The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-04-25

Half suffocated, choking, gasping,
she still fought on. squirming and
kicking with such spirit that the pair
Of them appeared to the beholdef like
figures of mist writing in fountain
Of snow.
More violence was to mar the peace
! Of morning. Unexpectedly attacked
from the rear, the conqueror was sez-
ed by the nape of the neck and one
wrist and jerked to his feet, stimuli
taneouSly receiving 4 succession of
kicks from his assailant. Prompted
by an entirely natural curiosity. he es-
sayed to turn his head to see who
this might be. but twist of his fore
arm and the pressure of strong fingers
under bis ear constrained him to re-
main as he was, therefore. abandoning
resistance and, oddly enough. accept
ing without comment the indication
that his captor desired to remain for
the moment incognito. he resorted
calmly to explanations.
''She tore up picture Of mine," he
said, receiving the punishment with
out apparent emotion. "She seemed to
think because she'd drawn it herself
she had right to-"
There was a slight whimsical droop
at the corner of his mouth as he
spoke, which might have been thought
characteristic of him. He was an odd
looking boy. not i'll made, though very
thin and not tall. His pallor was
clear and even, as though constitution
al; the features were delicate, almost
childlike, but they were very slightly
distorted, through nervous. habit, to
an expression at once wistful and hui
morous; one eyebrow was shade
higher than the other, one side of the
mouth slightly drawn down; the eye
lids twitched a little, habitually; the
fine, blue eyes themselves were almost
comically Representative look of
puppy who thinks you would not have
beaten him if you had known what
was in his heart. All of this was in
the quality of his voice, too, as he
said to his invisible captor, with an
air of detachment from any personal
feeling:
"What peculiar shoes you wear!
don't think l ever felt any so pointed
before"
The rescuing knight took no thought
of offering to help the prosecuted
damsel to arise; instead he frightened
his grip upon the prisoners neck I'M
til, perforce, water-not tears-started
from the latter's eyes.
"You miserable little muffv' said the
conQueror. "What the devil do you
mean making this scene on our front
lawn
"Why, it's Eugenew exclaimed the
helpless one. ''They didn't expect you
till tonight. When did you get IMP
"Just in time to give you a lesson,
my buck" replied Bantry grimly. ''In
good. time for that, my playful step
brother"
He began to twist the others wrist,
treatment of bone and ligament in
the application of which schoolboys
and even freshmen are often adept
Eugene made the torture acute and
was apparently enjoying the work
Of warning, he received an astounding
blow upon the left ear, which half
stunned him for the moment and sent
his hat flying and himself Keeling, so
great was the surprise and shock of it.
1t was not slap, not an open handed
push-nothing like it-bu. fierce, we'll
delivered blow from a clinched fist
x,;f =
was the girl who had given it.
"Don't you dare to touch Joev' she
cried passionately. Don't you lay a
finger on him!'
Furious and red. he staggered round
to look at her.
"You wretched little wildcat, what
do you mean by that?" he broke out.
"Don't you touch Joev' she painted.
Don't YOU Her breath caught and
there was a break in her voice as she
faced him. She could not finish the
repetition of that cry. Don't you
touch Joe!'
But there was no break in the spirit,
that passion of protection which had
dealt the blow. Both boys looked at
her, somewhat aghast.
Eugene recovered himself. He swung
round upon his heel; restored his hat to
his head with precision, picked up his
stick and touched his banjo case with
it.
Garry that into the house." he said
indifferently to his stepbrother.
Don't you do itv' said the girl hotly
between her chattering teeth
Eugene turned toward her, wearing
the sharp edge of smile. Not re-
moving his eyes from her face, he pro-
duced with elaboration a fat silver
box from pocket, took therefrom a
cigarette, replaced the box, extracted
a smaller silver box from another peck
ct, shook out of it fusee, slowly lit
the cigarette-this in a splendid ST.
lence, which he finally broke to say
languidly. but with particular distinct
ness:
''Ariel Tabor. 60 homer :
The girls teeth stopped chattering,
her lips remaining parted; she shook
the hair out Of her eyes and stared at
him as II, she did not understand, but
Joe Louden, who had picked up the
banjo case. obediently. burst into
cheerful laughter.
'Thats 1t, Gene" he cried gayly.
s0rt a 80 tho NOV RI fo1ly f0 hortv