OCR Text |
Show I j i.ii ii- I j :" Held for I I Ransom KM By Augustus HI Goodrich Slicrwln I B (Copyright, 191G, by W. a. Chapman.) HH "I slinll novor boo your fnco again!" i cried protty but willful Nina Wilder HH Btormlly, S "All right," wns tho cool rejoinder KflJ )j ot her flanco, Walter Bross "you'll KS bo tiorryl" H (i "I? novorl" declared tho wrought- HHj up young lady, hor quivering tones HHJ ' betraying tho necessity or emphasis HHJ ngalnst tho dictates of her real soul. HHJ "I shall go nway from you ns far as HHJ I can clear around tho world, but I'll HH )j forget you I" H I "Then I'll go, too!" Walter assured HHi HHi "I shall tako tho opposlto direction, HHf t If you do!" Insisted Nina,' and then HHi j sho rushed from tho room nnd up tho HHi stairs, nnd throwing horsolf on a HHi couch In hor own npartmont burst HHi Into a violent fit of hysterics. HHi It was a foolish quarrol, for novor HHh wcro two beings rnoro felicitously HHi adaptod to mako life bright and happy HHi together than thoy. Nina was an or- HBV phan living with a widowed aunt and HHi possessed of a vory liberal Incomo HH from tho cstnto of hor dead father. HHf , jWalter had just Inhorltcd a largo for-, HHa ' .tunc. Ho mado no protenso of nctlvo' HHi business outsldo of being listed as HHi president of a largo construction com- HH pony well patronized by political Influ- HHa enco, all tho real labor of Its mnnngo- HHf mont falling to the lot ot tho subor- HHl dlnato omccrs. HBj Tho troublo was Jealousy. Neither HHi had been In lovo boforo, both woro HH young, fond or society, potted and HHi spoiled. Bocnuso thoy wcro mero I (j 1 I : ' VlSHVi HH j Was Transformed Into a Very Natural HH Looking Gentleman of tho Upper HH U Italian Set. V ' I children of tho heart thoy quarreled, HHi j went through tho luxury of reproaches, HHi t then tears, then contrition, then a HH now plungo Into a happy rccoucllla-HH rccoucllla-HH M This tlmo, howovcr, tho "tiff" wns HHi sorlouB. In a spirit of reckless nils- HHi i chief Walter had flirted outrageously HH with a young lady whom Nina detest- HHi j cd. In retaliation tho lattor received HH i tho attention of an old discarded HH flame. Then tho crisis tho pretty en- HH gagoment ring returned by mall, a HH cold bow from Walter when noxt HH Nina passed him on tho street, and HH tho following day Walter was bo- HHi wildcrcd, shocked, mado madly dos- HH porato with tho discovery that Nina HH and her aunt had loft tho city. I Whither bound ho know not, but by HHJ tho end of a week ho was pretty well HHJ nssurcd that capricious Nina had in- HHJ deed started on a trip abroad. HHJ ' i j For another week Walter worried HHJ i and sorrowed. Finally ho camo to tho HHJ conclusion that thcro was no hopo of HHJ a reconciliation and decided that It HHJ was his fate to dlo of n broken heart! HHJ j j It was qulto tho fad for tho ldlo man HHJ , with money to Book .consolation tn HHJ , change IIo started for Europo by HHJ j ' way of New York. Moantlmo, nl- HHJ ' t though ho did not know that, Nina HHJ bad followed out her threat to travel HHJ around tho world by way of San Fran-HHJ Fran-HHJ HHJ ; Tho war broko out whllo Walter was HHJ J In Paris and ho changod his plan of HHJ visiting Russia. Tho samo Intollt- HHJ genco was acquired by Nina whllo on- HHJ ! Joying tho novelties of Japan. Sho HHJ j loarned that Berlin and Vienna woro HHJ now an Impossibility to hor. Her HHJ ! ' timid, nervous aunt Insisted on a HHJ quick dash for Italy and a speedy fur- HHJ i ' thor progress homoward. HHJ j Walter Bross, installed In tho host HHJ hotel of Borne, wns gloomily wonder- HHj i Ing If ho had not bottor Join ono of HHJ tho contending war forces and forgot HHJ his troubles amid tho roar of cannon HHJ I and tho boom of bursting shells. How HHJ Nina would regrot that hor stubborn- HHJ i noss had sent him to a tragic death, HHJ roflccted ho! Then ho arose from tho HHJ . luxurious chair In which ho was rcBt- HHJ lng. Two Hdles had Just arrived at HHJ tho hostelry. Ho saw thorn clearly HHJ on their way to tho parlor. HHJ '"Fato destiny!" he gasped, for ho HHi had recognlzod Nina and hor chap- HHE y HHnj1' What'to doT Tho dojocted lover's B V heart beat inlghtly. It soemed as If a HHHljHHW Bontlcnt spark bad stirred up all the HHHHHHHk love ot his soul. Ho bad found hor thoy woro undor tho samo roof,' but Ho know Nina well. Ho realized that, given tho honnflt of any abrupt ndvnnco on his part, sho would Insist In-sist on torturing him with feigned or real lndlfforonco until sho had "taught him a lesson." Bosult: a dlsgulso. It wns elaborate For a handsomo foo Walter was transformed Into n very natural looking gentleman of tho upper up-per Italian set. Then ho sot about bribing tho hotel sorvants to learn tho plans for tho fu-turo fu-turo of aunt nnd nloco. IIo ascertained that they had arranged to sail for homo within a week. In tho mean-tlmo mean-tlmo dally tho two ladles mado tholr plcasura nnd shopping rounds. Thcro wns to bo an International social event that took tho form of a masked ball nnd Walter learned thnt tho ladles wero Invited guests. Thoso attending wcro required to go in char-actor char-actor costume, or at least to wear a mask. Ho secured an Invitation. Ho mado a notablo cnvallor and enveloped envel-oped In n long cloak as soon as a cab had taken Nina and hor chaperon nway from tho hotel. Jumped Into a second vehlclo and Joined their company com-pany nt n distance Suddenly ho mado n discovery. Tho vohlclo containing tho ladles, after pursuing tho main thoroughfares loading load-ing to tho plnco of tho masquorado, turned off Into a sldo street. As It did so two. suspicious occurrences flxod tho attention of Walter. Tho driver of tho formor carrlago swung a hnnd townrds Nlnn's driver, whllo tho lattor kept straight on without turning. "Stop!" ordered Walter Instantly. "Got sign no," returned his driver, with a shrug of tho shouldor, nnd drovo on. '"J oil scoundrel this Is somo plot!" cried Walter, and sprang from tho vohlclo nnd wns down tho sldo street In pursuit of tho othor carriage It wob well that ho did so. Tho days of brlgandago woro not over In tho Imperial city. Lator Waltor know thnt tho practically unprotected Nina nnd her nunt had boon spotted by a longuo of criminals. Her diamonds, a knowlcdgo of her wealth had led to a nlnil fn ItMnnn linr. rnmnvn her to a remoto mountain fastness nnd hold her for ransom. Walter was hot In tho wnko of tho carrlago as It drovo Into tho court of nn isolated mansion. Tho drlvor sprang down. Ho was about to apply n whistle to his lips to summon his confederates within tho building, when Walter, closo nt hand, noted. Ho had seized a heavy piece of a wagon tonguo lying in tho yard. Ono blow and tho villainous drlvor went down llko a plcco or lead. Walter lifted his senseless form up to tho sent, sat down bcsldo him, took tho lines nnd drovo for tho nearest pollco station. Tho nlarmod Nlnn fell to a chair stupefied as, reaching tho station, Walter Wal-ter told his Btory. Sho glided to his sldo with contrlto faco nnd pleading eyes. "You you wero seeking mo!" sho' sobbed. "It must havo been so." "At least I found you," said Wnltcr, with a glad smllo. "Oh, Walter, forglvo mo! forgive mo! I havo boon cruel, wicSed," sho fnltcred. "Tako mo back, won't you " "Into my heart?" voiced Wnltor softly. "Why, you havo been thoro always and over will bo!" |