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Show M'M III I ! M'!"I"!"I"!"I"!"H"!"M I VI i THE RUNAWAYS J t By H. IRVING KING I I H-H-I I ! I I 'I '! 1 I I i -r-H--:-H--H4 1 ( by McClure .Ww-pp.per Syndicate.) i (WNU Service) EDITH JAJ7FREYS had two admirers admir-ers who counted William Lester and George Calton. As a rule. Lester was away ahead of Calton in the race, but just now a quarrel with William had brought George within measure-able measure-able distance of the winning post. The quarrel was about well, several sev-eral things; one thing leading to another, an-other, as they will when two positive characters get to arguing smoking by women, bobbed hair, "ships and shoes and sealing wax and cabbages and kings." The first time Edith had refused George Calton, George felt that life had turned to dust and ashes. Each subsequent refusal left him less and less afflicted. Edith had become merely a habit with him, but she had so long been the object of his dreams that he thought she was so still and made love to her automatically. The evening after Edith's great flare-up flare-up with William, George made his semi-annual proposal. This time it went, "Edith, when are you going to throw over Bill Lester and marry me?" "Mr. Lester and I, with my consent, will never meet again," she answered. "And, George, I will marry you at any time." George was amazed at his own sensations. sen-sations. He knew that he ought to be deliriously Joyful ; but subconsciously he had a feeling of dismay. The answer flashed across him suddenly. sud-denly. Helen Marlowe! Yes, hang It! he was in love with Helen Marlowe Mar-lowe and engaged to Edith Jaffreys, George groaned as deeply on this, the first night that Edith had accepted him, as he had on the first night she had rejected him. Edith, after George had gone, at first fairly gloated over the hopeless agony that William Lester would suffer suf-fer when he learned of her new engagement. en-gagement. Then she began to be sorry for him, and by the time she turned off the light and got into bed she was crying. Next morning she thought: "If William will only apologize for j his outrageous conduct perhaps I might but I'm engaged to George!" She was moody and irritable all day, revolving impossible schemes to extricate ex-tricate herself, George had proposed and been accepted ac-cepted on Wednesday. Thursday he did not show up. Friday afternoon Edith packed her bag. She had a great aunt living out on Long Island. Meantime George had been going through the same mental processes as Edith. "I shall go crazy if I think of this much longer," thought he. "I can't face this girl! I'll disappear for awhile; that's what I'll do. Something may turn up in the meantime." He packed his bag and bought a ticket for Champville, Long Island. It was a small town. He had never I been there; but he had heard it had a good hotel which was open the year round. At this season the hotel would not be likely to have many guests and there was no chance of encountering anyone he knew. Five people got off the train at Champville. Three of them hurried through the little station to waiting automobiles. Two stood on the platform plat-form and stared at each other in consternation. con-sternation. The two were George and Edith. "Why George!" "Why Edith !" Silence for a minute and then: "Were you going somewhere?" from George. "Oh, no," said Edith, "were you?" "Of course not," replied George, trying try-ing to assume a look of childlike innocence. inno-cence. Just then an automobile came rushing rush-ing up to the station on the further side and two familiar voices were heard In the waiting room. "I knew we should not get here by the time the train did," said the voice of Helen Marlowe. "What's the difference?" replied the voice of William Lester; and then he and Helen saw George and Edith standing there staring at each ofher. With a joyful cry Helen rushed out, William followed more cautiously, as not entirely sure of his reception. "Then you got Jack Huntington's wire j ail risht?" cried Helen. "You see. in : making up his house party, he quite t forgot to send you invitations. But j as soon as William and I arrived, he ' wired at once. But gracious! how ! did you make the train? He only wired half an hour ago. Edith where are your trunks? Gone astray? 'hone j at once and find out about them. But first, William, you drive Edith over to Soundedge in the two-seater ! and send hack a car for Oenrize and ! me. George is going to get a wigging in the meantime. He has avoided me I for two days." Edith had never been so glad to see anybody in the world as slip was to : see William. They made il nil tip on the ride to Soundedge. Before she got into the car she said : "Ilernemher what I said to you Wednesday night? Of course, you understand I was only joking?" "Oh. perfectly." replied William ', with beaming face. |