The San Francisco call., 1905-03-18
s For Injuries Recel0ed 3
BY IZOLA FORRESTER.
lam sorry" said the girl
- Don't mention It," respond
ed Stafford.
Are you pduIy HuIt ID
Won stand IN ?"

Are you badly hurt! Can
you stand up?"
Stafford made an effort to rise. 1t
was curious. There was no particular
pain. but SO far as any usefulness or
sense of feeling went he might as well
have had no legs at all.
'I don't believe 1 can," he said. It's
awkward, isn't 1t? Did you run clear
over me?''
"Oh, dear. don't know. II was the
snow, and I was in a hurry. 1 didn't
even know that you were In the road
at all until the machine hit you and
jumped. 1t might have gone over
you. Just think if I had killed you'll"
/ Stafford looked up at her with con-
tented. speculative interest. He was
bareheaded. Hit hat lay about a
hundred feet down the road. at least
what there was left of it, There did
not seem to be much snow on his hair.
He wondered if she had been holding
his head in her lap.
Don't think of it. 1t isn't pleasant.
Anyway. il would have been my own
fault if 1 had been. / was trespass-
ing"
Yes. that's just it," cried the girl
eagerly. You know these are private
grounds and / never thought for a
! on the road. How did you get past
the gates?''
Il didn't get past replied Stafford
calmly. The person with-the dog
who guards the gates informed me
that l couldn't get past, so 1 conclud-
ed not to argue with him. / walked
down the highway a mile or so and
climbed over the stone WALL
It's such high WALL
Stafford laughed. Some vagrant
lines REQUIRED to him from the Capu-
let orchard, lines about loves light
wings and high walls.
Il didn't exactly climb over il.
tried the nearest tree and dropped
over. 1t was very simple
"Oh!" She looked down at him in
a puzzled fashion. He hardly appear
ed to belong to the tramp genus, but
his methods were decidedly tramp
like. Did you want to see any one up
at the house? %
We'll, 1 did," Stafford confessed
cheerfully. But they wouldn't let me
in, so l was going back by way OF
the gates this tIme.'
] The girl laughed, a trif1e nervously,
and drew on her gloves.
They'll have to let you in this time,
because 1 mean to take you back with
me. Lift the gentleman in, please.
Andrew"
Stafford managed to suggest some
thing about going to the hotel at
Unionport-he would be all right
there-he could wire to New York
when the chauffeur raised him. and
with the. rush of sudden agonizing
pain there came slipping back into
+ silence and darkness.
The silence remained when he found
! light again. 1t was very still. He
locked lazily up at the yellow tinted
walls, at the window next his bed.
There were yellow curtains at it, and
on the window sill was a jar filed with
blossoming daffodils- They looked
pretty in the sunshine. Stafford was so
engrossed in watching them that he
did not notice the girl standing at the
i half-opened door until the nurse had
i left the room, and she came to the
foot of the bed and smiled down ar
| him.
Was it Yesterday" asked Stafford.
She laughed.
you have been bad, haven't YOU ?
1t was day before. day before. day be-
| fore yesterday. Last Tuesday,
Stafford stared steadily up at her.
Last Tuesday, And he should have
turned in the interview by Wednes-
cay so Curtis could hustle the illusrra-
tons.
Did you wire to New York? ?"
4 we COulQn L. we didn't knnrv
where to wire. You're the Prince
Incog, you know. We don't know a
blessed thing about you. who YOU are
or where you came from. It's very
i interesting
$50 it is. assented Stafford serious-
ly. May I ask If Mr.. Houghton has
seen me?
oh, yes. He came up the very
first thing. and said he thought you
were all right We didn't want >
Raffles, you know. One must draw
the line somewhere. But papa said vo,,
were all right, so we kept you. Other
wise he would have sent you to =
hospital and settled the damages with
you later. As 1t is. you are here. and
have daffodiis, and
mo damages
She laughed at him again.
oh. you might even collect dam.
ages in spite of the daffodils. What
shall / tell papa you want2"
Tell hiln ! want an interview. /,