The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-06-15

what exceeding ere and Deliberate.
ness 1t was necessary to proceed. The
most lnoilCnsivc r2hble was oo.,..;,,,
Tor wide detoUg. in spite of ,ha J.,
mentable fact that it increased the dis.
lance And did the little unsh)d sill,o,
loot so much rs csress the f,round =,
IT'S wabblinS career Dudley was ready
TO weep i'll worshipful contrition Il
was almost too much JOY to discovor
IN the course of the hysterical conver.
satlon that this was Tom Hutton,s
ranch-dear old Tom that he bodn,t
seen since the college days-and Gin.
derella his wife's guest.
But, as all pleasant moments cono 20
an END, so must this, as Cinderella
dropped, tired, but still merry, into a
chair on the bungalow piazza.
AND then the prince" he said slow.
", looking down upon her with com.
pellihg eyes, caused his heralds-no.
think you know what the prince did
without my telling YOU"
An she cried, her own eyes falling
under his scrutiny, but first you've r.
find the slipper"
1eS' hrst I've to find the slipper.
And when it is found I've the adyan.
tage OF knowing where dwells Cinder.
ella-and that the slipper will fit"
winch last is yet to be provenr-
teasingly.
May put it to the test?" he begged
ION, Faintheartr she whispered
mockingly. Try and see"
Nhereat Dudley began most pecul.
lar course of behavior. Going ouicklv
around the corner of the cabin bo
bumped his head softly several times
against the logs, gave himself a vio-
lent shake and then strobe through tbe
trees to the low rock in the little clear
ed space at the edge of the bluff Sit.
ting down, he plunged an empty hand
INTO the'deep pocket and brought if ont
full of Il stout brown walking boot Of
small dimensions.
To his credit be it said that +bero
was self denunciation in his aspect rs
he sat turning it miserably over and
over. Oh, yes; of course he'd had if
there all the while. Well. hadn't he
tried to let her have it at the very
first, and didn't she keep interruptinr
till he couldnt-that is to saw. didn't
want to? Suppose he was the biggest
cad on record, he'd wager no fellow
ever had Il better excuse. Hang if,
What did she have to look at him that
way for? How could he deliberately
hand the thing over and put an end TO
the happiest few moments he'd ever
spent, or ever expected TO spend. for
that matter? For surely by this fool
ishnesS he'd dished any prospects of
further acquaintance about as effec-
lively as possible. Well, anyhow, this
was torture; might as we'll have the
confession over with and go off and
shoot himself.
In three minutes he was back. The
trial trip had taken twenty to navi-
gate. She was waiting and still alone.
Oh, yes; rub it in! She might have
cared if he hadn't spoiled it all.
Most eager knight" she called in
greeting. WAS it wings? Nothing
else could have taken you down the
ravine and up again in this time"
For answer he knelt without word
and put the fateful shoe in place with
elaborate care, He would have that
privilege before he forfeited her favor
forever. Then
Il found it in the ravine before
climbed up at ALL" he said abruptly.
1T was in my pocket all the while.
Now send me away, for l can't go un-
less you do"
But Cinderella leaned forward to take
his remorseful face between two but
terfy hands.
ooh, boy, boy she cried softly;
most innocent of boys Did you think
didn't know? l saw you pick it up
down below-no, you shall have all the
truth; it fell let it fall because
saw your
Just then Tom Hutton, coming
around the corner of the house, de-
cided he could quite as well postpone
his Grand