The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-21
III T. r ID F. AL
BY JOHN GRIMES.

ket and sailed forth for stroll. The man.
brakes were waiting to be pulled and eaten,
and the girl had taken seat on log and
got away with her sixth when man sud-
denly rose up out of brush heap near by.
Cynthia screamed out in surprise, but smile
on the strangers face treasured her. He was
tall and dark, like her ideal He wasn't clad
in velvet or purple or armor. and his war
steed was not champing his bit near by, but
the girl felt her heart bounding. He might
be her Bayard in Disguise
1t didn't take him ten minutes to satisfy
her of this fact. He wronged and per-
secuted man, who had been obliged to fly
from his enemies for the time being. Later
on he would return to face and crush his
calumniators. He was unkempt and unshorn,
but those things didn't count against him.
A chevalier flying for his life must keep
hustling right along and look for a clean
shirt only when the vengeful pursuers have
abandoned the chase.
1t never occurred to Cynthia to suspect the
stranger of deceit. His story was rambling
and disconnected, but he had her sympathies
from the start, and when his tale was finished
he had the offer Of her help.
1t was accepted with a knightly bow. He
was in want of grub he called it. to
break his fast. This was slip of the tongue.
What he meant was viands She returned to
the house and fetched him viands, and she
likewise handed over her little store OF saw
ings. He seemed disappointed at the sum
total, and she felt ashamed of her poor offer.
ing. While he banqueted he made inquiries.
and after his inquiries he lied some more.
Cynthias mother would have taken him for
sheep thief at the start and had him all
tangled up five minutes later, but the girl
Of ideals saw only knight in distress before
her.
The stranger was to rest in the wildwood
for a couple Of days and then HE forth to
fall upon his enemies by the flank. When he
had avenged his wrongs, he was to return and
lay his heart at her feet.
This was exactly as Cynthia had dreamed.
and, though he was smoking plug tobacco as
she retired from the scene, she even twisted
that fact to his favor
Next morning, after a night Of dreams in
which lords and dukes were to be counted
by the dozen, the girl slipped out of the
house with viands for her ideals breakfast,
but she hunted the greenwood in vain. Even
the scent of the cut plug had departed from
| the sylvan glade.
Cynthia returned to the house to meet a
sharp reproof from her mother for her GALL
wanting about so early in the morning, and
| she was wondering whether her ideal had
| fallen into the hands of his enemies when a
| constable arrived He was on the trail Of
| Jail breaker. Then a second constable showed
! pu. He was on the trail of a horse thief.
| Then young Jim Hudson put in an appear
ance. He came with the news that e pair OF
| horses had been taken from his fathers barn
| the night before.
| The Jail breaker and the horse thief an
| swered the exact description of her knight,
and she had mentioned Farmers Hudson 5
| horses as the best in the neighborhood. AS
the girl stood pale faced and trembling old
Uncle Eli Coggswell came limping through
the gate exclaining in his high treble voice:
HOGS thieves, Ell? WAL, now, but what
was Cynthia Parker a-doin' in the woods
yesterday? I was huntin' mandrakes, and I
| saw her with teller who sartin1y looked
| mean huff to steal. Speak right up, GAL
| The gal had to own up amid tears and
| reproaches and ordinations, and she got
no pity except from Jim Hudson. He had
more or less of her ideals, and there a
| bit CT romance in his own nature. When the
mother vigorously declared that she had got
| to box Cypthia's ears, Jim stepped in to
| avert the catastrophe, and offer his coincidence
:. at the same time.
! Cynthia's knight was stopped twenty miles
| away by suspicious sheriff and next day was
! consigned to a cell in the county Jail, the
domiciIe he had dug out of three days before.
! or his wife until after the trial, but then the
\ father sat down before Cynthia and asked
! :. Well, young, lady, now it's all over, what
| you goin' to do? Coin to have any more Cd
them ideals?"
"One.'' she quietly replied.
| what in tarnation is it,"
| "Jim Hudson! she said as she left thu
room with very red face.