Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-15

them, keeping to the fields. His dark face
mad never been more SOmber than it was
as he walked there In the night toward
the lode stone-the little, hurt boy-and he
more than once told himself that he was
fool for wasting time and taking risks by
going back. If he had continued on his
Journey as he had begun and effected his
escape as he had intended to, he might have
been in New York city long before this
time. AS it was. he was back here in
Toms River, where all the danger was, toy
ing with the chance of detection and pun
ishment-and for what? Merely for the
sake of finding out how serious We're the
hurts from which a small lad suffered
whom he would never see again when once
he had swept the dust of the place from off
his feet forever, as he intended to do as
soon as he had learned.
AS Selkirk approached nearer and nearer
to the Cooper place he met people In great
er numbers. The shadow of the elms was
black along the way. 1t was that alone
which prevented him from finding that
those men who had astonished him as he
turned into the main street from the sta
ton We're not the only ones who might
hesitate long before they spoke to him that
night.
Billy was taken to the side door where
the crowd was least numerous. Mercy,
Aunt Betsey and Mrs. Sucker were with
him, and they made him as comfortable
as they could in big chair with pillows.
His face was almost the only part of his
head that revealed by the numerous
bandages that swathed 1t, and the re-
mainder of his body was closely wrapped
In blankets. The women smiled as they
saw small girl lowering about the door,
and Mercy brought Sally Lunn, blushing
furiously, but anxious to get news, up to
him. After they had arranged him COM
1ortabiy where ne could get glimpse Of
the faring torches and the crowd which
their light ftfully Illuminated he insisted
that they should leave him and go down to
hear what Sam Bull was saying: He was
an unselfish little chap, and he did not wish
to have them miss too much of the fun~on
his account, although they promised to
come back with Bull himself when he had
finished speaking. Bull, with Cooper they
assured him, would take him, chair and all,
out to some place where he could see the
magic lantern pictures when they began
again after his speech was over. In the
meantime Billy was well content to be left
alone with the hesitating but now unques-
tionably, worshiping, Sally.
But in a moment Mercy returned to him.
More than one curious glance had been
cast at her when she appeared among the
merry-makers, for the fact that she was
engaged to Selkirk, while it had not been
formally announced, was generally known.
She had listened for a moment to Sam
Bull, when she found that his speech con-
sisted largely of exposure and denuncfation
of the man whom she had promised to
marry, and love for whom had become a
habit of her life, she fled again to the
shadows and to Billy. Her face was very
Giles. She had looked forward to partici-
pating in the celebration with Selkirk at
her side. and thus the crowd would have
amused her beyond measure, and her in
terest in the figures telling of her fathers
popularity with the people would have been
intense. But now, with the tragedy of
Selkirk's detection shadowing her mind, she
was heavy eyed, listless, unintereSted. She
smiled at Sally, and then sat and held
Billys one unbandaged hand and did not
talk. The monotony of this situation soon
fervescing energy, and she slipped away
to join more active friends
Mercy sat there with Billy when Hub
bard reached him. Ever since the night
when he had told her that he loved her
she had avoided the man, and now she
would have risen to go away as he ap-
preached, had not Billy held tight to her
hand and asked her to stay with him. The
boy was really glad to see the foreman,
and Mercy was touched by the gentle way
In which the big, notwithstanding man
asked him how he felt standing before him
with his hat in his hand. She realized that
this side of his nature which she had
not seen before and that ii was a much
better side than she had thought existed.
The boy, after moment or two. seemed to
be quite contented in Hubbard's company,
and Mercy left them together.
In the meantime Selkirk, unnoticed had
reached the gate under the elIns and turned
In He walked across the few yards that
the speaker. AS he went he could see Bull
plainly, and could tell from the gestures
that he made silhouetted as he was against
glare of torchlight, that he was very
much excited and denunciatory of some
body or something, but Bull was, because