Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1905-09-01
On Wings Of
Steel
BY Lillian c. PAscuAL
coovrloAl. I5o5. by Lalan G I'a.eAaI

hy a timely grasp from the fur gloved
hand OF Or. Melford, who had been do
ing a neat outer edge alongside dnd
grumtllng heartily the while.
What rotten luck!' be had been say
ing every five minutes as the merry
skaters whlzzcd by. always IN satisfy
ing pairs. "And We have had our
shingles up n whole month IN this con-
founded burg. and stu don't know a
single. solitary girl IN all this giddy
Dbantasmagoria OF whlrllng sknters"-
Then he was interrupted by Dorton's
fall.
"Are you hurt, old MANI what've
you hitl' be demanded, a~nxiously peer
ing through his frosted glasses at his
disabled friend, who stopped painfully
to pick up something from the Clipped
ice before hobbling shoreward.
struck echoed Dorton. sinking
on to a bench under a lamp post and
nursing his ankle. "The United States
steel trust, 1 think, by the feel Of my
foot! Here it Isl" And he held up to
view the obstruction which had inter
ruptcd his fantastic gyrations in the
center Of the Lake where the figure
skaters had been performing.
1t was u good sized so. 10 boys
skate, Of the club variety, and its pol
ished nickel blade shone like frozen
moonbeams as he surveyed 1t critically.
Melford glanced at 1t with interest and
put the laconic query:
Gender masculine, feminine or neu-
trnlY'
Feminine" promptly decided Dor
ton. holding 1t closer. Its got some
initials engraved on it-'J. NJ. t. No
boy was ever so sentimental as that.
And no chapple ever wore clubs, so by
the process of elimination we arrive
at the remaining and only possible sex
Of Jimty, its owner. And, by Jove,
from the size Of it, she's no Clnder-
ella either. IT 1ts u No. . foot, or I'll
eat my hat. Girls are so emancipated
these days." he went on whimsically,
''even their feet are throwing of
trammels and spreading out Of alr-
"If you have quite finished Sherlock
Holmeslng my skate" broke In n high,
cool voice out Of the black region be-
yond the rim OF light rays from the arc
lamp. will you be kind enough to re-
turn II TO me?"
'The devilg' calculated Dorton under
his breath. starting guilty ana drop
ping the unlucky skate 70 the ground.
1t fell gathering under the bench. and
the doctor dived after 1t with ostenta-
1ious haste
"You foolE' he swore in Dorton's I'M
comfortable ear as he went down on
all fours In bis quest. And this was
our only ~chance-hrst woman's voice
that's ever addressed us since VIC came
west. We might have scraped IN ac-
quaintance. but now you've made q
mess OF It,"
Bigger fool your Dorton rejoined
hercelyy humping heads with his col
league as he, too. stopped TO recover
the bone Of contention. hoping in some
measure 10 retrieve himself IN the eyes
Of the invisible unknown. "She's not
that sort at all. l car tell by her
voice"
'Well, even nice girls sometimes I'M
der such circumstances'- began Mel
ford in an injured tone, but Dorton
cut him short, having found the skate
and held It out toward the voice In
question. But the young woman be
longing 20 It made no move 70 recover
her property, remaining obdurately in
the friendly darkness.
"Will you be so good as to bring II
to meT" Her tone was as sllvery and
distant al the strains from the band
stand on the other side OF the lake.
1--WE got to see her face" thought
the big fellow to himself. "and gain
time to square myself somehow"
He took a step forward and suddenly
measured his full length at her ma
Hgned feet, with the skate still clutch
ed In his hand.
"My ankle" he moaned when she
bent over him. all wOmaniy sollcitude,
her momcntary pique gone. Only anx-
fly and pity were visible in her lovely
face-Quite the loveiiest no had ever
seen. Dorton thought. IS he closed his
eyes.
Onf IL uAlnN4 NN AAnlAE4a ~ =
hurt, and it's my faultF' cried the girl,
tearing of her mittens to rub snow on
the cheeks that looked SO pale In the
white light. "Can't you do something
for him2 He wouldn't have been hurt
II It hadn't been for my skater she
quayered. feeling in some way TO
blame. please go for a doctor"
II am n aOctor-a recent arrival in
the city" replied Melford. IF we could
get him somewhere and cut his shoe on
and bandage his foot
Eyes. yes" put IN the girl eagerly.
"Call n cab and take him to my home,
ats Just around the lake yonder."
Janet Tuttle. where are your We've
been looking for you-and your skate
eyerywherel Did you find IT."
The girl was stu explaining, amid
furious bushes. TO her friends. who had
gathered In a curious circle around her,
when. to her relief, the doctor APP
preached and announced that a cab
man waG waiting.
With the help OF Janet's brother, who
Pyas In the party, Melford got his dis
nbled chum into the carriage. Janet
gave the driver her address ana seated
herself with a sort OF defiant shyness.
At the door Of the big house where