Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-07-11

To his surprise he found the tortoise
there once more. He remained by it's
side until he saw the futter Of "a white
dress.
Your tortoise" be said, as he hand
ed 1t back.
He ventured some comment upon the
habit OF the creatures. He was glad to
see her smile.
The following day he returned to the
spot where the stocks bloomed. He
knew that he had little right to expect
it to be there, yet its absence filed
him with a curious sense of disappoint-
ment.
In restless mood he was walking
by the hedge that separated his neigh
DORIS garden from a meadow when,
without the slightest warning, he came
upon the reptile. It was crawling
among the long grass. Keywood's fore
head grew Wrinkled. The hedge was
quickest and tmpenetrable, and a tor
toise cannot jump. He embraced the
first opportunity Of restoring the crea-
ture to it's owner.
THANK you so much" said the girl.
Il found it in the meadow" said Key
wood.
It seems to him that her eyes fell
before his.
Harassed by deepening doubt Key
wood Installed himself at a creeper-clad
window that commanded the neighbor-
ing garden. 1t was long ere his pa
thence was rewarded, but the girl
emerged at length. She cast a quick
glance in his direction that sent Key
woods head in haste behind the pleas
ant shelter Of the creeper. He noticed
that within her hand was a small bag
whose soft material bulged. He watch
eel her graceful figure as it glided
through a gate at the bottom of the
garden and disappeared within a copse
at the further end of the meadow. A
little later she returned The bag she
held hung limp and attenuated.
That evening Keywood searched the
copse from north to south and from
east to west. When in the end he
sighted the tortoise at the base of a
young nut tree the discovery did not
altogether surprise him. Ere the sun
had set he was waiting by the hedge
for the second, time. But upon this
occasion he projected his shoulders on
the further side in added boldness.
When the time came for him to act he
signaled with the reptile regardless of
any giddiness that may have manifest
ed itself within the shell.
'Your tortoise-strayed again!" he
exclaimed.
The face Of the advancing girl show
ed open incredulity.
"Oh, no." she cried, "this is an alto
gether different one"
Il assure you," protested Keywood,
chat it is the same"
"But how can you tell?'
For a moment Keywood felt non
plussed. Then he drew a bow at a ven
ture.
Because" he. said, 'there is no 9th
er creature of the kind within a radius
Of miles,"
The girl flashed a quick glance at
him. Then she laughed. He decided
that he had never before heard such a
silvery ripple Of a laugh.
"And my own. You have forgotten
that"
He stared at her in establishment.
"You have not lost your oWn?"
She blushed a little beneath his gaze.
It seemed to him that she hesitated for
a ninstant.
"Lost it?" she replied. Certainly /
have not lost it."
Keywood recovered his wits.
''Then,' he said, ''you refuse to &C.
cept this as a companion to the other
It will feel less lonely
On the next day it was necessary for
Keywood to journey to the neighboring
towns. On such occasions the carriers
cart served as an efficient If lettering
omnibus. As he sat within the vehicle
his trend of thought fell from more
sentimental matters to the habits OF
creeping things. The sudden realiza
ton that he had been gazing absent
mindedly upon an object that was
strangely in keeping with his thoughts
awoke him abruptly from his musing
Through the broadly perforated holes
that honeycombed a small box he could
discern the shell of a tortoise. The
case was directed to an address In The
Shetland Isles.
Keywood's suspicious were confirmed
by Jim Preston. the driver. 1t was al