Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-07-20

them. Desperately she fed upstream,
cutting her feet on sharp stones, but
never faltering. 1t was not easy to
run against the current-the rock bot
tom was slippery in places II her
wet skirt hampered her terribly.
Still she kept out of reach until she
was twenty yards off the ford. The
fiat faced man, laughing and painting
after her, caught her there and said as
he CAV her a %resounding kiss: "'Pon
my soul, Undine, it was worth it. l
haven't had such a lark since l was q
boy
Lorena broke from him, crying wild
ly: "Granville! Mr.. Gore! Kill this
creature!"
At that the men laughed louder than
ever. Granville had discreetly disap-
peared. He was sorry for Lorena;
also angry with her, even angrier than
with his friend Of the fiat, red face.
There were millions back of the fiat,
red face millions that might mean
much to Cores future. Was he to risk
their help, to invite everlasting chaff,
to make himself the butt of the grill
IOOlnS DtAl III lt was Ill lON II, NY
championship of a girl, a silly country
girl, who should have known better
than to put herself in such case?
Mullen, he of the fiat, red face, was
not a bad sort, only full of uncouth
spirits. Lorena would come to no
harm. And if she had sense enough to
keep her mouth shut he Gore would
70 ~ fhof chn u-oc hanJJArnoIr
made up to for her present fright. But
of course he could not acknowledge her
as an acquaintance when she looked
such a guy and had let herself get
caught in such "A plight.
Lorena, noting his absence, stumbled
blindly toward the bank and half fell
upon it, covering her eyes with both
hands. Mullen scrambled out beside
her and tried to lift her to her feet. the
rest jeering him, pretending to say
things aside and singing in cracked
chorus, "Where is my wandering boy?''
They were laughing so loud, watching
so i%ntently, Johnny fell upon them like
a thunderbOlt from blue skies. Johnny
was still in working clothes-he had,
in fact, started to the blacksmith's
shop in Il mad hurry in hope of getting
a dulled plow point sharpcned. So he
had come f. the ford in the very nick
of time to see that a woman was In
need of help and to rush to give it.
"Gentlcmen." Johnny's voice cut like
ice, "you must show me your warrant
for taking Il prisoner. Unless you do
He stopped short there, his face white,
his eyes two points of flame. Even yet
he did not know, but a second later
Lorena was beside him, clinging to
him, burying her face in his rough
sleeve, and sobbing out: Johnny! Save
me. Take M away! Don't stop to
fight them-only take me and go!'
Not yet" Johnny said, putting her
gently away.
The events of the next five minutes
are better left ~unchronicled. Suffice it
that MI. Granville Gore and his sports
men friends from the city went away
on the night train, at least two of the
visitors carrying beautiful black eyes.
AS to how the eyes had been achieved
/ there was discreet silence. But when
in the fall Lorena and Johnny were
married there came to the bride q
chest of massive silver, alonS with an
unsigned note which ran: "Please ac-
cept this in token of forgiveness. Re-
member, you owe me something-in
that l gave you occasion to find out
the difference there is between a man
and a mouse"
Lorena was for sending it back, but
Johnny laughed and said: mullen is
right. He is a mau. You can drub a
man into decency. but a mouse always
uns away"
And l hate mice of every sort" Lo-
rena added with a pensive smile.