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Show M jt i His Mysterious 1 1 1 : Helper ! I ! By FRANK H. WILLIAM3 I tK (ID by UeClur Niwipaptr SjrntllcaU.) "m Harry Crenshaw glanced up at the ' W moon, a wistful, far-away look In his ' 9 eyes. Then Ills Juw suddenly shot out, Ms huuds clenched and a rather fierce ' look came Into his deep blue eyes. I - "I'm going to win her or loso her I m , tonight," Harry said to himself. i'Sho's S been playing with me and all her other , 'W , bonus long enough. It's going to bo j M ' now or never with me." ! B' Having como to this sudden deter- ' fl l mlnatlon, Harry ran out to the curb, ifl ' whero his last year's rondstcr was 3E parked and, jumping Into It, sent It fl humming down tho street. HI It was Just eleven o'clock. Just about M this tlmo of tho night Allco would be M suggesting to tho particular beau who j was fuvorcd for tho evening that It S was tlmo for leaving. Harry smiled n fl , bit -to himself as ho thought of the w ' scene. Alice, lovely In a summer j gown and with tho nutural roses In m , tier checks and tho brightness of her jm brown eyes making tho mnn of tho jM ; ovenlng feci llko gathering her In his H arms and making away with her. R would bo saying something llko this: ! fl, ' "You know my father doesn't llko to J, havo my friends stay later thnu eloven Ii f' ' o'clock. Silly, Isn't It? Hut you know ". J ' father lie's pretty stern nt times." 1 ' And tho young man, knowing Mr. 19 Illchards by reputation If not In per- tfl, 1 son, would hesitate a moment and then liJU reluctantly take his departure. til All tho spring and summer this sort iJ of thing had been going on, and now It li ' was going to stop, so far as Hurry fjy ' was concerned. His participation In II tho comedy was going to como to Us Jl climax tonight. In Ho was fairly trembling with ex-HJ ex-HJ dtcment when ho drow up a short Br distance from tlio Ittchards homo and Bf . saw u light burning In tho window ho Bj , knew to bo Alice's. Hurry whistled tho call which Al-K Al-K , lea knew from old-tlmo school days I together. After n moment Allco canto ; to the window. m I "Come down ; I want to talk to Jlj ' you," whispered Harry, ft! b'or a moment Allco hesitated.- then If i ho nodded. Apparently she, loo, was m I enamored of tho night and felt nioro jfj j llko excitement than retiring to slum- fl 1 1 Harry felt llko rushing to Atlco and if ' j catching her tightly In his arms when If I she carao out upon the porch. But he rlj I restrained himself. ft "Alice," ho Bald, rather hating, now II that It had como to tho point to cut El himself off, perhaps, from all further fl friendship with her, "you know I'm EJJ crazy about you. I supposo your Eh i father would turn you out of houso EH ' and homo und cut you oil without a KM l" cent If you married me, but won't figg you? I simply can't stand It to have H things keep on the way they'vo been E&W- going. I won't keep on being merely BJMft ono of U.J crowd. Tonight Is going fll to settlo things for mo. Will you HHJ It seemed to Harry that an answer- IfHJ Ing glow lighted Allco's eyes nt this. UflJ Ilut ho had no opportunity to Und out gflj Just then what the gtou In Allco's Efifc eyew mount, for thcro enmo a sudden SJHL Interruption. SLY from tho shrubbery near tho point Bra wlicro Allco and Harry wore stand- HK& t"S thcro enmo a sudden rush of threo HIJI young men. Harry recognized them Hjjf at once. They wcro threo of Alice's V most vigorous suitors. They ranged themselves around Harry belligerent- m ,r mm "Are wo going to Btaud for this, fcl- ( SHj lows?" ttouiundcd ono of tho three gflt ''Hero wo como to screnndo tho prct- i gBj - tlcst gtrl In town and wo llnd this i j,BJ fellow butting In. What'll wo do with ; MB At this Harry noticed thut tho three SHE .youngmeu curried mandolins und gul- fln lftrs Ma "Throw him under a freight train," JBp suggested ono of tho number. H' 'Throw him out In tho street," said jflji another. aB Of course thcro was luughter dur- j Ing all of this, hut Harry know thnt Jf under tlw "kidding" thcro was a tone IB. ' of seriousness. Ha wasn't, theroforo, j ' surprised when a moment Inter tho jfltj ' three made u concerted rush at him. U Hurry knuw how to handle himself, Hi but three wcro too much for him. He Bi Btrudc out valiantly and hud tho sat- Bjl UfHCtlun of knowing thnt nt least one ' of tho number would carry n black Kj eya for a whlla In rcmumbrnnco of BjE, tho evening, hut ho realized thut It JDF would be only a moment or so until He, (ho threo boru him down. flft Then, Bunrlslugly, thcro cntuo an Bk Inlwtuptlon. A husky figure, wear- BK l" a black mask over tho upper part BEL of bin fucc, burled Itlmsclt upon the Kh three With tho belt of this Btrangcr BJ tho tldo of battle turned. In a few BJfcy iiioments tho threo turned tall and Ifr Immensely startled by this unex- 1 -, pocted help and by tho sudden turn K. I' arfulrs. Harry turned, breathing J fccnvlly, to tho point where his mys- m tcit&us Ivclpcr had last been. Hut the j' BtrHiiRtr wns gonol Only Allco was I there, her eyes shining llko stars, 1 her hands clasped excitedly In front I- " et ,,er' M0Ummm "0n lt was wonderful wonderful I" BEflflBK slie niei- "' never knew ru could BHnjaBI Octit like thntl" BBJBBJr At the light In Alice's eyes ull BBBBBT Uiosght of the threo assailants und of WBJBBJf bis mysterious helper left Iilm. The BjpflK Ueht In Allco's eyes fascinated him, HBflbp "" OMmmBmnvfi , . jQBBBBBBBflBanteMlrVWUBVtt& J-&ii'&j JmBJBBBBJI BBBBBBjiBBMMBfc BlS?y,itJg ','5"rkaSlBfe,-y'-iw, drew him nearer to her, brought his arm around her waist, his faco close to hers. "Why, sweetheart," he cried, his voice husky with all tho emotion ho wns feeling. "Why " Suddenly bo leaned toward her and kissed her. "Now, ow's tho tlmo to do It," ho whlsperca to her a moment later. "Wo must bo married tonight! Those threo fellows might kidnap you, or that masked man who helped mo may be another beau of yours and ho may bo contemplating kidnaping you. We'll bo married tonight!" "But what will father say?" cried Alice. "Ho'll probably novcr forglvo me." snIJ Harry, ''but I can't help It. I want you you want mo. We'll tear around to tho county clerk he's n frier d of mine," suld Harry, "and see If we can't make biro get us a llccnso tonight. Then wo'II dig op a minister, minis-ter, and and " While Harry was talking ho was rushing Allco Into his car. As ho Btnrted tho car down tho street he heard a cry behind him. Looking bnck ho saw his threo assailants, now reinforced by two others of Alice's suitors, running toward him. Harry shot on more Julco and smlltd grimly. To Harry's surprlso thcro was a tight In tho county clerk's houso when they drew up In front of It. A momentary mo-mentary wave of apprehension swept over Harry ns they started up the path to tho house. Then, ns tho door was opened and the county clerk smiled at them, tho upprehcnslon gavo way to a feeling of real fear. Thoro was something wrong here'. For a moment Hnrry felt llko turning around and hurrying awny with Allco. Then, telling himself he wns merely silly, ho entered tho house with Alice hanging on his arm. Tho county clerk pointed to the parlor. As Harry and Allco entered tho parlor Harry's heart dropped llko lead. There, standing In front of them, with a smllo on his lips, was tho masked mnn I dripping Alice by tho arm, Harry turned to fly out of tho room. Dut tho county clerk blocked tho door. He, too, was smiling. For a moment thero wns silence. "It's all right." said the county clerk nt last. "Iter. air. Jones, plcaso como In." A minister entered the room by another door. Harry gaaped, then turned again to the clerk. "It's all right," tho clerk repented. "You'vo got a good friend a good helper. Your friend phoned me a half hour ago to get out a llccnso and havo n minister here. Ho said you wcro coming." Harry turned excitedly to tho masked man. Tho latter suddenly Jerked off tho mask, revealing AI Ice's father. "Yes." smiled Mr. Richards, "it's all right. I overheard your talk with Allco tonight and decided to help you. I llko your spunk and pep tho way you go after what you want and get It. It's tlmo Alice was getting married. I'm glad It's to you. And, afterward, (hero's a place for you in my plant" And as In a dazo nnrry felt himself him-self pushed In front of the minister, saw Allco by his sldo and heard the marrlaga service begin. |