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Show ---i THE BINGHAM NEWS. BINGHAM, UTAH Copyright 10J1 by Sidney Gowtng - ill Sidney Gbwing I Illustration by ' ELLSWORTH YOUNG and scattered them oa the road. "You can take my things with yon!" "If you think for a moment I'd have anything to do with such a business '" A fiendish expression enme over Al-mee's features. She gripped her cous-in's arms again. "If you don't," she hissed, "I'll tell everybody about you and Aloyslus Rlennerhasset getting lout at the rurl-decnn-picnic!" At this monstrous accusation, Geor-gln- a blushed scarlet. The mildest pec-cadillo in a blameless life, the memory of the Incident In question always filled her with alarm; Almee had held It over her head before. "I won't listen to another word I" she paspcrf. , "You needn't. It U the time for deeds!" Almee seized a small square box from anions the luggage nn I thumped the chauffeur on the back. "Grundle, stop hero! I have only u bag. I'll walk up to the station ap-proach. Take Miss Homers on to Jer vnulx. And hurry she is behind time already!" A faintly bewildered expression passed over the chauffeur's face, as though he were trying to arrungo his " ii urn iiiimiiii ihiiihiiiisiwiiiii iiiiimiii mil mm ii THE AWFUL MESS OF AIMEE AND BILLY A lexander's eyes became keener, lie looked a liltle contemptuous. 'Are you afraid f" he said. "Do you not see that you must face the consequences of thvt foolish thing you have done? Once the truthjs told, you have nothing to fear from the police." "The police!" said Aimee scornfully. "I'm not afraid of the police. I'm not much afraid of Aunt Erythea. It isn't that al all. II' the other th inn." I "What other thing?" Aimee looked al him with growing embarrassment. "Oh!" the said at last, desperately, "have I got to put it in so many wordst My slaying at Ivy collage! Didn't you understand what I told yout I was there two nights." Sir. Lambe. to her surprise, did not look forbidding or censor-ov- a. Instead, he looked a Utile puzzled. And in that moment Aimct conceived a liking for A lexander. "Sow that I have seen you. and heard your story," he said, "I attach no importance to that incident, whatever." "Ah." said Aimee sadly, "but other people will, you see." ' Alexander suddenly flushed crimson, and he avoided Axmee's eye. Hut his face grew peculiarly grim. "I have only this to say. That man that Spencer who dared to expose you to such a situation, is the culprit I wish to see. lie deserves " Aimee's heel smote the foor. "Not a word against Billy! It's he who saved me. right from the beginning. He begged me to let him own up. But he has kept my secret, al his own risk, because I wanted it kept, lie is a gentle-man!" i "Billy," said Aimee, "this it my Cousin Alexander. And he's As knows all about it. It seems litis is our finish, Billy." The two men turned and faced each other. There you have it in nutiliell 'he awfvl men thit Airrce and Ei!ly have got into. For A'mee it a bishop' daughter and a nice girl they don't make 'em nicer. And Couiin Alexander it young churchman and churchmen are cbl'ged to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And Aimee it masquerading at a tervant ma'd, and it mixed up in a burglary and it gallivanting around with an unknown American, Billy Spencer, who hat a new kind of motor: ycle to tell. Inc'd jnta'.ly , Billy it at nice at they make 'em. too. It't an English ttory, but it't bright t a new American dollar. And entertaining! and thrilling! Sidney Gowing it the author. Ho't a comparatively new man, but he's already made an international reputation. He cer'ai.ily hat written a good ttory here, which detcrvet it name "Th Joy of Living." young mnn. I've seen his photograph. Ills face'' "It's the face," said Almee fiercely, "of a cold boiled codfish t I've seen It I've seen It I It made me feel as If my shoes were full of water!" "Almee!" said Georglna plaintively. "You appal me !" "Good thing! Then you know how I feel !" retorted Almee pertly. "The whole thing appals me. These curates ! I'm fed up with theuil Alexander Is the limit!" Almee paused for breath. "lie's a frump!" she said, with ex-traordinary vehemence. "lie Is good!" Insisted Georgian. "That Is a good man's fuce. If ever I snw one. And," added Georglna, with a rapt expression on her plump fea-tures, "he will fall In love with you, Almee. I'm sure of It! And wher that happens " "Oh, you make me sick!" said the frenzied Almee. "It's a disease with you ! Sentiment revolts me. This maundering about love " "Almee," said Georglna almost tear fully, "your very name means 'Be-loved' I" "Oh. rnts!" said Almee furiously, and fled from the room. CHAPTER II Escape. In the deepest depression, Almee wandered down the park avenue towards the high rond. She passed through the lodge gates and turned the corner of the road. There Almee halted, and considered the perven-lt- of Fate. And close be-side her harked a sharp explosion, with a flush of yellow (lame and a wbllT of pungent smoke. And a clear voice exclaimed : "II I!" "Just what I was thinking!" said Almee. A .voting mnn. who was tinkering a motorcycle, whence came tne explo-sion, looked up startled, and removed his cap. "Oh! I'm sorry!" he sold. "I didn't know there was anyone around." They looked at each other, anil both laughed. It wns Impossible to look nt the stranger and fall to laugh. Not In derls'on, but Joyously, spontaneous- - , the luggage. "There Is there Is mistake! May I" "The modern tendency of the yonnj to enunciute Indistinctly," said Lady Erytlun, producing an t, "always annoys me. Say what you have to say clearly." Geo.glnn had not realized that Lady Erythea was extremely deaf. ''There Is something I huve to et plain," she bawled hoarsely. Into tlm e, can 1 see yoa ulone?" "Ah I" ald Lady Erythea vnguely. "I am pleased that ou look forward so much to your visit, No, you need not feur being alone. Here Is your cousin," she added, as a young tuna In clerical collar came out upon the steps. "Alexunder, your tousln, Almee." Georginn turned a pule and timid face to the stranger. The Uev, and Hon. Alexander Lnmhe bowed. Alexander was large and well, though somewhat loosely, built Al? mee's epithet, "owl-faced.- " wns hard-ly fair. Certainly bis clean-sknve-face was a little serious, and his eyes lurge and round, but very kindly. "Welcome to Jervaulx, Cousin Al mee," he said. A sudden Interest and sympnthy quickened In the large eyes as they rested on t.eorglna's face. And the panic-stricke- n girl's fear died wl'hln her. Mr. Alexander Lambe looked so cool and protective and de-pendable. "Escort your cousin to the morning room, Alexander," said Lady Erythea nutj.orltntlvcly. "and offer her re-freshment after her drive." They walked In together. And as they walked their back seemed to suggest. In some subtle manner, that an understnnd'ng, n mutual sympathy, had dawned between them. Backs can be very expressive sometimes. Lady Erytheu regarded them with a look of commanding approval. She followed them majestically up the steps. "This," proclaimed Lady Erythen's erect and overwhelming hack, "Is as I ordained It from the beginning." CHAPTCn III Rs-Ent- Cilly. Almee trumped along the broad highway, whistling. At Scroope, much more at Jervaulx, one was not al-lowed to whistle. Ever and unon she stopped whistling to laugh. Almee had dropped the square box Info a quarry pit nn hour before ond continued on her way unburdened. The Idea of finding lodgings at Sea-brid- ge nppcnled to her. She had funds enough. A month's pocket money wns In her purse, and Lady Senope bad been liberal on her de-parture. "What n row there'll be," chuckled Almee. "If Georgle doesn't play upt I don't enre. , I gave them my ulti-matum. They can't bang ine. I've, been very patient with them all. One must make n stand sometime or other. Who docs my life belong to," demand-ed Almee, never a purist in gram-mar. "If not to me?" f!jj f Will Ing a loving hand on the tunk of the motorcycle "to sell this." "Weird-lookin- g thing!" sold Almee with interest, for the cycle's engine was of a remarkable shape. "Yours?" "Miuel" said the stranger Joyously. "Alone I did It I bold the patent. It's a Sanukatowzer the Flying Sphinx 1" "Kipping name. Cun It fly?" "Can It fly? It devours space like the sunbeams lick up the mists of the mornln'l And no more nulse than a baby's whisper. "Around the world tn thirty winks When once aatrlde the Flying Sphinx! "It's got Sinbad's Carpet nn' the Seven-leagu- e Boots guessing." He threw a leg over the saddle. "Like u spin up the road? Jump up behind!" Almee Immediately perched herself on the carrier. There was a whirl-wind charm about the stranger that curried her awuy. The next moment the Flying Sphinx did the same. The wind whistled past Almee's ears. To keep her seat she was obliged to grab Billy suddenly round the waist. "Don't mind If I hold you?" she gasped. "Shucks!" said Billy Impatiently. "I don't care how you hold me, siong's you don't hit the grit!" They breasted the crest of the rise. "llnng tight now I" he cried. "Weil let her out !" The Sphinx went forward with the whirr of n shell. She peeled the road-way behind her like a running tape. Almee felt the roar of the wind rise to n scream. Billy leaned I'gl tly for-ward towards the handle-burs- , cool, effortless, etlicient. Almee was only conscious of being whirled gloriously through space, when the Sphinx, after u two-mil- e loo;), slid back to the spot whence she had started. Almee sprang from the cur-lier. "Oh. thank you !" she gasped. "That was too good to be true!" The cyclist, without dismounting, looked at ner glowing face and franii eyes. . "1 wish there were more like you," he' suld, laughing. "Tell 'em who ever they are to can the sentiment. Siong, an' good luck to you !" lie raised his cap. and next moment the Sphinx whined him away In a cloud of golden dust. Almee followed him with her eyes till be wns round the bend, then she turned back Into the park. It seemed to her that the sunlight had become Uvs vivid uni the sky pnler. Very slowly, Almee made her way back to the portals of Scroope Towers, where the heavy family car. laden with luggage, stood waiting. Georg'na was on the sleps, abundantly wrapped up. and Lord Scroope stood beside her. 'Grundle," he said to the chauffeur, "you will drop Miss Homers at the station and take Miss Almee on to Jervaulx. returning here direct." The chauffeur, who was a middle-age- d man with u singularly wooden expression, seemed to he muKing a mental effort He saluted, staring straight before him. "Goodby, Georglna ! Bless you, my child; bless you I Drive o:i, Grundle. What are you waiting for?" The car meandered cut of S'.'roope park and turned northward al.mg the main road. Georglna was In Iov spir-its. Almee throughout hud bet-- seeth-ing with au enormously Increased sense of mutiny, and. as they neured the station, she exploded. "I can't stand It. Goirle!" "I wish I were you!" said Goorglna mournfully. "Eh?" "I wish I were Almee Scroope and on my way to Jervaulx abbey. That's nil."' Almee started slightly. An extraor-dinary Impish expre sion came into her eyes. Gcnrgfuu, who kntnv the sign of old, looked at her nervously. "You are!" s:iid Aimee, in u voice of unl.wikcd-fn- r dccMon. "What cu eartn do you mean?" Aln.ee gripped I. or by the arm, and replied, in a low voice tliut bubbled with oxritenu nt. "My dear, fat cousin, your full name, as I remember, Is Georg'na Amy Scroope Ferners! I, op off the superfluous lund and t!ill and Iheie you are Amy Scroope. Near enough for nnyone. You are going to Jervaulx Instead of me! Aunt Erythea has never seen me. nor has Alexander Lambe. And neither of them know you from Adam I nienn Eve! You'll suit tl.em down to the ground I" Georglna looked nt her with dawn-ing terror. "It Is a gorgeous arrangement !" ex-claimed Almee, tightening her grip on hrr cousin's arm. "And nothing eas-ier. Uncle Joseph wilt never m'ss yon leave me to fix that up. Grundl;-wil- l deliver you nt Jcrnu!; bo's a perfect super-Idiot- , and has pn babty forgotten which of us Is to go (Mere, If we didn't ttil him. lie never tal'.-- either. As for me, I slcill go t0 or on a Wail. ing tour or thing I choose!" "Aimee, nre you mad?" 'it Is one of the c!incst moments of my life!" retorted Ainu"1; uni. lean-ing over the back, she tore the tag labels off her luggage aud Georglna's. I ly. us one laughs when the breeze heels the boat, or when u puppy dog fulls head over tall. When the motorcyclist grinned, his teeth were so white that they gave ihe effect of a Hash. Ills fair and rather tousled hair caught the sun. Ills head looked as If It might he rammed through a door, without dam-aging anything except the door-panel- . He was big built, and about twenty-fi- x e, but his br glit blue eyes might have belonged to a boy of sixteen. He wore dusty blue overalls. "That's better!" he said approving-ly, as Aimee laughed again. "You were looking as If you felt pretty low." "I was. Everybody has I eon ap-palling 1 Talking sentiment till I feel sticky all over." The stranger's face fell. "Gee! That's too bad! Sr "mcnt eli?" He made n gesture us If wurd- - CHAPTER I Sentenced. "I rnn't go. dad." said Almee des-perately, "and I won't !" "My answer, my 'dear Almee," said Lord Scroope firmly yet benlgnantly. "Is lluit you must go. and you shall!" : "A month of Aunt Erythea." said Almee In stilled tones, "would kill n.e Why are these th'ngs always plied on to me? I'm fed up!" The Very Uev. Viscount Scroope. archdeacon and Incumbent of the liv-ing of Scroope Magna gazed dreamily over bis daughter's head without to hear A sunbeam fi-ltered through the diamond panes. Illumining his silver hair and finely cut features. It was as though the sun-beam said: "Behold a saint : here lt one who bears and speaks no evil." A saint Lord Scroope undoubtedly wns; calm, benign and immovidile as granite. ' "My dear child," he said gently, "let 08 admit the cold light of reason. Yon can have no genuine objection to your Aunt Erythea. for you have never set eyes on her since you were three years old. Jervaulx abbey Is a and strictly ordered house. It Is an atmosphere which will cor-rect. I hope, the in Alienee or tint do-- plorable school from which we have removed you. You must go. Aunt ' Erythea desires that you shall go. And that, as you will realize wl en you Tiiake her acquaintance. Is final." The lion. Almee Scroope's vividly lovely face became still nmre muti-nous and desperate. "Anil do not suppose that you will lack youthful ..society," added Lord "V"'&rN. jiihj, "V.mr cousin, A-lexander I. be. Is at .lorwiulx. A liltle older than yourself, doubtless, but an excellent companion for you. A young man wholly devoted to good work, and wilh unexi eptlonal l.' he will doubtless nt tn n that eminence which bis aunt would wish for him." Almee looked at her father with in-tense suspicion. Thdi si e turned to the photograph of a young man in a clerical col'ar; the face was ple.isant lmt somewhat serious, with large, fvnnk, round eyes. The lace (lint Aimee made at It was hideous. "Go and tell your maid to pack. ,3,.nr child." said Lord Sernope gently, nutting her bead. Aimee was lwcnt tears of age. and stood live Icet s x l,ut her father conrrixed to hove the ir ,,f patting somebody about three feel high. Almee said something Inarticulate, end made bee-lin- for a roMe-p!n- ; boudoir where Lady Scroope, Monde, petite and wholly charming, was bin toning her gloves. Amid pink sur-roundings. Lady Set e looked little older than her daughter. ' "Mummy." said A'mee forcibly, "you'll have to throw n.e a rope. I jjHve "imply got to be rt.cued from i i this awful visit !" She expounded with extreme rapid ty and terror her views on Jervaulx. Lady Erythea Lambe. and Alexander. Lady Scroope twinkled, nnd was so exasperating ns to laugh. I'.he put her bands affectionately on her daugh-ter's shoulders. "Sorry. Almee," slip snld; "there Is, as you would say, noth ng doing. You will have to go. I can't have your dear father worried any more. 1 don't think," she added pensively, "there's any cause for real alarm ubout Alex-ander Lambe." "It's all very well for you," mourned Almee, "but " "I'm really sorry, dear. I nm going to the Milne-Templ- and elsewhere for u few weeks, but when I come back I will make It up to you. These are the little crosses you huve to bear." She kissed her daughter, and hur-ried down to the car. The car whirled her nwny. nnd Lord Scroope followed It with dream-ily adoring eyes. Almee, who had watched the pair with n sort of ex-asperated affection, turned Into the morning room. "What on earth." she murmured, "Is one to do with people like tint?" She encountered her guest and cousin, Oeorglna Berners, 'twenty-three- , 'plump and placid, dressed In a style that suggested enforced econ-omy. Miss Berners was looking wist-ful. "Why. Georgle," snld Almee, encir-cling her ample wn'st. "have you the hump, too? Let's he miserable to-gether." "It has been lovely here nt Scroop?," sl;;lied Georglna. "end you nre such a dear. I've nothing to go back to but L'ncle Joseph, who. doesn't thin'; about anything but biology, and scarcely remembers I ex'st though he is (pi'te kind, of course. It will be awful after this." "I've never met your Uncle Joseph," said Almee. "but I'm certain he's nothing to i.iy Aunt Erytheu and Jer-vaulx." She broke Into a frenzied nnd vivid word-pictur- of all that awaited her. "A place something between a ca-thedral and a barrack, and a fearful sort of Itonian matron witlr a nose like the duke of Wellington's I've never seen aunt's nose, but It's cer-tainly like that nnd to be'drilied into lllrting decorously with an owl-face-curate who, some day, they say, will piolmbly be a bishop" Georglna was Intensely shocked. "Aimee, you really are extraordi-nary! Many people would lie too glad o be in your shoes. A long visit to a charming obi place- Jervaulx, they say. Is even mere than Scroope every thing orderly, romantic, peaceful " "Moldy!" Interrupted Almee. "And luxurious. Lady Erythea everyone says, Is n splendid manager. And your cousin a nice, sensible Georglna Faltered. Ideas. lie rubbed his ear for n mo-ment, then suluted uud let In the clutch. Georglna, who had risen with the Intention of escaping from the car. lost her balance nnd collapsed In a slightly undignified manner on the seat. She struggled up and turned a flushed face towards her cousin. "Stop! Stop!" she cried, In un ag-onized voice. "Almee " "Goodby. dear!" said Almee, wav-ing her handkerchief. "Don't get lost with Alexander!" The enr bore the speechless and ges-ticulating Georglna out of sight round the bend. Alme f nt down on her box. hurled her face In her hands, and dis-solved Into such unfeeling laughtet that a pair of thrushes and n chaflln i, fled from the hedge In Indignation unci alarm. Onwnrd through the green la'ies and over tie county border the car carried a limp and nervd ss Geor-gina- . Conxtci nation hud given away to numb despair. "What shall I do?" she thought. "What am 1 to say to Lady Erythea? There'll he u fearful row!" Georglna racked her brains fcr a way out of the dlfllculty. There scemt d to be mu e. Sl.e lay back ex-hausted. And so perverse Is even the purest of human minds tint a faint suggestion crept Into Georg'na's a I tile wl I. per, as It were. In that blaiiKli m car tint it would be pe-culiarly delightful if she emild till the role that Almee had mapped out for her. Georglna started, and thrust ttie bleu from her with horrified Again si e sought for nn explanation n true one which wmi'd save Almee's face. By the time she had considered nnd rejected half a doAm, finally deciding on i n ti nt she thought might do, the car had cov-ered the thirty miles nnd was thread-ing through the park road of Jer-vaulx. Georglna stumbled out of the car at the n a'n entrance fmd faced a gaunt nnd ma.'estlc lady In gray Kili who came down the step. "And so, my dear Almee," said Lady Erythea, In n large an I Inform-ative voice, "you nrrhe at last. Wei come !" (ieorgIn- faltered. Even tldng she had Intended to say was driven out of her bead. Almee ;t been pro. phe?Ic Annt Erythea wns very like the duke of Wellington. "Lady Erythea !" gnsped Georginn ns two s cume to unload A faint sound was borne upon the breeze, a noise that attu I Itself cu-riously to Almee's thoughts. It wns like the buzz of n homing bee. She looked up, and saw a motorcycle ipeed'n? nleng the road with n smear of following dust behind It like tho tall of n co net. Almee recognized the Flying Sphinx, and became nvvure ot a laugb'ng fa'e looking up at hers, and n Kct of very white teeth. "Why. It's Biilj !" she cried spon-tnneorfl- y. "Hello, old cl an!" cviel the cycl'st Billy was bare-heade- his fair hair sticking up at the crown In n little tuft that blew a' out In ti e wind. "Where were you ma!;.,g for?" he old. 'The unemployment bureau!" re tortod Almee H'ppnntly. Billy's fnce expre-sci- l concern. "I suppose you're ciiyhv: me. You don't inei n you've !ot your loh?" "Job?" A'mee bubbled with amuse-ment. "Well. 1 bad a V H ready for ire ibis morn'ng. But It's washed out. I've lost It. And now I'm adrift." Bllty was perplexed. He had been wl oily unal le to pla. e Ah . He wondered If she were a governess. A question was en bis lips, but ho decked himself for (car of giving of-fense. "Lost It?" be excbi'meil. "1 gucus It's Just ns well! You look n hen') hupp'or What Jo' d'yoii thi.xjc 0 clwsln'?" "1- -1 don't know." Billy luokfd nt I er A sud-den flash cnine ln'o h's eves, ns one who conceives n superb Idea. "Will a duck swim!" cried Aimee. 'Of ourcs I'll come." no (:i 'NT inl'::d.) They Looked at Each Other and Both Laughed. ing off Invisible nssalh nts. "Senti-ment Is poison Ivy! It gives me thai tired feeling. Madam, accept my sym-- ' pat by." In the space of n moment they frit ns though they had known each other for year-i- . "Do you live anywhere about here?" said Almee. "I seem to have seen " "Here? About seven thousand miles w of here!" said the stranger, laughing. "Cobalt, Arapa-hoe county. Citizen of the world answer to tne name of 'Billy.' And I'm here In England." he added, lav- - Hidio. "What's tli e matter now?" y;?:d his wife. "I'm trying to pick n;i n bl nHnj bed time story. The kids a'n'r Inter-ested In crop reports."- |
