The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-05

q rev Wrinkles n last day or two.
jolly clever. chap. the captain. you
know"
1 offered no comment-audibly.
You had better pull yourself togeth-
er before you tackle him at this game"
Harold continued. ION your present
display you wouldn't stand an earthly
against him; he could give you fifty
and lick you hollow ever then"
Whereupon the youngster entered in
to a glowing eulogy Of the captains
many splendid accomplishments and
good qualities, rattle to which I had
neither the desire nor the patience to
hearken. incidentally, however, he
happened to mention that the bedroom
of the gentleman in question opened out
Of the same gallery as mine-was, in
deed. next but n tn it. Later, when
I passed this particular room on my
way up to bed, I CHANGED to observe
that the key projected from the lock
On the outside Of the door. Ere I fell
asleep I had settled upon a ruse de
guerre.
Waking soon after daybreak, I dress
ed hastily and slipped out into the cor
ridor. Listening at the captains door,
I could hear his heavy, regular breath
ing within: he was still fast asleep.
My fingers sought the %protruding key,
and softly, warily, I turned it, the bolt
sliding into it's socket without a sound.
Now, I we'll knew hat all the apart
ments in my uncle's house were fitted
with patent ~fastenings, each having it's
special key, no one key opening any
other lock han it's own, and I f1attered
myself upon the tactical use to which
l a been able to put my know
ledge. OF a certainty there would be
no Captain Moston at the rendezvous
that morning. Chuckling over the sue
cess of my stratagem, I thrust the key
n my pocket and hurried down.
stairs.
Half an hour afterward, from the en-
brasure of the library window, I stood
and watched Joan issue from the stone
porch, cross the terrace, and wend
down by the enthusiastically as I
had been led to expect. Myself unseen,
I followed after, until she entered the
ornate wooden chalet near the tennis
court. In a few minutes h reappear-
ed with a bicycle, which she trundled
down to the level gravelly path be-
yond. Here she waited, tapping the
ground vexedly with the toe of her
boot, glancing this way and hat at
intervals, with growing Impotence. I
thrust through the bushes behind her.
How late you are!' she cried, turn
ing round at the noise; then, seeing me,
she stammered confusedly: ooh, Mr..
Varcoe, II expected thought it vas
some one else.!"
That's a little disappointing for both
of u.s." I answered, biting my lip. 1T
was some other person you hoped to
| see-eh?"
II said-expected."
Don't you think that it amounts to
about the same thing" I haZarded
suavely, under he circumstances"
mot at all-why need it? Still, I
must confess I wish you had not come
just now. I didn't want to see you,
nor you to see me-
I swung round as if to leave her.
"a girl never lookes her best when
learning to cycle. One always feels so
helpless, so awkard, so very ridiculous
an object at first. That's why /
practice out here before the other folk
| are astir. And now you've found out,
| and have come laugh at me-"
~ declare not said I, returning to
| her side. II hadn't even the faintest
idea that you were qualifying for a
feminine Ixion"-
There! Isn't that poking fun at me
Really, it's too bad! Why, Bertha told
! me that you yourself were an enthusi-
astic cyclist-almost as expert a rider
as Captain Moston. You ought not to
| chaff or discourage a beginner-for
| do so want to learn
Again she peered round in search OF
him who, to my certain knowledge,
would never put in an appearance that
morning.
"How a%nnoying!" she calculated