amino ox-amino tho lock, tho moonlight shono full upon his faco, nnd I recognized our friend in bluo sorgo with tho strango aversion to chairs. I wondored If tho person with him wns an attendant, attend-ant, and hoped tho partition wall was substantial. I was also conscious of n strong doslro to waken Oabrlollo and Elizabeth and seek sholtor with them. 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