THE GATE TIT
WON JANE.
ft »
Story of a Young Inventor Who
Made a Success.
By MARY G. QENTLEY.
{Copyright, 1309. liy American I'ress Asso
ciation..!
Farmer Tiilson hadn't ft generous
hair in his head, lie kept every cent
he got and never gave out a cent
Jane was as open hearted as Till
son was close. She was the life of the
young farmer people round about, and
not one of them but loved her. Her
uncle did all he could to impress her
with the fact that, having some capi
tal, she should look upon marriage as
a sort of partnership In which her
partner should furnish an equivalent
to her own means.
One day there came to Tillson's
farm a young man who usked for
work. He was rather intellectual look
ing than muscular, a fact that did not
favorably impress Tiilson. But he
"YE MCST TALK WITH ME 'BOUT THAT
a ATE."
offered to work for very low wages,
and as it was harvest time Tiilson em
ployed him.
Now, Jane no sooner saw young Zeke
.Freeman doing the hardest work there
was to be done on the farm, which her
uncle put upon the young man, than
she pitied him. Pity being akin to
love, she loved him. She was bright
enough, however, to keep the situation
from her uncle, who never suspected
It till Freeman one day went to him
to ask for Jane's hand.
"No; ye can't have Jane," snarled
aid Tiilson ungraciously. "She's my
brother's daughter an' has money of
her own, an' you ain't uothln' but a
hired man with no prospects. I don't
see what Jane was thinkiu' onto say
ye could ask me. Ye can't have her,
an' that's all there is to it."
Zeke opened his mouth as though to
protest or to strengthen his case by
further argument, but Tlllson's face
was grim and forbidding, and he knew
the old man too well to weaken his
chances by causing useless Irritation.
He turned away.
That afternoon they were near the
farmyard gate. Zeke digging post
holes aiid old Tillson patching up a
wheelbarrow, when the drummer of an
agricultural warehouse appeared. Hut,
instead of going straight to Tillson,
he stopped at the gate and began to
examine it curiously.
"Queer contrivance that," he said
presently. "Good idea, though—grand,
good idea. I low ilid you happen to
think of It?"
"It's some of my hired uiau'jj ililly
dailyin'," replied Tillson gruffly. "lie's
forever up to something of that Bort.
Wastes half his time."
Zeke flushed a little, hut did not
look up.
"No wasted time about that," de
clared the drummer emphatically. "It's
a valuable Idea. There's money in it."
"Money?" questioned Tillson eagerly.
Then he saw one of the horses squeez
ing his body through the open door
way of the corncrib, and he rushed
off. He would have seut Zeke, only
lie preferred him to continue at the
post hole digging.
"So it's your idea, is it?" said the
drummer us he crossetUto Zeke's side.
"Going to have it patented, of course."
Zeke laughed. "Patented!" he echoed.
"That foolish thing? Why, it's noth
ing but a lot of stones and two
hinges placed so the gate will shut of
itself."
"But that's just the sort of thing
which usually proves valuable," per
sisted the drummer. "The simpler the
device, if it's useful, the better. You'll
make a mistake if you don't protect
the idea."
"Then I guess I'll make the mis
take," said Zeke carelessly. "Patents
cost money, and I haven't any. Be
skfr.s, if I had I wouldn't risk 50 cents
on that foolish thing."
The drummer regarded him thought
fully. "Look here." he said suddenly,
"how would you like to make a trade?
! could appropriate the Idea for my
self if I did business that way, but 1
don't. Still, I like to make money
wherever I see a chance. My house
does a good deal In patent articles,
and I can generally guess pretty close
whether there's money in an idea or
not. Now, if you say so, 1 will put
this through at my own expense and
keep half the profit. What do you
say?"
"You mean use stones like that and
all?" asked Zeke skeptically.
"No; it's only the Idea I want. Wn
would And some substitute for the
stones."
Zeke's indifference began to vanish.
"If you really think it's worth any
thing," he said doubtfully, "I'll be glad
to have you fix it up. But I don't
want you to lose money." Then, a lit
tle wonderlngly, "I thought patents
were made of pulleys and springs and
-and such things and that '.twas gen
iuses who got "em up who_studied
years and years to make "em all r'. .
The drummer smiled. "It is i::i.
way sometimes," he said, "but not a!
ways. I have known inventors to
have theJ? ideas come to I hem In a
moment, in a Hash of thought. But
suppose we fix this thing now."
He opened a notebook and wrote for
some seconds, then tore out the leaf
and handed It to Zekt.
"It's a sort of agreement f«>r you to
put your name to,"he said. "I!eiul it
first, though. Never sign anything un
til you know what it is. Later 1 will
have regular papers made out for both
of lis."
Zeke read tho paper and signed his
name with the pen which the drum
mer held ready. Then he resumed his
digging. A few moments later Tiilson
came hurrying back.
"The dratted horse ate a full peck
of good corn," he began wrathfully.
"No supper 'II be get this night. Now,
what Is It 'bout that gate blzness?
How's there money in It?"
"By getting the invention patented."
answered the drummer carelessly, "but
Zeke and I have fixed that up. Well.
I must be going."
"But, look here!" exclaimed Tiilson.
"Ye must talk with me 'bout that gate
It's mine: Zeke ain't nothin' ti> do
with It."
"Oh, I don't want tho gate," said the
drummer coolly. "It's only the idea,
and that. I believe, belongs to Zeke.
Ooodby."
Tiilson stared at him as he walked
away, the wrath deepening on his fare.
Suddenly he swung round to Zo!:e.
"What did ye get'.'" ho demanded.
"Come, hand it over."
"1 didn't receive anything in money,"
Zeke answered.
"Stop!" roughly. "Don't tell any
yarns. Didn't 1 hear the uiau say you
an' him fixed it up? Now, how much
money did he give ye for my gate?
Look at me straight."
Zeko did so, with a half smile. 'He's
to pay for getting out a patent," he
replied, "and have half what we make."
"An' ye didn't get any money?"
"Not a cent."
Tiilson looked at him sharply, but
there was no deceit in the straightfor
ward face. Even he realized the fact.
"Then ye're an idiot!" he snarled. "The
man was set on the idee; I could see
that from the way ho spoke. Ye
could have got fifty or a hundred dol
lars Jest as easy as nothin'. Mebbe
we could have made a trade for a lot
of his tools. An' now— huh!—ye'l!
never hear from him ag'iu."
Zeke did not answer, and presently
Tiilson went toward the barn grum
bling. But his words did not disturb
Zeke In the least. He scarcely ex
pected to hear from the man again.
In spite of what had been said, h •
could not bring himself to believe tha
the simple contrivance was of any
value. Even when the "regular pa
pers" came, with imposing seals and
blank places for him to sign his name,
he regarded them more ns interesting
novelties than as anything that would
affect his future.
But oiie day n letter came which
caused his eyes to open wide with
amazed delight and which after a half
hour of hard thinking carried him into
the house after his Sunday clothes. It
was nearly dark when he returned
from the town. Old Tillsou met him
at the barn door, his face dark.
"What d'ye leave work for without
iny say so'" he demanded.
"Business," replied Zeke. "I heard
you say t'other day the mortgage had
run by and that if you didn't raise the
money soon they'd lie selling you out.
So I've been to a lawyer and had it
fixed over in my name, to save you
trouble. You can pay me whenever it
suits. You see," iu answer to the look
on Tillson's face, "I got a check for
two thousand on the patent and am
lik;•!>• to get as much more every year.
1 think I'll buy Dickson's big farm
thf t Joins ours."
Tillson stood looking at the young
man with mouth and eyes wide open.
The expression on his face was a
study. One would expect to see sum"
sbamefacedness there, but there was
none. There was not even gratitude.
For the moment there was surprise
mingled with a feeling of suspicion
that Zeke had assumed his debt that
he might make something by it. Ouo
who alwaya acts from mean motives
suspects every one else of doing the
same thing. Ills first words indicated
that such was the condition of his
mind.
"What Interest you goin' to charge
me?"
"Never mind about the interest. You
can pay whatever rate you please or
nothing at all."
"Waal. 1 suppose you've got to be
paid suthin'. What Is it you want?"
"Jane."
"Oh. that's the pay you're after!"
The moment the old curmudgeon's
interest came to the front he was less
concerned about that of his niece.
"You and she can settle that. I sup
pose. As long as she's satisfied I sup
pose I'll have to be."
Jane was perfectly satisfied, and be
fore long there was a wedding.
But Zeke didn't buy Dickson's farm.
He drifted into the employ of a firm
engaged in the development of me
chanical contrivances and Is now a
very rich man.
Two Hundred Per Cent Loss.
He was no college bred business
man. lie was just the other kind. In
the course of his commercial ventures
he was induced by an acquaintance to
become a partner In the grain and feed
line. After about a year of it the firm
went to pieces, leaving him with the
bag to hold. A college friend met him
shortly after the collapse and was ask
ing about it.
"What per cent of the loss fell on
you?" Inquired the friend, who didn't
know the particulars.
"Two hundred," he responded
promptly.
"Two hundred?" exclaimed the
friend. "Why, man. there can't be
more than a hundred per cent loss."
"Come off," he countered. "There
was two of us. He lost a hundred and
I lost a hundred. Don't that make
200?"
"Of course not. Your loss Is only
100 per cent."
"Yes, but say," be explained, "I had
to settle for It all."
"Oh." said the friend. -
Her Gamble.
"Did you ever gamble, ma?"
"Only ouce, my sou."
"And when was th,it?"
"When I married your father.*—
Princeton Gazette.
CONSERVE BOYS
:
Y. M. G. L Pr:j:ct For Welfare
of the Mm.
GOUNTfiY LAO HOPE OF AMERICA
i Let Three of Best Five Youthi Go t®
j the City, but Keep Two on the Farm,
J Says John R. Boardman—Declares
United States Is Being Impoverished
by Exodus of Its Young Men.
< A new conservation movement Is to
become a factor in American life. The
i greatest of the nation's uatural re
! sources, the country boy. Is the object
jof its protection. Its voice Is raised
I for the stemming of the tide "that is
i sweeping the best manhood of the
! country to the great cities."
i "Let three of the average five best
' youths which the farms produce goto
the city," v-ns the platform recently
■ outline.l by John 11. Boardman, a lead
; or in the work. "The city needs thein
1 and would stagnate without them. But
i we insist that the other two shall stay
in the country. The country needs
theiu and is being impoverished by
their loss."
Eighteen States Represented.
Mr. Boardman is senior secretary of
j the country work department of the
; international committee of the Voung
! Men's Christian association. He pre
' sided at a "standardization confer
| ence" which was held at Chicago a
few days ago, where representatives
I of the county and state work of elght
j een states and provinces gathered to
' systematize the undertakings of this
| young branch of the association's ac
tivity.
"The country is being depleted of its
vitality by the lure of the city," said
I Mr. Boardman in explanation of the
' organization's mission. "It Is not out
! of selfish interest, but with concern
j for the welfare of the nation, that we
J insist that two of every five natural
I leaders produced by the country shall
stay in the country. The country boy
! Is the hope of America.
I "We are willing to give up three to
| the city, and one of the missions of
j our department is to see that the coun
j try boys who goto the city shall go
among friends and favoring influences.
I But the other feature of our work Is
| to organize the Young Men's Christian
| associations of the small towns of the
j country In a way to enrich the life of
I the boys of the country and lead them
j to a life of satisfaction and usefulness
j at home."
Outlines Department's Work.
| The following is a summary of what
j the country work department of the
| International Young Men's Christian
j association stands for, as Mr. Board-
I man outlined it:
j For the recognition of tho Inherent value
i of country life In and for Itself,
j Tho maximum development of construc
tive forces in rural communities.
! Tlie creation of a new social community
j In village and In open country.
| Deliverance from tho enervating pater
nalism of tho city,
j Better health and sanitation In farm
I homes and country communities,
i A redirected educational system which
) will fit for life In the country.
A more scientific type of crop produc
tion anil farm administration as essential
to greater satisfaction In rural life.
A wholesome development of the recre
ative life.
Dominance of Christian Ideals In th#
j character of the manhood and boyhood
j of the country.
Need of Country Leaders.
"The country still is the nursery of
the nation's leaders," said Mr. Hoard
man. "But there Is as great a need
for leaders In the country as in the
| cities. Not alone is the country being
! impoverished, but its best fruits are
i wasted, for tho country boy ongoing
I to tho city, Ignorant of urban condl
! tious, 11- ■ , to rv'.n.
"On the other hand, the majority of
the college men of the whole country
hail from the smaller towns and the
rural districts. In the conservation of
the youth of the country the country
work department of the Young Men's
Christian association has a mission of
greatest importance.
"Our work Is co-ordinate with that
of the city associations, and it Is co
operative in its concern for the wel
fare of the youths who leave tho coun
try togo to the city. The undertaking
U not new, but only of went times
havo effective measures been found to
meet conditions. Tho value of our
work haa received the recognition of
the federal administration, which is
desirous of the extension of the Y. M.
C. A. county work Into tho reclamation
projects of the west."
Why Be a Suffragette?
"I don't know why any woman
wants to be n suffragette when she
can join the Daughters of the Ameri
can ICevolutlon and run for president
general," said Mrs. Donald McLean In
Introducing the new president general,
Mrs, Matthew Scott.
"Perfect happiness reigns," Mrs. Mc-
Lean said. "As far as 1 know, with
one exception many years back, there
has never been an incoming and out
going president general who were on
speaking terms before."
To Get His Money's Worth.
In a village near Edinburgh there
lived an old baker and his son. Their
trade was in a flourishing condition,
but unfortunately in the midst of their
prosperity the old man, who had once
been a great drinker, turned Insane.
The son, who was renowned for his
love of money, was forced to put him
in a lunatic asylum and, according to
the terms of the establishment, to pay
a fee for three months in advance,
amounting to £3O. The old man was
scarcely in a fortnight, however,
when he died. The son. thinking to
raise an action against the establish
ment for the recovery of the, as he
termed it, unused money, inquired of
an old lawyer who was a bit of a wag
whether he thought It would be pru
dent lo try to recover the money or
not. The chip of the law, putting on a
grave face, replied seriously, "D'ye no
think it wad be best to gang and put
In the rest o' the time yersel'V"
IN CHARGE.
An Amateur Who Kept a Hotel
and Made a Mistake.
By FRANK H. SWEET.
[Copyright, isw, l>y American I'resa Asao
elation.J
"Dear Phil-Mighty clad to hear
from you and to know you're at leisure
and contemplating a visit east. Start
at once. I Bred the letter as a chance
shot, for 1 remembered you wrote to
some of your people at that place.
"Seems odd we've never heard a
thing of each other iu all these twenty
five years. But never mind. 1 feel
just as ready for a lark as 1 did when
I said goodby on the college campus,
and I know you do.
"Now to business. I'm mighty sor
ry, but a whole lot has happened since
I wrote you that letter seven days
ago. My people are off pasturing In
Europe, and I'd planned for us to
have the whole summer together.
"But now 1 am cabled that my wife
has been picked up by brigands iu
some of the old wornout mountains
and that 1 must hurry over with a
ransom.
"It will take some money, and, what's
worse, a whole lot of time, and, what's
«till worse, I shall not be able to see
Fou till nfter 1 get back.
"X remember you were a pretty good
fellow to take hold of things, but not |
very good iti arranging circumstances I
to your own advantage, so I don't sup- i
pose you've prospered much.
"I have, in the hotel business, and |
think we can make your visit of tnu- j
tual advantage. 1 have 300 guests al- j
ready iu the house and 000 booked for
later arrival, and there's a good man- j
HE It KUAN TO REEK OUT QBACIH TO BN'
TKUTAIN UEB.
ager for practical details, but not for
the social side. You used to be great
ou that line.
"Now I'm going to ask you to fill my
chair until I get back—in fact, make it
sort of compulsory—for 1 must take
the steamer this afternoon. There
will not be any real work, understand,
only just to have a good time with the
guests. Mr. Burke, the manager, will
be looking for you. Start at once.
And, oh, yes, there'll be no expense
to you, of course, and if tilings go right
there'll be something handsome when
I return. Your old chum, BILL.
"1". S.—l have a little girl off at
school whom I'll not have time to see.
She'll not be any trouble, of course,
but I'd like you to keep a general over
sight of her. She'll be home for the
summer vacation in a few days. Ta
ta. BILLY."
Philip Cudahay, just from college
and recently come luto possession of
hid lata a i.,l< 1: >tis, had commenced
the letter with perplexed face; he end
ed it with a laugh.
"Evidently thinks 1 am my father,"
he thought, "and just as evidently,
from our home nddress being in the
country, considers him a small farmer
of limited means. H'm!" He drew a
letter from a pigeonhole in his desk.
It was the one he had received seven
days before and read:
"Phil Cudahay, Oakwoods, Md.:
"Are you still living, and could you
arrange to make a visit east?
"BILLY BLACK WELL."
Phil's answer to this had been equal
ly brief and to the point: "Certainly.
Am contemplating a visit east even
now. What'll you have?"
"Don't seem as If I ought to take
advantage of it,"he said, still grin
ning, as he thrust the letter back luto
its pigeonhole, "but It would be a
lark (o run a big hotel with a capable
manager to hold the reins. The child
would be the real trouble, though I've
been told I have a way with chil
dren.
"IVm! I can't write and say father
is dead, and the thing Is jammed down
into my pocket, with the owner al
ready out of sight, and my idea of the
man from his letter is that he didn't
tell Manager Burke a thing except
that a Phil Cudahay would have
charge.
"I could be twenty or eighty, with
any old size or looks, so long as the
name proves up. H'm! I'll do It."
Hotel Amberset was seven miles
from the nearest railroad point and
reached by stage.
A number of people were in the
•ame car, apparently guests for the
hotel, but only one child.
He wondered if it could be Black
well's aaugnter. tie nopeu noi, lor
the child was peevish looking and evi
dently mischievous. Having charge of
her would be a task as onerous as un
pleasant.
With her was a young woman as
nurse, or perhaps, as the child was
ten or twelve, she was governess.
But iustead of avoiding them at the
station, as h*> was Inclined, he lifted
the little girl Into the waiting bus aud
then took n place beside them. The
whole thing was a great joke, but
some of the component parts were
likely to be very earnest.
Burke, the manager, accepted him as
a matter of course, In a practical, busi
nessiike wa;.. 1 , u he fur Un t.rst
da.v or two seemed a little sin, rised at
(hi" facility willi which I'liil cir ,>ed
Into tin* owner's > Itair.
Perhaps, after all. there hat! been
some intimation of unity rearing
I'or tite tirst week I'ltii was conscious
of a strong desire to avoid the child,
who had tlow advanced to tite famil
iarity of "Grade." but litis very con
sciousness uiade him seek iter out of
teiier titan lie otherwise would. It was
a joke, but he was personating his
father, who was her father's friend.
By that time the nurse, or governess,
was unconsciously occupying a good
deal of his interest. lie began to seek
out Grade, to entertain her, as he sup
posed, but it was her companion lie
looked at. with whom he talked.
"Miss Marian," as Grade called her,
was a remarkable youug woman
beautiful, entertaining, accomplished,
cultured—everything that Philip Cud
ahay thought a young woman should
be and carrying all the accomplish
ments with an ease that was notice
able even in the big hotel full of
people.
The guests themselves seemed to
realize it, for they treated her as one
of them, and many even sought her
company.
Had it been any other nurse or gov
erness Philip would have noticed and
wondered. Hut with Marian it seemed
a matter of course, lie would have
wondered had it been otherwise.
And so it happened that Miss Marian
became uppermost in the amateur ho
tel keeper's tuind. lie thought about
her so much that had lie not had an
admirable manager in Burke the hotel
would have been soon deserted by its
boarders.
His attentions were ostensibly de
voted to Grade, but really to the gov
eruess. lie invited them both to drive
with him afternoons, togo boating—
indeed, to share with him those pleas
ures usually eujoyed by people in sum
mer who have nothing to do.
One afternoon lie was pulling the
two along in one of the light boats
used on a lake near the hotel, with ills
back to the bow, where he could not
see what was coming.
Suddenly there was a crash. A man
rowing in the same relative position
had fouled him. At tirst it did not
appear that much damage had been
done, and the man who had caused the
trouble pulled away. But Phil's boat
had sprung a leak. Handkerchiefs
were thrust into the aperture, but the
water, though checked, was not stop
ped.
The oarsman pulled for the shore,
but the water gained so rapidly that
It was impossible to reach it. The boat
sank some fifty feet away, leaving all
three In the water.
Phil was the only swimmer in the
lot. Seizing an oar, he gave it to the
child; then, taking the governess by the
arm, he swam ashore with her. she
all the while protesting that lie should
leave her and save Grade. *
As soon as he got Miss Marion into
shallow water he returned to her
charge, who was clinging to the oar
anil crying vigorously for help. It was
an easy matter to assist her to the
shore.
"You should have been ashamed of
yourself." said the governess, "to de
vote yourself to me and leave that
poor little thing out in the lake."
[ "Didn't I provide her with an oar?"
j quotli Phil.
"Yes; you did that."
"Tlio oar would uot have supported
you. And if 1 had saved the child,
leaving you to take care of yourself,
you would llave drowned. And then
what would 1 have done?"
He spoke the last words In a low
tone, a tone that would woman
that there was something >re to cotne.
The same evening after they had got
off their dripping clothing a cablegram
came from Blackwell. "Hansom paid.
Got wife. Start for borne at once.
llow is my girl? Cable me at Naples."
Marian was on the veranda ly her
self, with Grade playing at a little dis
tance. Phil went directly to her.
"Miss Marian," he began abruptly,
"I've come to ask you to be my wife.
1 love you and think you have grown
to like me a little. It's abrupt, i
know, but I may not remain hero
loug."
"Why," she exclaimed, rising in
some confusiou and consternation, "1
thought you were to have charge of
the hotel all summer."
"The owner's about to return. 1 have
just received a cablegram from Na
ples."
"Didn't he send any message to me?"
"N-no," in some surprise. "lie asked
about Grade."
"Grade? rather doesn't know her."
"Father!"
Her eyes opened a little. Thea she
comprehended and smiled.
"Ves. Didn't you know I was Miss
Blaelcwell? Grade is au unpromisimr
child in my mission class, picked up
from the sired. 1 brought her down
this summer in In pe of reforming
iier."
rhil changed color, then collected
himself.
"About my question?" he insisted.
An hour later a cablegram was oi.
its way to Naples.
"Girl all right. Everything all right.
Anxious to meet you. PHIL."
Simply a Man Hunt,
"I declare!" shouted a bellboy in one
of the big downtown hotels as ho
dashed Into the lobby.
"I declare!" he shrieked again, or at
least It sounded like that
An irascible old gentleman whose
eardrums were jarred by the shrill
screech wheeled about and glared at
the boy.
"I declare!" he piped louder than
before.
"Well, what's the answer?" demand
ed the old man gruffly.
"I declare!" came the shrill reply.
"Oh, yon do, eh?" snorted the old
fellow. "Well, why the deuce don't
you?"
The bellboy cast a withering glance
at him, gazed searchlngly about the
room and emitted a shrill "Declarer
"Say," exclaimed the old chap, col
laring the boy, "what the dickens is
wrong with you, anyway? Are yon
going crazy ?"
"Naw, I ain't goln' crazy," replied
the brass buttoned one. "I got a tele
gram fer 'em; that's all. Aw, look fer
yerself!" exclaimed the boy disgusted
ly as he shoved the yellow envelope
under the old fellow's nose. It was
addressed "I. D. Clair."
"Well, I declare!" gasped the old
man weakly as he sank Into his seat.—
LOVE, THE DIPLOMAT
By ALICIA MURDOCH.
[Copyrtshted. 190 U. by ABHociaieU Literary
Press. J
"And V'jpn there are Trixy More head
and Belle I'aysou."
Kent Roberts was describing the
five young Indies who were to be mem
bers of his sister 8 house party to the
five students who were to figure as his
guests at the same time.
"They're neighbors," he went on. !
"Trixy's eyes are as blue as yours, I
Apker, and her hair is on the corn
silk order. She's especially invited for I
you because—well, because to a dot j
you'll suit. Oue mold furnishes your—
lueals, as per"—
tie laughed, waving a big hand to
ward numerous pink and white wall
adornments, all with the bluest of blue
eyes and yellowest of yellow hair.
"She's a very humming bird," he con- '■
titiued, still laughing. "Not a serious
thought in her pretty head, but dainty
and lovely as anything human can be.
You beauty worshipers—l guess there
will be some interesting theses for the
terms beginning heartbreaks and frac
tures, you know, with cures and gen
eral treatment."
lie chuckled softly, pushing back in
bis chair und drawlug at bis cigar with
the conscious comfort of a pleasant
task well performed and quite com
pleted Apker was ramming fine cut
into the bowl of his pipe, not In the
least displeased
"There are others," be laughed—"at
least oue other. I think you mentioned
a Belle"-
"Oh. Belle"—Keut sat up, rumpling
his straight black hair—"Belle is
Trixy's opposite, plain and dark and
wholly given to fads. Long ago my
salutation got to be stereotyped 'Hello,
Belle! What's the latest?' And she
never fails to trot out a new article
for Inspection. The last one was build
ing a badly needed addition to the
charity hospital. She did it too. She's
one of the kind that does things."
"Strenuous." Apker meditated. "1
can't say that I admire that sort. Can
she talk about anything besides her
fads, you know?"
Kent's laugh was sudden geniality
itself. "TalkV Oh, yes! But don't
jj^j^
V
"I TnoranT I WAS AFRAID -IT WAS
Tit IXV."
feel that you must put yourself out,
Apker Belle won't expect It. She
aiu! 1 are engaged."
"Since V" questioned Apker, with
strong sarcasm. "We six have chum
med for three years Seems to me"—
his sarcasm from somewhere received
a sudden impetus—"seems to me we'd
naturally have heard of it. But per
haps it's receutl"
Kent was still laughing. "Just the
eoutrary-so ancient. In fact, as to
seem a matter of course. We grew up
together, and it dates hack to our
high school days. 1 don't know why
I haven't mentioned It, only it's just
not my way—you know me—to speak
of matters close to my heart"
"Ueart! Oh. perhaps, now, a thesis"—
Kent laughed with the others and
for the first few days was pleased and
gratified with the attentions showered
upon his fiancee.
"Belle Is charming, of course," he
confessed to himself In high elation.
"And then they're complimenting my
taste. Nice old boys!"
But at tlie end of the week there
were strange little prickings and
twinges of—he didn't know what It
was not that he was distrustful or
Jealous. "Most certainly not," he re
iterated and affirmed. Yet, try as he
would, his eyes persistently followed
Belle, transformed from the earnest
faddist of bis ken to the gayest of gay
of the house party, and always very
close to her dark head was Apker's
shining yellow one.
With himself she was, as always,
quiet and serious, full of theories and
plans. With Apker she was unother
being—radiant and beautiful. Some
thing had changed her. That much
was certain. But, then-
Kent caught at a straw. She was
happy that he was home again, that
the long summer, their very last apart,
was before them for planning their
honeymoon and the life that was to
come afterward. How perfect it was
to be! Troubles? Yes. of course.
Troubles came to everybody, but with
such sympathy and understanding as
they gave to each other troubles
would bo easily met and borne. Thera
was nothing—not a cloud, not a mot®—
to mar the fair fabric of their future.
The last vestige of disquiet fled while
Belle, again her old self, sat on the
steps reading to him. While he lis
tened he pulled yellow and white hon
eysuckles from an old trellis and
strung them on grass stems, fastening
them at last In her hair and in and
out among the lace of her dress.
"We'll be very happy. Belle," he
smiled, holding her off admiringly
when he had finished, and Belle had
raised twitching lips and full eyes t»
say quite NlfiHiily. "Yes. dear."
Kent's eyes tWe moist, too, from
very happiness, and after that ther«
were no more prickings ntid twinges.
There was no time. Indeed, for any
thing except merriment, ideal weather
tnade rowing and fishing and all kinds
of picnicking possible, and somehow
It happened that with Belle and Ap
ker's pairing Trixy fell to him. That
was at first. Afterward he slight
her. forgetting to take stock of Belle's
doings.
He was acknowledging it to himself
that last evening of the house party,
lying full length In t'le grass at the
edge of the water In a great sweep of
sunset beauty .lust such another
glow, he was thinking, had colored all
things for him Fibers of his Inmost
self. It seemed, had been touched to
life by Trixy's appealing ways and
pretty helplessness
He was conscious of a tenderness, a
warmth of protective feeling, that had
never gone out to Belle, his chum, hla
brain's companion
Nature, he argued, solved bard prob
lems. usually, too. to everybody's satis
faction Perhaps nature was wiser
than even the wisest of mortals. Per
haps for the reserve and quiet, nature's
gifts to hi in. she had foreordained as
a complement just such femiuine lov
ableness as Trixy's Perhaps—
It was Apker's halloo that roused
! him lie sat up. confused, but Apker
! seemed not to notice
j "Kent." he began quickly, "you'v«v
given me a royal time, but I'm glad
it's over. You'll never know how llk«
a thief I've felt, enjoying your splen
did hospitality, and-oh. I know you'll
despise me. 1 despise myself, but.
Kent. I've stolen your sweetheart!"
ne turned Ills face away from Kent
and the glow and went on desperately:
"It's no use to argue or call names.
I've done it myself to a tini-h If yott
killed me I should still love tier and
she'd love me. I know what you'll
suffer, but I can't help It. Belle and
I"-
j "Belle!"
! Something intangible, that had been
disfiguring like an ugly veil, slid from
Kent's face and eyes, and the lips that
had straightened suddenly smiled.
[ "Belle!" he gasped. "1 thought—B
was afraid it was Trixy!"
NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE SHOW
l
Large Number of Exhibits and Beautl
i ful Color Scheme In Decorations,
Probably the greatest of all automo
bile exhibitions ever held lu the Unit
ed States in point of beauty and in
the total value of goods shown was re
cently Inaugurated In Madison Squaro
Garden, New York, when the tenth
annual national automobile show was
opened there in a setting of spectacu
lar decoration. The spacious auditori
um has been transformed into a Roman
amphitheater, and from basement to
done a harmonious color scheme in tho
decorations is followed, showing off tho
beautiful cars to the best advaatage.
Under the steel girders near the roof
Is a cloth dome of azure blue, from
which aro suspended huge arc lights
with colored shades. More than $30.-
000 has been expended to make this
j year's decorativo display the finest
I ever seen at an auto show. A new
I feature is the reservation of a number
I of boxes seating 1,000 persons in front
of the arena.
At the entrance Is seen a Roman
fountain in plaster, and in the spar
| kling water which flows to the large
I basin goldfish aro seen at play amid
] pond lilies and water plants.
More than 7,000 additional feet of
space has been added for the exhib
itors, and this was obtained by erect
ing platforms about the amphitheater.
These platforms are surrounded by
Doric columns, which are decorated In
white and gold, surmounted by nn
eagle on a wheel, the emblem of the
show. All the newest designs of mod
els produced by the Association of Li
censed Automobile Manufacturers ara
oa view, including every conceivable
kind of motor vehicle.
The show this year is larger In num
ber of exhibits than ever before.
There are more than S2;i Tereut dis
plays, of which fifty-four ..re exhibits
of complete ears propelled by gasoline,
electricity and steam; 240 are exhibits
of accessories and parts, and there
are 23 motorcycle exhibits. The can
range in price from $750 to $7,500.
There is a comprehensive lino of
motor trucks and business wagons in
the basemeut of the Garden. Hera
also is a complete exhibit of motor
cycles.
There is an uuusually large number
of iuciosed cars on exhibition. Many
of the limousines are particularly lux
urious. One has a spacious body con
structed to permit carrying a wash
stand and other toilet facilities as well
as carrying five passengers in the back
On the roof Is space for two trunks.
A rack for three more is In the rear.
Among the luxurious electric cars is a
coupe finished in black and gold, up
holstered in golden bronze brocaded
satin, with tufted satin head lining
and silk shades. It has a cut glass
flower vase, nnd the metal parts are
gold mounted. It has cardcases and
other dainty conveniences.
MBW\
A Flella bl*
TIN SHOP
Tmr all kind of Tin Roofing,
Spoutlnvnnd Conoral
Job Work.
•toyos, Heatoro, RintM,
FumioH, oto-
PRICES THB LOWEST!
QUALITY TIB SBST*
JOHN IHXSOtf
SO. 11* & FEONT ST.