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Show "OH, THAT MAN!" f s 5 Dy DONALD ALLEN. ' (Copyrleht. 1SH. br th MoClurs, Newspa-' per Syndicate.) , Had Miss Llsla Vernon decided an hour earlier that the ought to drlva into the village to post a lettor and to get a paper of needles and some elastic tape and a sheet ot music and half a doien other things she oould have gono In her father's auto or lnj her own runabout, but when sho had at last made up her mind both ina-i chines were out. Thero was no steamship lino between be-tween the Vernon placo and tho village, vil-lage, a distance of four miles. Thero, was no bargo canal, There was no llylng machtno handy. Tho only way) to get thero Just at that time was to walk. Tho letter could have been sent a, month later aB well as on that day, and thero wasn't a bit of hasto about' tho other things, but Miss Lisle starts cd on that long walk. It was hot1 nnd dusty and thero wero no babbling, brooks or Bhndy dells on tho way.-, After going half a mile tho girl de- cided to turn back. Sho had turned when a man camo driving up with a, rather smart looking rig, and halted! to say: "Miss Vernon, my name is Flotch-j cr. I know your father well. If you) havo started for town let mo give you( a lift. I wouldn't walk the distance' on such a day for a $10 bill." , Miss Llslo had never heard of Mr. iFletcher, but ho did not look llko a Ikldnaper, and she accepted his Invitation. In-vitation. At the end of a mile a' buggy, with two )oung men In lt and with their horse on a dead run, came up behind them nnd started to pass. Mr. Fletcher gave them nil tho room ho could, but the man with the reins had planned a smash and ho brought It about. Thero was a row and threats made and a week Inter Mr. Fletcher was arrested on a warrnnt chnrglng him with malicious damage, nnd Miss Lisle found herself subpenaed as a witness for the defense. She had returned re-turned home after the officer and her father had said: "Yes, I know Fletcher. Ho Is an old bachelor, and was sued for breach-of-promlse about a year ago." "But I didn't know It," protested the girl. "Well, you know it now, and you. hadn't better take any more buggy rides with him. Ono of tho young( fellows was a brother of tho girl, and I shouldn't wonder If there'd be more trouble." A week later tho trial camo on before be-fore a Justlco of the peaco, and there was a large attendance of spectators, and tho lawjer for tho prosecution took Miss Llslo In hand for the cross-examination. cross-examination. Ho was a young lawyer, and ho wasn't going to spare anybody. After tho usual questions nbout name, ago and residence, ho started out with: "Were you on the highway between Stono Hill and this villngo In the forenoon fore-noon of tho seventh day of last month?" "I was In a buggy with Mr. Fletcher." Fletch-er." "Well, what happened?" "Those two young men crm up behind be-hind our rig with another horse and buggy." "Thoy camo up quietly, did they?" "No, sir. They camo cursing and shouting. They passed on my side, and tho ono with the reins deliberately deliberate-ly reined tho horso In. Ho looked at mo and grinned ns ho did It. Wo wero standing still ns ho did It." "Miss Vernon, you know what perjury per-jury Is, do you?" "Yes, sir, and I know what Insult is as well!" "That Is all," and MUs Lisle was out of It, except when ho camo to address ad-dress tho jury ho strongly hinted that the reason for tho collision probably lay In tho fact that Fletcher watt driving one-handed and could not control con-trol his horse. It did not tako tho Jury over ten minutes to find for tho dofundnnt, und thus tho caso was closed. That Is, tho main caso. Miss Llslo had n caso against young Lawyer Illalsdell, and though it was never to bo tried, sho could say to him: ' , TH follow his trail until I am re-venged! re-venged! Ho know I was tolling tho. truth, nnd yet ho tried to mako mo out a liar! Think of his hinting that ! Fletcher had an arm around mo! "Oh, hut I could seo him burned at tho stake!" I Threo months lntor, as sho startod out ono day with her runabout, bIio ( was hating yot. Golden Hill was a stocp, long hill, with two turns in it, nnd at Its fool! was a bridge over a deep river. Tho girl was Just takiug tho last turn with a whizz that would havo carried her across tho bridge when tho man sho hateJ appeared before her with a small log in his hands, and tho obstruction was thrown In such a way that the machlno was run head on Into In-to tho bank. Tho driver wns bounced around and Bomo damage done, but bo-fore bo-fore sho could voice her feelings she was beckoned to follow the other to tho foot of tho hill. The river was rolling In flood, and the bridge was gonol Does Vho girl always marry .tho man who Eaves her life? She has to. She has to get over being mad and begin to love. Fnto and romance decreo it, and she can't beat them and a lawyer, too. |