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Show 0INGER ELLA : owrrirM, k Bobb. ii.rrui c, ' lUustndona by Irwin Myers ' . W(0 ' " i ter take It along, will you come, slrl We have a ear." - "I will go with you," offered Hiram Buckwonh. "Tou'd better wesr dark glasses, father," cautioned Ginger. "You mustn't see toe mucb too soon. And. officer. If anybody bat to go to Jail, dont you take him. lou come and get me." "Ob, Dubody'll bave to go to Jail We'll flx this up. And you will prom lie to be a good llttU girl" Glnget uodded her head nervously. Her eyes glistened with tears that she beld 'n check. In a short while tbey were all gone snd she was alone attain with Eddy. The bouse was very still. She stood In the center of tbe room and stared "Well. I wasn't at all sure It was right." she confessed ruefully. "1 always al-ways felt ashamed hecuuse tbe people said such kind things In their letters, and I knew ibey were being fooled. Dut I told myself thm sucb e good man as father, and minister and all, had a rljjlit to be taken care of. And I tried to tell father about It, but-always I dlrinl I told myself I wanted to surprise blji later on but I think I knew he wouldn't lei me." "The trouble with you. Olncer. Is your mathematics," be said very gently. She gaited at him a 'moment In speechless wonder. --, "Math-". .. ., ; "Tea Too know that a whole He Is wrong but you figure that half He Is no He at all. I've er noticed that about you several times." Ginger smiled tremulously at that, and a fresh rain of (ear swept her face. , , . y "I know It," she confessed abjectly, Ml I I. L . CHAPTER XII Continued . -. 11-. "Sir," be cried, "what do you mean by sucb conduct In my house 1 Eddy, come away from him. I will attend to this myself. El lea, come here to ma But Ginger bad forgotten the disgrace dis-grace that yawned at ber feet, had forgotten tbe dome for tbe blind, the threatening Jolt. She looked at ber O father, and she caw onjy his face, saw his eyes, dark-circled, brilliant, bui clear and steady In their gaze. "Father," she whinnered, and hei whisper was song She crept toward blu timidly, as one balf afraid, ber band outstretched, a sob in her throat "Oh, father you ea me I" Startled. Instinctively, a one wbo has shielded bruised thing for many weeks will naturally do, be dashed bis hands helterlngly across bis eye But he removed them at once, and stared back at the girl' glad white face. "Why, o I do," he muttered. "Yes, I da" Ginger flung her arms about him. ,,.. B()k dai-ung, bow wonderful of you," she cried. "How stubborn of you I Too always go Just by contraries, don't you 7 They (aid shock would -ei blind you forever, and Instead It has MMI nmde you well. Oh, darling, let them take me to jnll. I don't care bit. It Is worth III" The posit man, In depths of self abasement, abase-ment, wus torn between Joy for his pustor and shame for bis own share In .this humiliating scene, but Ginger and her father were momentarily transported far above the mere mun dune annoyances of common life The inspector, studying them all. was puzzled. puz-zled. It might be a ruse but It did not seem t be ruse. "See tere, there's Bo mistake, I there? Tou are B. Tolllver, aren't you? Tou do claim to be tbe treasurer of the parsonage home for tbe blind?" "Tea 1 claim It all.. I admit everv- i kiiuit iu mi- it is so mucn easier I to get what you want that way" , "Oh. Ginger I" r , j How Ginger wept I The post was a wreckage of delicate dreams, the present a wave of disillusionment, the future swept bore by the relentless winds of certain privation. "Oh. Eddy, can't stand It I simply sim-ply can't I" 1 ' Slowly, very gently, he corned her head upon . his shoulder,; lifted her face to his. and. for the first time, kissed the trembling, tear-wet Hps. Ginger's hand gripped his shoulder, lie held her close In bis arms, moved his lips gently across her wet cheek, pressed them npnp the tamp curls that clustered at her temple. The slender little figure grew suddenly tense In his arms, her hand clung to his shoulder. After long still moment mo-ment she drew away from him. slowly, slow-ly, and looked at him mistily, with troubled eyes, whose tesrs seemed lost la wonder. Eddy did not flinch before be-fore iliat wide-eyed questioning gase. Firmly be patted away the last of her fears, and then, almost defiantly, before ber very eyes, he leaned toward her, kissed ber again. She did not protest When he released her. she lay limply In his arm. her face close to his face, and stared as one spellbound that old. familiar fnce. which seemed suddenly very new and strange beautiful to ber. "Mke me. Ginger?" he asked gently. Ginger's answer was a startled lerky bob of her head. A half-smile quivered quiv-ered to her Hps, to be quickly banished ban-ished hy the strange wide look of wonder. - "Why?" he Insisted. "Because I'm like your father?' Her hand tightened Its grip on his shoulder. Her cheek pressed his "You you're not Just like my father,", fa-ther,", she whispered. "Ginger, you darling you dear little darling" No word of protest from Ginger. His hands caressed her. His Hp sought the curve of ber slender throat. "I know you bate to be pawed" "Oh. Eddy,? she Interrupted Indignantly, Indig-nantly, "you dont paw. You're not that kind." Her small hand found Itself upon bis cheek, ber slim fingers touched It, stroked It, wltb caresslveness as old as the world. "1 know I'm not at all romantic figure" " , ! " Ginger drew away from ulm. There was cold indignation In ber eyes, scorn for herself, bei young girlish fully. She saw. as fu the first time, the tender , warmth of his gray eyes, the One firm line ut hi kind Hps, the strong assurance In the poise of bis bead all the clean honest nlce-ness nlce-ness ol the old familiar face And her heart cried out to bint, remembering remember-ing bis thousand sympathies through thing, and I'm glad of It But tbere isn't - any bllud, any mora Go on. . take me to Jail. I never thought of using the mall to defraud, because really. It wasn't a fraud. Father was blind." "You see. she doesn't realize what she bus done," argued Eddy stoutly "'Ellen," her father' voice wa low Jard shocked, "do you mean to tell me lyuifit you solicited money for home XjorWie blind" . . "ser flushed crimson, and swiftly " WfWrhut ,8he did not flinch. "Yes. -? did, fal her. By a chain letter. And It went, like wlldllra . Ten cents apiece -f - That' why I paid everything In dimes. Eddy." "But, my child. It Is almost steal Ing " "Oh, father, no. Doesn't it say In the Bible that the servants of God are to get what they need? And you know we did need It I" "But Ellen It as plain begging." "Well, all cburcb work is. Collection Collec-tion are begging. And is it any worse to take money. If you can get it from publicans and sinners, than from stewards and trustees?'' "There' at least a full bushel of mall at the ofllce Interrupted tbe Inspector. "A bushel of dimes 1" she ejaculated m .Tkfr "And it' got to go buck where It came from. Ever ctnl of It" But even the Inspector's severity had re laied somewhat "Now I guess we can tlx this up, If yon, sir, will go ball for It that she doesn't start any mora funny business. "I'm afraid you'll bave to go down wltb us, sir. There a deal of red tape to go through with. Anil tbe money to send back" "1 will com at once. I I am so surprised o shocked." stammered the confused father, "I cun t tell you how ' -sorry I am. I oever dreamed that " Ellen, If you had told me. If you had asked me " "Oh, father, 1 only wanted to help you. I Walt a minute 1" She ran quickly up the stairs, and In tbe bullway above tbey could beat ber uervously quick movements, as i she balanced tbe ladder against the I wall, and pushed open the trapdoor "Oh, Eddy Waint I Dumb?" blackly Into space, (tared and stared Suddenly a great storm welled In ber breast The pnln of It scorched ber throat, tortured her eyes. She threw herself among the cushions In cor ner of the couch, and sobbed as though ber heart would break. CHAPTER XIII A shamed and huddled heap. Gin ger lay In I lie corner of the big couch, weeping fflormlly, her slim shoulders shukeu with ber sr.bs, while Elb stood awkwardly before ber. sadly watching After a while, unnoticed he sank down beside her, and waited for the passion of ner emotion to spend Itself, and at Inst unobtrusive ly, he put his arm about her, by gentle pressure drawing her from tbe shahhj .liken cushions to his shoulder. 'Don't cry. Ginger. It Isn t so bad they'll fix It up all right, aud no one will ever know. Your fniher will Just have to assure your good .conduct In the future that's all Don't cry." Ulncei was uot to be comforted Her beautiful dream wus deud nay, had been ruthlessly murdered, choked by coarse hands, crushed by a heavy heel. All that she had hoped for. planned for, worked for. bad come to naught -"It was so beautiful," she sobbed "It wus Just beautiful while Ii lasted. And now II Is only ridiculous." "Oh. no. Ginger.- Nothing can be ridiculous that Is done Id love," he said wisely. She squirmed uncomfortably. "Ob. I did It In love." the admitted, "but I was pretty stuck on myself for doing It Just the same I was awfully hipped on myself I thought I was pretty smart nil right' "Well, It was smart In a way," he nld carefully. "Of course. It wus wrong, too In way. Ii really was false pretenses and using the malls to defraud, and all that. But you didn't know It was wrung." But Ginger was not willing to be lifted ever so little from the depths of ber self-abasement " - so muny exigencies, his unfailing hu mor. his untiring Interest. Aud Ginger, Gin-ger, humbled afresh before this sweet new revelation of the old. old friend cried om reproachfully: "Oh. Edily wasn't I dumb?" ITHK END to i tie attic, "I can't Imagine bow she came to do sucb a thing." apologized the troubled father anxiously. "But she meant ail '"r right. She wit so eager to take care of me " "Ob, she' Just a kid," assented the inspector. "We all know what kids are." Ginger' feet were pounding down the stairs aguln, and they awaited ber coming in alienee. She crossed tbe room and stood before the lnseclor . slim and slight, but wltb straight shoulders, as one willing to bear tbe burden ot her wrongdoing. "Here!" Into the hands ot the as tonlshed Inspector she pressed an old doll's trunk, and It was heavy "It s the rest ol the dimes," she explained "I don't know where ihey came from . 1 burned the little while ai;gels 1 mean the letters. And 1 spent lots of , the dimes, too, for ever so many things dresses, and stockings, and even food These are all that are left." "Well, now." said the inspector v awkwardly. "I don't rightly know what "v. to do with this hut I reckon I'd bet |