The sun., 1903-12-27
A ROMANCE THAT
a LOST ITS HERO.
Bot the Authof Found Him Jest
In Time to Finish OCT the
Story.

/ tOl bu0 6alu, pOlntlu8 tOWdIu VIC oooi'
| But he started to protest,
| "Goi" she repeated, stamping her little
foot imperously. Col"
Clarence Catchital turned slowly, and.
with head sunk dejectedly upon his breast
strobe out into the silent night
well" thought Clarence, Il suppose
that's the last they'll hear OF me In this
story. call 1t low down trick for an
author to shove character out In the hight
this way and leave him.
After an hour or more of aimlees stridine
Clarence happened upon a narrow road.
| way leading into the woods, and walked
boldly ahead.
Even IL it doesn't eventually lead me
| out to daylight, he reasoned, 'its certainly
| better than this aimless night striding
! stunt that my authors stacked me up
| against
Clarence had gone about quarter OF a
mile when a loud "Halloai' caused him to
raise his head, which was still dejectedly
sunken upon his breast.
He could scarce believe his eyes. Clank-
! ing toward him was the strangeet figure
he had ever seen-some sort OF old-time
knight, encased in armor OF widely differ
| ent periods.
"How now, strangeri' demanded the
knight, raising his visor with what Clarence
/ was sure was mailed fist. whence
CONTEST thou, and whit her away''
Clarence, too asst onished to make reply,
merely stared.
POUNDS. man! Hast thou no tongue1'
| "Me?" stammered Clarence "Me? Oh,
| yes, sir, I've got o tongue. Me2 Why I'm
| Clarence Catchitall-sort Of q villain, you
know. The heroine--she didn't want to Q
bit, but the author made her--she said
Coz And what could do7 naturally
turned slowly, and. with head sunk de-
jectedly upon my breast, strobe out into the
silent nj"
| well met, sirl" cried the knight with
sudden enthusiasm. well met, brother
I might have known you were one OF US.
Bound for the club smoker, eh? But ods
bodid ms and holsters! You're travelling
the wrong way. sir. Zounds and cooks
Come With me. Well journey together"
| Cla nee. still greatly bewildered. turned
and ted back in company with the
knight.
| sim Sir Percival Tynpants," volun-
| teered the knight after they had gone q
! way. Pretty much the same sort OF ex-
| perience as yours. But. as remember IL.
Lady Choo-Choo, instead OF merely saying
| Cor drew herself UP to her full height and
| cried:
"'Out Of my sight. thou scurvy knave!'
"Sr Percival that's mel started to protest
"Out Of my sight sir! Fly! Begoner
Her eyes flashed with anger.
"Sir Percival line. you knowl turned and
| strobe sullenly through the door.
She kept her eyes upon his retreatng form
! until 1t was completely swallowed up in the
! darkness of the night.
And that's how come to be here" con-
cluded the knight.
Say" he asked after a moments silence.
got anything to smoke about your Nc
| pockets In these tin clothes to carry cigars.
you know, and. Thanks, a cigarette
will do just as we'll.
Il suppose some people would look at my
smoking as something Of an anachronism.
But I'm not a real knight, you see I'm
just the historical romance sort. and they re
not so particular Besides, when a mans
out in the dark here, with no further part
in his story. why what's the diff"
Clarence was beginning to be more at ca ase
| with his strange companion.
"But what's this club smoker you were
talking about?" he ventured "I've only
been out in the dark these lost couple OF
hours or so, you know, and"
-Ah then you're not member. No mat
ter. I'll put you up. But, DDS manikinsl
Do you mean to tell me that you've
| never heard of the Associated Night Work.
ers OF Fiction? And you villain who has
| stridden forth into the silent night!
But here we are, and now you'll have a
chance to see for Yourself"
The knight turned up little path 90 a
| large stone building OF indescribable ar
! chitecture. At first glance it seemed to be
an Egyptian pyramid. but as they drew
closer Clarence thought It looked more
like huge Queen Anne cottage with rose
| windows, or Gothic cathedral with some
thing of the Italian Renaissance about it.
On top of all this there seemed to be an
air OF Colonial simplicity about the place
which greatly puzzled Clarence. But
before he had time to mention the matter
to the knight. the door was opened and they
we're ushered into a brilliantly lighted
room.
The place was crowded with people Of
all classes and from every period in the
worlds history. There were pirates, Dukes,
Vikings, Egyptian Queens, modern society
men, cliff dwellers, Roman gladiators, feu-
dial Barons, jealous sohambermaids, unscrlp-
ulous diplomats Kings and goodness knows
what not.
1t might have been fancy dress ball
save that no one was dancing and that
every one was wandering about from group
to group and talking.
And are all these people night workers1'
whispered Clarence. Have they, too,
stridden forth into the night and been
swallowed up by the outer darkness?"
Most Of 'em." replied the knight. All
except that English villain in the dress suit
over by the door. The one with the black
mustache; he's smoking q cigarette.
"When he strobe through the door. in
stead Of being swallowed up by the dark