The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-12
NINE HOLES AND A FooTPAD.


way Of cooling Of they sat silent for
nearly ten minutes as good friends may.
That's Miriam now" said Clifford sud
denly. hear herr
A voice Ike 2 violin miagling with the
music OF guitar and mandolin came
floating across the dancing pavilion
Shes a dream" unused Tankerville.
filing his pipe. Clifford, who was . and
locked younger. glanced around the ROOM
Il say, Tanky, you're not diDpy about
| Miriam. are you?''
4? Why-er. no-that is. net yet. 1
think. though" smiling ingenuously, Il
| think could learn to love her, Cliff"
Don't. Tanky- Please, don't" the
young fellow said quite seriously.
Ohio. old mani" laughed TankeryiIIe.
So. you're that far on the way. are
you? Well. go ahead and luck 10 youi
No, / haven't been hit quite SO hard as
yet, but 10 tell you the truth I was be-
ginning 10 figure little"
I wish you wouldn't laugh about IT,
| into his glass, its no laughing matter
with me. 1 can't think OF anything else.
and I'm worried. l can't stay here all
summer. I've got 10 get back Monday
| next, and I'm afraid she ll-Weli. she may
! have to leave too. You know they re
going TO Colorado, and then
! and then somebody else might win
/
They Were silent for five minutes then
| Clifford, abruptly: Don't guy me now.
please Tanky. butt know it sounds
| foolish. but you're q resOurceful chap
couldn't you suggest some scheme TO
| bring the afTair-that is, my affair-sort
| OF to focus like? 1 wish she'd fall
out of the boat. or or"
Suppose q robher attacked her?" sug-
| gested Tankerville. looking quizzically at
| his friend.
The very thing, \ rescue" But Cliff
ford blushed furiously when he saw his
| friend shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Fte, fie, CIT" groaned Tankerville,
you don't mean it. You wouldn't try
that old trick. It's an antique .,s-well,
as Ivanhce. Don't you remember De
Bracy tried IL on Rewena and was found
out? It's in half dozen novels, and it $
always the villain that does it. What's
more and worse, the trick is always
found out and the conspiratOr is ex-
posed. III bet Miriam would never fer
give you if she Suspected
But she won't suspect" argued Cliff
ford besides it would be you
"Oh, l suppose sol You want me TO be
the lurking footpad. do you?"
I'D do as much for you, Tanky. You
know l would You can't lose anything
by it, and well, I've got TO do some
thing, and d. quick, if I'm to get her at
ALL"
Tankerville, half-amused and haitian
noyed, tried 10 dissuade his young friend
from the wild and as he said threadbare
subterfuge, but the boy, who couldn't I'M
derstand seif-denial fretted himself into
an ugly humor and closed the CONVEX
satiOn with:
'Wen, there can be but one reason for
your refusal. That's air.
THAT I want her myself? Shame. Cliff
fordi Why, you introduced me 10 her,
and well. see here now. II YOU can
stand it l can. I'll just go you"
Clifford's face frightened like that of a
spoiled child. group of men, swelter-
ing from the two-step. came in. and the
two friends slipped out into the dark to
perfect their conspiracy.
1t was Wednesday evening that Cliff
ford took Miriam to town in his spider,
and had tea afterward at the cottage
with her and her mother. 1t was a beau
tiful evening.
Time enough for the nine hole you
promised me. Miss Blythe" said Cliff
ford. II must leave tomorrow night
you know"
"All right, SIR she smirked saucily.
'itll be long twilight. but not too long
for the beating III give your
They walked over to the club house,
and Miriam sat on the veranda steps
while Clifford summoned a caddie. Ev-
erybody was at supper, and he took an
unconsciously long time thought the
girl, to find a boy. But at last he came
sayIy around from the dresslng-room.
singing as he thrust something into the
hip pocket Of his knickerbockers.
Now for it," she laughed as she slip
ped off her coat and lifted the driver,
the first hole IN three for a cookier
Away few the sphere for a good hun
dred yards but though he said splendid"
and seemed to be watching II, his eyes
wandered far across the links, along the
margin Of the creek. where i'm the slant
ing sunlight he could see dark shadow
among the willows waiting.
THE beating and the pleasure are both
mine, Miss Blythe he was saying an
hour later as ne took her hand across
the nine hole. holding it all too long, and
forgetting the boy who sat watching them
with q straw between his struggling
teeth. "Thatu be all, Jerry said Cliff
ford dropping his putter into the bag.
Then TO Miriam ne said: Let's take the
river road home, viii You, Miri-SiIss
Blythe2 Itll be day for an hour yet.
and it may be my last chance toto say
to see you. you know"
"An risht, Stree" she said frankly.
you've taken your medicine so grace
fully that I'll give you what consolation
can. HI, Jerry she hailed the depart
ing cadd!e. bring me my brassie. please.
For snakes. You know she added, turn
ing TO Clifford. 4 hate snakes and like
to XIII EN-. Besides it's good practice in
a bad lie"
And so they strolled away. she lissome
and sprightly. with her golf stick over
her well-poised shoulder. he hectic with
the fervor OF fOrestailed adventure. how
eTing beside her. nervous and yet deter
mined. II was but dimly twilight at the
nf q
TO the rivers bank. but they walked
boldly in. closer low. 50 that he might
help her across the fallea trees. though
she firted across them as nimbiy as Il
lymph. A robin sitting low on a ewing
Ing limb sang 10 them. and she. fun OF
the music OF youth and health. sat down
upon mcss-c0vered los TO listen He sat
beside her
"Sh-h," she whispered after they had
sat stu for a while, Il thought I heard
s me one sneeze." You re nervous. MiT-
lem he said, taking courage % speak (
her first name and seizinE the pretty hand
that rested an instant on his arm. But
she vas Up and laughing now They
ssrolled farther into the shadows. and Just I
aS she was sayInE Lets SO tester: how
sudden the darkness came. G man. mask I
e and wearing a io1g oii-coat sterT'ed +
out into the space ten wards from them
cnd cried; Halt" Clifford. trembling (
With excitement. quickly arew pistol f
from his hip pocket whispered. Get be- {
hind this tree. leave hisu - NE aul Z
made a rush al the enen1y. Ering twice.
Bat Miriam vas no1 n BE- thus ordered. ]
Clifford saw her fash ~ him jast as tss 1
robber grcared and ran ETith upraized /
hTassle she srncte him fcrcely upon the /
head. He fell ike q hglIock beneath The +
butchers AK. and the the gil ieanFd 3
against a tree and vert Ike 2 c1al
p. arr-