The evening Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1902-1902, 1902-06-02
HELD FOR RANSOM.
ny FRANK W. NIXON.
CHAPTER I.

Byzantine klveftOn n0ated OUT ON 10
the green velvet lawn. 1t was morn
ing. The old man, her father, had gone
downtown to cut coupons and let
rrafty rumors of dividends leak out. Eg-
!antine wore her hair at her neck in vast
loaf; hair SO terri6cally yellow that it ex-
hibited in some lights tint approaching
een--though this may have been impaired
by the baby blue teagown which she was
wearing. She had all her rings on.
Byzantine was the only human being in
sight. The rest were only gardeners. 1t
seemed to her that there had never been
SO many of these. Could she be dreaming!
She felt OF her back hair.
NO." she said, simply, II am not dream
ing My back hair is done up. Suzette has
upbraided me-"
Nevertheless she approached one man
who shipped dead ones from bushes.
'where are new gardeners, are there not!'
she inquired. He pretended not to hear
and edged away, shipping as hard as he
could. ugh" she groaned "Evepl the
gardeners! All the men are afraid l will
love them. How they shun me-"
As she stepped anguidly through way
in the hedge four gardeners and a helper
Fprang upon her, and, pulling down her
back hair, which reached her feet, did it
deity about her mouth. When Byzantine
felt that she had had about enough swoon
she decided to come to.
"Where am l?' she lisped.
"You are in limbo, MISS said one OF the
gardeners.
What do you want with me-:
Even through strands of hair it could be
observed that Byzantine pronounced the
last two letters of with" as in fourth"
"You are held for ransom replied the
head gardener; and since she seemed do
Gle he let down her back hair in front so
that she might converse
"For handsome? Oh, ar, you are handing
me the kind thought. Surely you do not
hold me handsome
with that top:" he retortcd, mischiey-
ously jerking, not too gently, strand of
her cranial lambrequn. The others laughed
brutally. Ransom, not handsome. Held
for ransom. The mazooma the oblong.
green, das gelt! Understand? We need the
money"
Byzantine shrank from his rudeness.
Sand SO many dancing schools she muir
INJURED, inaudibly. Then aloud: "Poor fell
lows. will make it as easy for you as l
can"
"That's the chat" said he who seemed
to be the captain Of the bard. "llop into
the cart"
Now for the first time Byzantine noticed
a lady's phaeton hidden behind banked
palms.
Il cannot go like this!" she exclaimed.
,r,I E,,I "a
What would the world say? Besides, have
all my rings on
80, you kin take off he circles" said the
superintendent. "None OF your friends
shall see them
again. said the helper and one grown
gardener.
Byzantine took off all her rings and pas ed
them up.
please let me go in front and change
my things Surely you would not take Inc
away without my haiibrlsh.'
"You don't want hairbrush," leered the
one who had shipped dead ones of bushes.
'What you want is derrick
There was an angry though whispered
conference among the gardeners and the
helper, after which the presiding officer
read the following typewriter statement:
"Iou can go in, but mind YOU come out in
20 minutes. Ii you don't, we will blow
the house to Yonkers and back with stick
dynamite, longdistanee set,off. Toddle
along
80, thank you, sir" gurgled Byzantine, I
shall never forget that so long as live"
Sadly she picked her way over the lawn,
holding up the hem of her hair so as not to
step on it. Her heart was heavy as she
trudged up the stairs and went about the
simple preparations for a journey. When
all was ready and the little leather grip
could hold no more, she kissed her hand
glass passionately good -by-she had decided
not to gaze again upon her features lest they
look haggard-and hurried out 10 join her
comrades.