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Show r ii, Y Y Y V BANNMERMERWIN RAY WALTER-T COYIUOMT t0 y PODCft AD COMSWKr-' "What were you doing with that wheelbarrow?" Porltol kept his frightened eyes on Orme's face, but he said nothing. "Weil. I will expluln it. You followed fol-lowed the wr when It started for Arradale. Ar-radale. You waited here, found a wheelbarrow, and tried to wreck us. It is further evidence of your comic equipment that you should use a w heelbarrow." Porltol got to his feet. "You are mistaken, dear Mr. Orme. I I " (Jrimi smiled grimly. "Stop," he said. "Ikm't explain. Now I want you to st:iy right here In this field for a half hour. Don't budo If I catch you outside, I'll take you to tho nearest near-est Jail." Porltol drew himself up. "As an attache I am exempt," bo said, with a pitiful attempt at dignity. "You are not exempt from the consequences con-sequences of a crime like this. Now, get on your knees." Whimpering, Porltol kneeled. "Stay In that position." "Oh, sir oh. my very dear sir. I" "Stny there!" thundered Orme. Porltol was still, but his lips moved, and his Interlaced fingers worked con-v con-v ulslvely. As Orme wnlked awny, he stopped now and then to look back. Porltol did not move, and Orme long carried the picture of that kneeling figure. "Who whs It?" asked Hessle Wal-litiKham, Wal-litiKham, as hu climbed back over the fence. "A puppy with sharp teeth," he replied, re-plied, thinking of what the girl had said. "We might as well forget him." She studied him In silence, then pointed to the chauffeur, who was tlown at the side of the car. "Anything damaged?" Orme queried. quer-ied. "Yes. sir." "Much?" "Two hours' work, sir." "Pshaw!" Orme shut his teeth down hard; Porltol, hud ho known It, might have felt thankful that ho was not near at hand. Ho turned to Hessle. "How much farther la it?" "Tho chauffeur answered. "About three miles, str." Three miles over dark country roads and It was nearly 11 o'clock. Ho glanced ahead. In the distance a light twinkled. "Hessle." be said, -rome with mo to that farmhouse. We must go on. Or, If you prefer to wait here " "I'll go with you, of course." They walked along the road to the farm gate. A cur yelped at their feet as they approached the house, and an old man, coatless and slippered, opened the door, holding an oil lamp high above his head. "Down, Itover! What do you want?" ho shouted. "We've got to have a rig to take us to Winnetka," said Orme. "Our car broke down." The old man reflected. "Can't do It," he Maid, at last. "All abet up fer the night. Can't leave tho missus alone." A head protruded from a dark upper window. "Yes, you can, Simeon," growled a woman's guttural voice. "Wall I don't know" "Yes, yon can." She turned to Orme. "He'll take ye fer five dollars cash. Ye can pay me." Orme turned to Hessle. "Have you any money?" he whispered. "Heavens! I left my band hag In my locker at the clubhouse. How stupid!" stu-pid!" "Never mind." Orme saw that he must lose tho marked bill after all. Regretfully he took It from his pocket. The woman had disappeared from the window, and now she came to the doo: and stood behind her husband. Wrajpod In an old blanket, she made a gavtit figure, not unlike a squaw. An Ormt walked up the two or three rteps, she stretched her hand over her husbin d's shoulder and snatched the bill, cx.ltiilnlr,K It closely by the lamplight. lamp-light. "Wha.'a this wrltln' on It?" she demanded, de-manded, Sercely. "Oh, th.U's Just somebody's Joke. It doesn't hurt anything." "Well. I '.on't know." She looked at It doubtfull, then crumpled It tight In her fist. "I guess It'll pass. Olt a move on j?u, Simeon." The old mm departed, grumbling, to the barn, at,d the woman drew back Into the house, shutting the door carefully. care-fully. Orme ajid Hessle heard the bolts click as a, it- shot them home. "Hospitable!" exclaimed Hessle, btlrig herself o,' the doorstep. After a wait t. t seemed interminable, intermi-nable, the old man i-ync driving around the house. To a . tmsbaekle bucpy he had hitched a in pit horse They wedged In as best tl'y could, the old man between them. a. d at a shufT.ing amble the rmg proce. ed through the gate and turned east w yd. In the course of Zt minutes they crossed railroad tra k and entered the shady streets of the fllli'ije, Htpsie dlrec tlt.j the old than w ere to drive. Present.)' they tame to Ihe entrance of what appear d to be in 4-xtensive estate Jiiark among th i trees glimmered glim-mered tae lights of a b ws "Turn In," said Hessie. A thought struck Orme, If Porltol, why not the Japanese? Maku and bis friends might easily have Rot back to tbls place. And If the minister had been able to telephone I Lis allies from Arradale, they would be expects Ing him "Stop!" he whispered. "Ut me out You drive on to the door and wait there for me." Hessle nodded. She did not comprehend, com-prehend, but she accepted the situation situa-tion unhesitatingly. Orme noted, by the light of the lamp at tho gate, the shimmer of the Tell that was wound around her hat "Olvo me your veil," he said. She withdrew the pins and unwound tho piece of gossamer. He took it and stepped to the ground, concealing himself him-self among the trees that lined tho drive. The buggy proceeded slowly. Ormo followed afoot on a parallel course, keeping well back among the trees. At a certain point, after the buggy passed, a figure stepped out Into the drive, and stood looking after It. Prom his build and the peculiar agility of his motions, ho was recognized as Maku. Orme hunted about till ha found a bush from which he could quietly break a wand about six feet long. Stripping It of leaves, he fastened tho veil to one end of It and tiptoed toward the drive. Tho Japanese was still looking afV er the buggy, whic h had drawn up bo-fore bo-fore the house. Suddenly, out of tho darkness a sinuous gray form came floating toward to-ward him. It wavered, advanced, halted, then seemed to rush. The seance of tho afternoon was fresh In the mind of tho Japanese With screams of terror, he turned and fled down the drive, whllo Ormo, removing the veil from the stick, moved on toward to-ward tho house. Madam Alla's gamo certainly was effective In dealing with Orientals. A moment later Orme and Hessle had r tossed the roomy veranda and were at the door, while the old man, still grumbling, swung around the circle cir-cle of the drive and rattled away. Orme's heart was pounding. When tho servant answered the bell, he drew back and he did not hear the words which Hessle spoke In a low voice. They were ushered Into a wide reception re-ception hall, and tbe servant went to announce them. "You wish to see her alone," said Hessle. "(Jo In there and I will arrange ar-range It" He went as she directed, Into a little, lit-tle, reception room, and there ha waited wait-ed while subdued feminine greetings were exchanged In the hall without Then, at last, through the doorway came Ihe gracious, lovely figure of the girl. "Oh," she whispered, "I knew you would come, dear I knew." He took her hands and drew ber to him. Hut with a glance at tho doorway she held herself away from him. In hla delight at seeing her he had almost forgotten his mission. Hut now he remembered. "I have the papers," he said, taking" them from his pocket. "I was sure you had them, I waa sure that you would come." He laid them In ber hands. "Forgive "For-give mo, CJIrl, for fooling you wltn that blank contract." She laughed happily. "I didn't look at It until I got homo. Then I was so disappointed that I almost rjied. Hut when I thought It over, I understood. under-stood. Oh, my dear, I believed In you so strongly that even then 1 went to my father and told him that the papers pa-pers were on the way that tbey would be here In time. 1 Just simply knew you would como." Regardless of the open doorway be clasped her closely, and she burled her face In his coat with a little laugh that was almost a sob. Then, suddenly, sudden-ly, she left him standing there and, holding the pupers tight went front the room. (TO HE CONTINl'KI) ) Up In the Air. Glenn H. Curtlss was describing In New York his flight down the Hudson. Hud-son. "The Intelligent Interest of the public pub-lic In my aeroplane and Its operation," he said, "shows very plainly that people peo-ple nowadays have a good general knowledge of aeronautics. It wasn't always so. When I think of tbe stupid and usebss questions about my machine ma-chine that used to exasperate me to the point of rudeness, I am reminded of Smith. "Smith, meeting Jones one day, exclaimed: ex-claimed: "'Hallo. Jones! You wearing glasses? glass-es? What's that for? "Jones, annoyed at the foolishness of the question, answered Irritably: Corns!' " An Exploded Theory. "Children." said the Sunday school teacher, "there Is one thing that I wish to especially Impress upon your minds. Always be kind to your parents. Mako It as pleasant for them as you can. Remember that none of you can ever have anotber mother after the one you posses Is gona. Yoo can never " "Oh. yes. we can," Interrupted a l!t tie boy who bad lost most f his buttons but-tons "I lost mine last week and ra brought me a new one home t'.;t saruo day be got back from th court-house court-house " |
