CEASERS LRORL ORES ERE ERNE RERORS What Is prettier than the awakening love in a fine young woman and her artless coquetry in leading the object of her af- fection up to a proposal of mar riage? And what is more un- pleasant to witness than her re. buff by a man who falls to un- derstand? “ENTER SUSOSUOORIET OL RR Pe SSSR EERRSESRERERRL ESS CEST ETEPRRL NERA AIR U RIED IRTRRRORES CHAPTER XXViii—Continued. we} Ge The subjectivity of a sick man dis- arms woman; she knows she Is safe and shandons her weapons of attack and defense as long as the invalid Is taken up with the state of his insides. Clem was unaffected, even tender, with Alan as long as he was weak, but as his strength returned to him she with. drew, one by one and gently, the intl mate attentions a woman accords to babes and the related helpless. But there was nothing absolute in her with- drawal; it was more a temptation than a denial, born of woman's Innate de- sire to be pursued. While Alan half mis- full strength the pressed gayety, half dem chievous, but when his came back and he falled to pursue, gayety arrested questioning wistful the secret shame and repulsed and undesired, Clem saw Alan build a barrier against her, a barrier of little things, each Insignificant In Itself but lending and borrowing accumulation. the old captain, alked with J. XY. tween them, J. Y. we, itself, ind ended in biusties of the ness rode judge, judge walked, and the and the je had afternoon Mrs. J, Y was hesleged to surrender the { and finally did. Alan had gone to his room and closed the door. the dreary. In Somebody rapped at Alan's door and he called, “Come In.” The door opened and revealed Nance, junior. Behind her was a giggling, whispering throug, The spirit of fun danced In Nance's eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her golden head was In disarray. “Oh, Cousin Alan,” she cried, “grandma’s given us leave we're all going to play except mother and grandma and the captain. Please come, too, Cousin Alan” From behind her came a modified “Pleath do, Couthin Alan." Alan smiled and laid down his book. “All right,” he laughed. echo, that had grown and spread | giant maples that sheltered It. age the captain had demanded a wing or some bygone Nance a her children was chronicled fn the an- to the The only searching, architectural eye. ture Iay { room, the kitchen. in the thick-walled dining parlor, one bedroom and ck the nucleus of bad 1p yaad, From the rooms Maple House posed and superin unt! it over. { lowed the arbitrary bourne of kitch- | ens and front and | mounded vine rippled off on all sides, | in vast living room, sunny nurseries and a broken fringe of broad verandas these four grown, ime doors ike some cabled. In the midst of women to be able to forget her intentionally. There was noth pointed in his avoldance distance from Alix and N Jane Elton in the same from Clem. TI the single avoidance of who lav whom he would vain of ¢ hours before her Alan seemed woman—tio forget nce and measure was thus ere none ox vishes attentions on all but 1 nn her Clem, sat k riy sue, ieast yn ‘er before \ wen ques never hac he been reed to nd call up the re at a loss, 1 had the cha ; the serves, and now accustomed to soguette, (ler fier bauds a Lio thie At The reat! Firs Mrs from to read and Gerry's note wing moved to room and re-read a er to Allx. Alix was stl are had writ Alix replied that she wished to at a time Mra. Lansing replaced nurse at Gerry, junlor's, helped her. Bhe felt that Alix. She was almost glad when he devel. oped some trifling ailment becoming to hls years. She wired again and this time Alix came, frightened. Alix was ike a wilted flower, but she braced herself antl Gerry, junior, recovered into his healthy sel. Then she drooped once more and refused to be com: forted. If it had not been for Alan, Alix’ trouble would have cast a gloom over the rest of Red Hill, that Alan had sought ont Mrs. Lan- sing and told ber that not even knew just how Gerry's battle stood, Hut that he did know that there was a stor ped often umpled note in ten to her town. Mrs. Lan nd then wired not to For hours the He he could help telling her come, ’ wr nlone slde. come back as soon as he had fought hig way clear. Bo the Hill in general went atmost antroubled on its way trying to forget that it was still awaiting a fulfillment, and even Alix began to glean a little comfort from the thought that hope was but deferred. Her heart was sick. tier faith weak, but hope still lived. She clung through the long days to Gerry, junior, and waited, At Maple House the beating of young hearts amounted to a din, bat it was suddenly stilled by a day of ! drenching rain. After the very tame excitement of seeing J. Y, fudge off for the city, gloom settled in the faces of the children. Cousin Tom, In rubber boots and coat, came down the road from Elm House to find company for misery, The barn was requisitioned and became scene of a subdued frolle, but it af. forded meager diversion. The hay Clem Stood Before Him Dazed. There were and held ment and pera that jutied nooks that were satisfied back from further encroach- there were outstanding cor boldly out over the raid. Inside, the paths of daily life ran enough through the maze, but on thelr flanks hung many a somber den for ambush or retreat. Cavernous closets, shadowy corners, lumbered at- | ties and half-forgotten interstices of | discarded space opened dark gorges to the intrepid. and threatened the nerv- clearly bring forth. The gods of chllidhood's games themselves could not have i builded a better scene for that most palpitating of sports, hide and seek fon a rainy day Alan soon entered ints the spirit of i the game, He found himself recollect- {ing things about Maple House that he had more than half forgotten; strange byways under the roof; a vacant cham- ber, turned into a trunk reem because {one by one It had been robbed of its windows; and lastly the little attic ! that had been, as it were, left behind an wall { Through this dreamland of a hun. | dred children flitted the brood of the | day, marshaled rather breathlessly by | Clem and Alan. Anxious whispers, [a sudden stlence but for the flutelike | counting of some juvenile It, were fol | race for the gonl. never countenanced the effete and di hide and sevk, where you had to hold your man when found or beat him to the goal, Great was the exeftement when the Httlest It of all caught Cousin Alan by a tackle around the ankle that spoke a volume of promise for the littlest It's academic, career and forought 4 fn ow of Amlevoment to his | perspiring face. Alan was placed at the newel at the foot of the great stalr- case and duly admonished in volces not to look, The treble volces rained exelted instructions on him, car ried ability to suck slowly to teach its grandmother eggs. Alan started to count in sonorous tones, With a last trebles faded away Into silence, Alan crept stealthily up Out of the corner of Lis eye he caught sight of the twitching Jumpers of the littlest, who was too fat to quite fit the retreat he had chosen. But Alan did not quite see until it was too late. The Hittlest exploded the vast breath he had been holdiog in and plunged head long down the stairs. As he rolled by the newel he stuck out a sturdy arm and held fast. He shouted a pean of victory and once more palpitating si Alan wondered If he could find the wny to the little attic. He of steps, turned, dived through a low, narrow tunnel and threw open long-forgotten door. It was he had suddenly opened a portal on his own childhood. A great, pensioned the held it. Ancient wills and from hooks on the rafters. A box or two and more disabled furniture littered the foor. lit up by the little dormer window, Alan drew a He was not disappointed. light from a Nothing stirred. breath. No ht to come bere but him Alan sprang in front of It. threw his arms around it, held it tight. It struggled, ceased to struggle, and looked up looked down, Clem's face was very near to his. Her body, still throb bing with excitement, was in hi Alan feit such a riot] blood as he had never He wanted to kiss Clem her, the it laughed, ans arms, in his known before He felt that must kiss there was not nongh left in him to do Then his and he forgot himself a Clem. His soul cried, he dropped his arms from and stepped back. Clem stood before was in her stock hand she held a eyes were big and full of the soft re bh of the mortally wounded, Alan ashamed and looked away. He had to bre ak the silence * he sald lamely Clem dropped one silpper, her hand and brushed hair from her forehead caught,” she sald, and her ng surge strength « any- thing elise met eves hers “Sacrilege.” and about her him, dazed. feet In each ipper. Her She need little a»! ron : threw up the disordered disgust, was by McDale & M« ion was all pleased i There trains for let up the arrested by the sigh of a ing on the curb of the traffic iressed in a heavy a Stetson hat. med in the very form had blocked by the makers. in yelied, “Hi! fellers, got away wiffalo Bi gad-eved but drooping mustaches, doubt of the shoot. were oO “ - yy » 149%, noon mt dif As he stro! avenue | watching whipcord nHueo { awirl figure heen what's from gazed less mourning the passing Answer able affronts of a fostered clviling Alan way elbowed his fncross by the arm. Kemp whirled around as raw Alan's face. “1 was Jest calen- iatin’ on roundin’ you up,” he drawled “Where did you come from? Where waiting for an answer he halled a cab, to his club, In the club lobby Kemp surrendered his hat reluctantly to the ready attend ant and followed Alan across soft car pets to a quiet corner where two enor mous chalrs seemed to be making con fidences to each other, One could imagine them aggrieved at being inter rupted and sat upon. “Well, Kemp,” sald Alan, “I'm glad to see yon. What's yours?” “Rye 'nd a chaser,” said Kemp “Same for me, waiter,” ordered Alan. “Now, Kemp, tell me ail about it.” “1 just blowed in from Lieber's, Mr, Wayne, and I'm headed west.” “How's Lieber and where's Gerry? Did Lieber get my cable?” Kemp looked sadly out through the window, “Lieber's dead." “Dead? Lieber dead?” Kemp nodded. “I found him with everything fixed for kickin’ the bucket. He knew what was the matter, but he didn't tell me what It was. Sald it an’ thet the' wa'nt no he'p for it. Bat he got your eable, Mr. Wayne, and he wanted 1 should tell you that what you done wa'nt wasted. He said there wa'n't nothin’ thet could he'p him through the way that cable did. He sald it was the passpo’t he'd been he was Bol’ to use it. cleared his trail for him. Them all the things he sald I should youn.” Kemp stopped talking was and downed ful. Lieber in hig life wns gone and made a gap that he never knew He wanted to know “Well?” “You remember the joa tree ber's, Mr. Wayne? One o somest trees on earth, 1 reckon, ex when the Booganviller comes out then (t's a happy mount rod pu'ple that kind o' lights up the huil desert.” Alan nodded. “Well, then, yon bowlder of graywnd ‘hat's Lleber’s head more, nt Tie the lone an’ iy ’ ¢ Lino nnd remember the big ke under He stone, had a the Heo glve him a boa’d to copy fm. then words beat led "em here they carry him out under tree work cut Into a . but time, 1 paper me every bit of Kemp drew a sli} old wallet that housed Purple City.” He handed it to “Wish you'd put me on,” he sald, I know is it ain't American ain't Mex.” The words on Corr an' y of paper ry though, he game “The Alan the slip an stared gaw them. “Qui de nous n'a sa terre promise, son Jour d'extase, sa fin en exil?’ he read et slowly to him with hia eyes far away, ‘Who of us has land, his day of and his end in exile? Kemp nodded and held out his He it back in his wallet and sald, “I suppose the et wrote that was thinkin’ of a man's mind, but when it facts them words don’t fit He got more exiie than was to him; it et up the ecstasy more of the promised land don’ know. They's lots of folks needs to worry more'n Lieber crossin’ the divide” th 50 phy thought ‘ translated for Kemp, * not had his promised rity t put mostly COMeS Lieber to nn But 1 that is over for some time Hed HIN Kemjg They sat and then Alan r ‘Where you st “Astor house” Alan he mberad are Aying, at his watch “We've to hustle time to rush down looked sald We've just got on “What for?" drawied Kemp “1 was bound for our place out the country when I found you. Wi forty catch train You're com!i A wary it CAD “Your folks gut there, in Ve minutes to the ng with me™ y int 5 1 o Kemp Mr 1 you 8S eyes Wayne?” “Nes,” sald Alan “Kemp, do you take me and t! ad Bed, hat oA ne game en for a man id steer you up ag st a you don’t hold canis “No,” maid foun into a taxi bef test. If Alan Kemp, d himself hatt to LA fo 53 id it on the { fant Mrs fixed her soft, myopic gaze on him then looked away him a cup of tea and a biscuit, Kemp held the his hand contents, Mr some other ar Kemp's quick eve roved over group He saw that pobody was tak- ing anything bu «a and at the same that judge at } and cup and sauce at their y MOL 3 Mrs softly, the gratefully bim., The talking to and Cousin before Gerry, juni hour from Alix arrayed in nobody was watching and were each Tom were or, stolen for a short archy like a ballet skirt above his sturdy, fat legs, was gravely Charlie and re Nance buried pillows, eruptions, ou the children's efforts, Kemp turned a Mrs. J. X. “1 ain't sayin’, ma'am, thet this mixture is my usual bev'rage, but 4 man don't expect to have his usual handed down f'n a pulpit, and like. wise 1 see no call for folks turnin’ their front lawus into a bar.” Kemp conid feel a scene; his strange nature was moved at finding itself and when Kemp was moved he al ways talked to hide his emotion. Mrs. J. Y's kindly eyes led him on, made dm feel weirdly akin to those quiet, contented men and women and clean: ing against the peaceful setting of shady trees, old lawns and the ram. bling house that staidly watched them like some motherly hen, wings out: spread, ever ready to brood and shel: ter. and swept over the scene again. “Speakin' of bare,” he went on in his “1 don’t think a missus an’ above what goes in 'nd out of a milk pall, ner o that | which fsn't drink In a man. speakin’, I ean’t rightly rec’liect ever seen a missus leanin’ over but I've strayed some from the home fence n’ you may be su'prised, Mis’ W thet they’s lands wh never heerd te! where barmalds is the miikin' brand.” “Yes?'’ Mrs. J. ¥ ayne, $re no one ain't an an’ uer'n 1 on a barn #OMme comnio sald encourag “8ho' thing,” repiled Kemp; “1 seen won't forget the fust time onsid’'nble emb sed a in firm was In a hurry, me acrost to B'uthampton, wns waltin’ for the Brazil I'd picked up on bos’d Well, it w he corralled be. sed} an’ 511 i & Cause 1 was I mi narra steamer Yawk so they Noo pent while | boat a feller showed me t'n't lon Gguite willl y, a bar. 1 pulled off my hat and says, ‘Why d'you take off yo' hat? ‘Why don't you take off a lady hea'? Ti laughin’ and everybody enough to hea’ bust out issus bebind the bar an’ ne g be me. he and yourn? they's en he bust that iaughin’ Inughed, though somehow sound as If sh» ed be ‘vy 1t." med to blu out WHR en , an’ 100, the m t didn't inugh Calne couldn't he Kemp pu Hh over the mem He did not notice that the and J. Y, had drawn quietly and that the of the rown-ups were intent ey times s fittin’ rest group his words continned, that n man should be ghiootin’ Irons an’ Was one I ean’t rightly say what happened but guessin’s he was on he without of "¢ would have that easy When through laughin’ the feller that me ck and sez barmaid.’ some mo’ the ba “That ain't no lady; An' then they all and the missus just inughed an’ 1 mought ‘a’ but 1 thought 1 in her eves thet says she wasn't laugh Ever e then I'v missus nghed kind o dreamin’, been geen a look gene has wun the sta the surround he was a genuine « had 8, they wed ried in casual appros Just before he took it wn hin Alan led him to neg tH WINE a went self away Kemp on Alix sat on the The Firs and Allx looked up In wonder at pk formn. p held his hat ixted it SLY and tw i want 0 to call where she trees at Ken ners he sald, 1 rds five few wi ant all Mr. Lansing. "cause the 1 don't Thet's the way It cn tell you well an’ 8 steer biggest tf 0 some gide on "er Mr. Lansing I thet Mr. Lansing Is strong enough to swing meet t hat I know Now thoughts. Mr be a maverick to wager, the 13 Lansing 1 to Right I'm willin® for home and comin’ on the mn chewin' his cud “When 1 seen him thought on hog-tyin’ him along, ‘cause Mr. Wayne had tol’ me about you an’ the two-year-ol. it come to me that a woman of sperit-— one of ourn- should be brought in. he'd hog-tle hisseff.” Alix" head hung In hands were clasped now, bot he in-he's browsin’ COrTal, five weeks ago | him an’ bringin’ She'd sooner Her As thought. in her lap. Kemp rose and sald good-by, With his hat pulled well gver his brows and his bands In his pockets, he slouched toward the gate. Allx jumped up and followed him, fhe lald her thin, light hand on his “Thank you,” she said, a little Kemp's deepset eyes twinkled down on her. He held out bis big, rough hand and Alix gripped it. “Not good-by,” she sald, SERA FRRNRRREV RR ROREORRENINRGNR PRR EN ‘Kemp is a simple soul, for ail his travels. Will Alix be able to worm out of him the facts about Gerry's affair with little Margarita and “the boy" In South America? FESERFNE REINER San Sense nta renters SRNR ENRR RRNA THRE RREBRRENRS (TO HE CONTINUED) High Explosive Necessary. Bdith-If you didn’t want Mr. Bore leigh to stay so late why didn’t you drop a hint? Sthel-«Dropping a hint move him namite, wouldn't ~unless IL wes made of dy ” or ronns Ye, BD. P. PORYREY HTTOLE RY -LPAAW PRLLAPOETR 8 6a Dor of Conn Weose i Ce 8 Ve] ATTDLY ET AVAAW LLL AVONTE W Pa BW. en deem eB profrmicnal Partum preps stated § , BOYER & EELS ATTORNETE ATHAYW Easty Blown PELLEFORYIA ba Six Brpiad snd Surman SENET iit at Law LLEMCFTR 2 Prstiose is all (he —r fe ates » Crider s Rushaoy Vl ATTORFREY ATLAY ERLLEFONTA Pe. OBos RB. W, corner Bisiaesd, Woe nib Post ational Banh, Centre Hall, Pa. 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MONUMENTAL Wo®uR! in all kinds of Marble am Granite. ™= futngnmpmm ni en. we— ROILSBUKG TAYERE The Wa veling OLD FORT HOTEL BrWa BR) BOYER ae he hy Lomathens | Gue mOe Sonth of Orne Mali gre DR. SOL. M. NISSLEY, YETERINARY SUROBON. A gredaais of the University of Pound Offos st Palace Livery Stable, foals, Pa. Beth ‘phanes da,