The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-12-12

painful interest.
Just as they were all filing out Of the
room / saw Inky deftly abstract his
sisters handkerchief and drop it on the
floor Seeing me start to pick it up,
Inky shook his head savagely. A mo-
ment later Miss Allen returned alone.
81 am always losing my handker-
chief" she said. "Brother thinks that
he saw one on the floor in your room."
l FASTENED to restore the missing ar
ticle and doubtless blushed at my own
duplicity.
"We have heard so much of you,"
each evening with a veracious chron-
icle of your days doings."
EFT" broke in the voice Of Inky
from the doorway, make him show
you what he has in the desk. Say.
that Lyden's stiff. I'll get even with
him. He laughed all the time l was
reciting."
at is true" said Miss Allen when
her brother had again disappeared.
'rMr. Lyden did laugh, and l don't
think it was bit nice, do you"
OF course l did not
"But what was it Ingram wished me
to see?" she continued. Did he say it
was in your desk? Please show it to
me at once My curiosity is of the
| kind that will not be bridled."
81 beg of you," l began. very much
| embarrassed; lit is really nothing at
ALL" And in that statement | was
merely quoting Inky's own words.
| "May l look?" she persisted, resting
one white hand on the old battered
, lid of the desk. Pm going to-
was powerless. Her smile fairly
turned my head.
81 can refuse you nothing" I MUIR
INJURED.
| The next moment she had the lid up
and was rummaging through an ac-
| cumulation of books and papers. She
came upon it suddenly.
| "Oh," she cried, where did you get
| it?"
| 1 explained that had taken it from
| her brother and had unlawfully retain
ed it in my possession. Unfortunate
| ly, she soon turned it over and discov-
cred the verses penciled on the back.
''That is very silly" she observed
severely, and then with a demure
smile, "But it is very clever"
Without looking up she replaced the
photograph in the desk and closed
down the lid.
After Mr.. Lyden and the Aliens were
all clear of the building Inky came
rushing back to my room.
''What do you think of herr" he in
quired eagerly.
81 never met a more agreeable young
lady," was my guarded reply.
''Of course you didn't" he said glee
fully "Ett's hummer. You ou hit t.
hear her play the piano and sing. An(
she writes poetry, too. but Pm the on
ly one that knows it. Say, why dom
you go in and win? I'll back you"
Ingram" l said solemnly, "thes'
matters are entirely too serious ant
sacred to be made light Of"
Inky grinned and clacked his tongu'
in his cheek.
"Say." he cried suddenly, Ibid any o
your people get cut up in the Revolu
, tion?'
Several of them," replied.
"Good enoughp' he exclaimed
"Thats big casino with the mater
Oh, see Lyden's finish"
/ A few days later Inky whispered t
me during class that was soon to b
invited sup to the house" and must o.
no account fail to respond in person
The invitation did arrive, and l avail
t ed myself Of the privilege.
Mr.. Allen was jovial; the mater grey
} deeply interested in my family tree
{ Miss Allen treated ME with great kind
ness; Inky could scarcely refrain fror
standing on his head. The presence Q
= Lyden as an old friend of the famil
| alone marred the pleasure of the ever
ing.
! was not aware that during the sut
: ceeding days my treatment of Ink
e grew any more lenient, yet it seem
: that there was sufficient partiality di:
: played to excite the envy of the othe
t | students. This fact was deduced fro1
: a conversation accidentally overheard
5 In the words of the oracle, Inky woul
e continue to have "cinch" while tn
"prof' was rushing" his sister.
4 "The moneys seven to two in you
s | favor" Inky remarked one Friday af
$ ernoon as l was going home with hil
e after school, for such had become m
|, | custom. ''Lyden isn't one, two, thre
s He's out of the race; left at the pole u
e That particular afternoon was de-
Y tined to become one Of the happies
periods in my life. Miss Allen wa
| oIa with tStr fol
Il ed hands. Inspired by Inky's conf
dence, l risked all and won. After a
d infinite elapse of time we saw Ink
n emerge from dim corner of the room
J. Ingram" said his sister, twas
e nice of you to try and overhear col
8 fdencesT'
n Eft" Inky replied, 81 couldn't sta
| away. was afraid he would funk ;
s the last minute, and you don't kno
how hard I've worked to have him di
d tance Lyden."
IS think l hugged him, much to h
J. disgust. and l know that his sist,
added to his confusion by kissing hin
% Ingram" l said, "now tell me IL
/ truth. What first put the idea in
s. your head?"
h "Well," he grinned, 81 knew I'd ne
er make the rifle in Greek unle
se something dropped. | heard of ft
is low whose teacher graded him avs
lie up because of his sister, and that's Il
lie reason l worked off Ett's picture {
v you. Then Lyden laughed at my Gre,
re defamation, and | swore I'd wind |
le his kite string. That's ALL"
And you cared nothing for meW
re asked.