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Show I Ananias Sline's 1 X Airship i ; Story of a Troubled ! : Conscience I 1 1 By CLARISSA MACKIfi I The tery tUy I nrrlrcd at Quince llarlior I ma tliu Widow Itowrll. Hlie wim rmcrrfng rrom Km Iterb' dcprt-inent dcprt-inent ton nnd on hrr comely fce wn n liaUltil look. "It linn poiuothlnj; tn do with Auflnlim Hllnp," srnn tny II mt tlioiislit, for tbme two IntcrvxtluK wldonrii, Km ItcrU nnd Hetty Konell, wcro Iwldly contesting for I lie lienrt nnd linint of Annula Kline, one Hum mnto of tho koo1 Hhlp tmlim nnd now tiorter In tho Quince llnrUir link. "OoinI inornlntf. Minn Tellium," ulio enve Rrecllinr. "Mow Mnrln'n rticu-itinllfinr rticu-itinllfinr ".Much liellcr IImiii It nn, And hoir nre yoiiV The little widow ent n linloful bnck-wnrd bnck-wnrd kIhiiiv hi tho deimrtmeiit More, uhcre I illMlnetly ww Itm ItcvIV nlii'1.1)- KuidHired hend nufllimt the nlmlow. "I'm nnol Hptendldr re-KN)iidi'd re-KN)iidi'd I he Widow Howell vlmetoini-lj vlmetoini-lj "HnTP you heiinl nliout Mr. Mliie'n itemiKiM7 rnptnlii ltarniitMK mM Anniiln! hud Invii IhiIIiIIiik one. lie mAkc-H liM irlfll niglit tonight. I'll tell you nomcthlUK If you won't It'll." h mldrd proudly. "You mny iiinlldo hi me, Mr. Howell," How-ell," I repronched her. "I elm 1 1 he n vllent nit the strnro." Kho drew luiirer nnd whhpered: "I'm K"Iiik up In tho ntmlilp with Annnl.m!'' And while I lUlciutl, nlmiit. olio putted put-ted my nrrii mid ilnncd nwny down I lie lllniw HtrveL Hiiddculy I a'Uicinliercd Hint I mid un errand nt Itm Her IV More, nnd mi I imiuutrd the Mepi the door flew opvu nnd Mr. HcvIV nmplo form wan bow-liik bow-liik me limlde, nnd her henry fenttin-n irlaxed In it ffi-neruim mitllo of welcome. wel-come. "Vim hvnrd nbout Mr. Hlliie'n air lilpV rho nMicd nuddcnly. "Ye. Ho inaUiii n trial flleht to-duy," to-duy," 1 reinnted quickly, for 1 wmi mliidrnl of llolty lloweU'n m-crct look-el look-el In my hreiiNt. Hhe Klnui-cd lowuril her two elcrkn, )oumt Klrlx. hrluht eyed nnd rimy t-hceked. who wero exclmnuliitf Hit-tlcliai Hit-tlcliai wllh tho Mneu driver, who hud JuM; detlveretl nil exprcni pntkuice. "Ile'ii koIiik to take n tdnvni;vr,M whUHjrvl the Wliluw Hull. "WhoT Ned llolM-rtur' 1 Klnunil nt the Inuky Nlnite driver. "No; Anaulni Hllner "Oh, it iMMOUKcr In tho nlndilpT" So llelly'K mvret wan no wcrot after nit. Hho ncxWtiU "It'H n imrn-t. l'erhap you enn kiikhm." She umlted archly. "Your I weakly Hiked. "Yen. Don't tell n oul,M Mm cautlnn-el, cautlnn-el, nlthoiitth I mn mire Mie hoped I would ronlldn the new to Hetty Howell. How-ell. I ient tho afternoon on the l)jy with Captain Iinnmlum and hi wife, Maria. An we llcil up nt the little ' Iniidlni Im1ow the Klh cotUKOthecnp- 1 tain cant n ulance nt the wind hIriisI. "Not a puffP he ejaculntett. "There ; Uu't n mortal rennon why AnnnUt i can't makn that fllcht tonljiht." "Ilrlsht luiHiullKht. too," added Ma ' rta. "Hurry up and como to nuppcr ; ToV wo rnn o rlijlit over to Terry' fleld. I wnut a kimxI look nt the critter I iK'forn ll'ii ifiunMicd to bit." "Will tho machine really fly" I luk ', nl a we te n hurrlnl int-al. "Ho Amiulnw yny," retunuM thn cap. ', tain dr)ly. Anautiu had liecn hU tlrnt male nn foaiiv ovnirt-H. and Cantaln ; I'IkIi wuh contldent that the truth win tmt In AunnlnK, J When wo renrhwl Terry ten ncr field tho moon wo lifting n Kreat an I ver dink nlwve the jilno wood. Tho tk'l.l wna ttrMl.il with while llcht, re-' re-' mii1Iiii: tho pitherlnj; crowd of Ttltan- I'K. ! Ill the middle of the moonlit aiuco waa n ereftl while winded nliJiH-t aur- ', rouniUd liy -urloiiii men ind Uiya. Till wm A nan In x Kllno'a ulndilp. Wo miproni'luMl tlio nwkwtint looUInt object nml fouinl Anmilax hluwulf, ImiLliu: nbnunlb)' nhwII '" u linitlmr - nilaltoii itult nml helinei. He ktokiil ! like u b.iiwii kuihh ' lie BitHMml im wllh hlii neeilHtoiiifd ! ilbtulty. but even while ho nxplalncd I lie iiiystnrloN of tho Huwk, nn he hud ! imnwd It. hN cold blue oyoa wnrvi kOHnhliix tho nrrlt luy crowd. I ! "lie Ik limklni; for Holly, or 1 It ) Itm ItevNV I Ihoiiyhl, wondelinif how '. tltU lntiMt M'hvuie of Mr. HllueV would ; work nut. Would ho have ouo puhicu ! iferortwot ) A hand plucked ut my ulceus It ' wan Ih'ttj Unwell, almost uurccoj;- ; ulsnblo In houvy Mklrt. woolen awcuter ' . under her winter cout nnd it Krecn veil wound nround her head and fare an ! that only her hliurp urny cjch wero ; vWble. '. "Hetty, nivn't you afraldi" I whU- ; I'creil . Hhe nnillc.1 proudly. ) "Not with him. Anantn knows and ', uiiderrilnudu hU own machine." ) Hho flipped (mat mo nnd Mood talk. I ni: to AimnluH, who continued to peer ) uervoiuly unmnd wbllo ho talked. . There wna I he vouud of heavy " brenlhlnjr elow bot-lde me. nm HqvU. int Mmuxely iittlrcd na her rival. Mood 1 (hero, her yc ulcninlnp with rcolu-, ' tlutk Bli imnliod pnt mo nnd strode ' tijnr.nl Ananlat nml the Widow tl ell. I Ileforo he rwiehwl thi there w i-a i-a shout. Alrln Ilarkor, n toller in i.k bank. Jlllnivcd from hH nutomabtlo nnd half carried n veiled lady to the n!-atilp n!-atilp and lifted her Into the pawner's feat, nlrnpptnK her tn with deft rjpld Ity. "There's your pnnncnKer, Annnlat." he muttered In n choked tone. "Clear the way, all of your he ahouled. Tho crowd fell back. Annnlm jumped nimbly into the pilot' sent, wm strapped In, Itarkcr whirled the propeller, tho enclne started, stopped, started airaln, and tho ungainly bird teetered over the ground on Its land-Ins land-Ins wheel. It mounted a rifle, then lifted and rose obliquely toward tho pale moon. From the pilot's seat leaned ft gnome-like gnome-like figure, Ananias Sllne. In the paiMcnger's scat, stiffly erect, nt the passenger, the veiled lady. On tho Rrotind two other veiled la dies stood shoulder to shoulder nnd gazed upward after tho vanishing Ana nlns. For the moment n common grievance declared a tnico between them. "Who was sliol" rumbled Km Hevli In her deep tones. Tho Widow Howell cleared hen voice of emotion. "It looked tike that Underwood girl from Hnarllng Hollow," she muttered. Tho shout of npplnuro which had nrlcn when Annnlnit Sllne snlled nwny died down nit tho ulrshlp became n dark speck ngnlnst the iiioou'm face. HIIciico fell upon Terry's fleld silence si-lence which wa broken by confuxed shouts. Wo turned hastily to discover Haywood Hay-wood Drayton's big molorcnr piling Ing nrron tho grassy fleld. Haywood Dniyton was president of tho Quince Harbor bank. Mr. Drayton Jumped from his molorcnr, molor-cnr, followed by the lniMlng form of Constable I'c. Alrln Itarkcr wns sliding toward his own Utile ninnhout when tho big con. stable's hand fell upon his arm, "I guess yot'll have to como along with me. Alvln," he said good iiatured-ly, iiatured-ly, nnd ns the teller struggled to free himself the oltlrer linnd tlghtcnrd Its hold. "Ho n good Uiy. Alrln," he coaxed. "You can't rob tho bank wllhont le-lug le-lug punished for It. you know!" "It wns Ananias." quavered tho teller iVsierntely. "Ananias Is nn accessory don't forget for-get that. We must get him," put In Haywood Drayton. "He's got n Indy with hlinP some ouo said, nnd the conslnblo l.iuslicd. "A nice lady denf. dumb nnd blind." he explained lietween chuckles "a wav Agger rrom I'm Hurls show win dow, her holler form filled with imck-iigc-t of greenlMcki from the bnhk. Oh, Ananias U eloping with nu hclrcst, nil right!" I'm HovIh nnd Hotly Howell exchanged ex-changed glniicva of dlsmuy. "Ixil!" screnniMl some one. "Ho In coming back!" We gazed up at the pnlo star strewn sky. Out of the silence at mo tho throb of the nlrshlp'H engine, nnd tho huge wluga wero directly over Terry's Held. Down swoope! Aunulns Hllnu's airship air-ship until It was 'MO fet alioto us. For n moment It hovered, rocking violently. vio-lently. Then somo one screametl In horror, for a dark object wns falling from tho slmhlp n huuuu form. A shuddering cry went up as tho veiled passenger struck the ground and was Mill. Kouio one remembered what tho con stable had said about tho wax figure lu i:m Hevls' show window. "I.ct'a seel" ho shouted, nnd ran forward, for-ward, Hurv enough, the poor te lady was tho familiar Uguro wo had often Ken lu Mrs. Hevls' window. Hut her waxen bead was smashed to atoms, and her broken form revealed rolls uud wads of ucwpupcr that was nil. Cunning Alrln Darker had tempted Aumilia to run num ulll, ilm kIiiImii money, wh e all tho time he had hid-den hid-den the money lu it safe place and had stuffed tho dummy passenger wllh pi per. AuaiiUs, conscience strlckcn-pcr hup fear stricken, who know sT hud reiH'utiil nnd returned to drop tho lad nnd the loot uxm Terry's ikld. 1 might hate nmdo his umxipu lu tint Huwk had not somethlug happeuctl tho engine. k tho Hawk i-amo Hopping to t-nrfli. ii ml AuuiiIuh crept out of tho ruins nui) sought t'viwtitlile I.iv to gtvo him self u Au hour nfio'WNnl two vulkM l.idlt iipHNrisl In the eonslablo'a olllcu. Oik was Dm Hevls. and tho oilier wus He;-ly He;-ly Howell. Tliey ninm to proffer ImII for the nvlutor's rolease. "Cup'u Fish bnlleil him out nu burr ago," explained I.co. "I don't reckon wo enu do murh nglu n man's running off with wads of ituwspuiKir -unless," ho added hopefully, "jou want to make n charge ngulnst him for steallug your wax flgger, Km!" Em Hevls looked thoughtful. "Twnu't my tlgger. Jim," nhe suld ut last. "I gave It to Auuntas, didn't I, Hetty r Hetty Howell nodded emphatically, "Of couruo she did!" 'Then there nln't any case against htm." declared Jim Leu. When I told Ananias Sllne or thU noblo deed on tho part of Dm Hovls his bulbous blue eyes filled wlt'j emo-ttnnnl emo-ttnnnl tears. I bad not bellevM ho ; could weep nny more than n fish could shed tenrs. "Miss Telham," snltTeil Ananias, "that's why I can't mako up my mind to marry olther one of them noble wlm-men. wlm-men. ItV Iwienuso I don't fpel I'm . good I'liotigli for 'cin." 1 And I nlmmt IidIIctcI him I |