The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-02-25
By BOOTH HARRINGTON,
CONTINUED

Ihe girls fingers were pressed
thoughtfully against her chin as Eu-
gene strobe into view. Immediately
her eyes widened and frightened. He
swung along the fence with the hand
soonest appearance Of Inconsistencies
until he reached a point nearly oppo-
site her. Then he turned his head as
If haphazardly and met her eyes. At
once she threw out her hand toward
him, waving him a greeting, a gesture
which as her fingers had been near
her lips was n little like throwing 8
kiss. He crooked an elbow and with
a one, two, three military movement
removed his small brimmed hat, ex-
tending 1t to full arms length at the
shoulder level, returned it TO his head
with life guard precision. This was
also new to Canaan. He was letting
Mamie Pike have it all at once.
The impression was as large as he
could have desired. She remained at
the opening in the canvas and watch
ed him until he wagged his shoulders
round the next corner and disappeared
into a cross street. AS for Eugene, he
was calm with great calm and very
red
He had not covered a great distance,
however, before his gravity was re-
placed by his former smiling look Of
the landed gentleman amused by the
innocent pastimes OF the peasants,
though there was no one in sight ex-
| cept a woman sweeping some snow.
from the front steps of a cottage, and
she, not perceiving him, retired in
| doors without knowing her loss. He
had come to a thinly built part Of the
town, the perfect quiet Of which made
! the sound he heard as he opened the
picket gate of his own home all the
more startling. 1t was a scream, loud,
frantic and terror stricken.
Eugene stopped, with the gate half
open.
Out Of the winter skeleton Of grape
arbor at one side Of the four square
brick house a brown faced girl of sew
enteen precipitated herself through the
air in the midst of q shower Of torn
cardboard which she threw before her
as she Ieaped. She lit upon her toes
|
pursued by pale young man whose
thin arms strove spasmodlcally to
reach her Scattering snow behind
them, hair flying, the pair sped on like
two tattered branches before a high
wind, for, as they came nearer Eugene,
of whom, in the tensity of their fight,
they took no note, it was to be seen
that both were so shabbily dressed as
to be almost ragged.
The girl ran beautifully, but q feeter
foot was behind her and, though she
lodged and evaded like a creature of
the woods, the reaching hand fell upon
the loose sleeve Of her red blouse, nor
fell lightly. She gave a wrench Of fren
". The antique fabric refused the
strain, parted at the shoulder seam sc
thoroughly that the whole sleeve came
away, but not to its owners release
for she had been brought round by the
jerk, SO that, agile as she had shown
herself, the pursuer threw an arm
about her neck before she could twisr
away and held her.
There was a sharp struggle as shor
|
ordinary wrestlers spoke. They fought
Victory hung in the balance for per
haps four seconds. Then the girl wa
thrown heavily upon her back in sucl
a turmoil Of snow that she seemed t
f be the mere nucleus Of a white comet
: She struggled to get up, plying knet
and elbow with a very anguish Of de
foy-T11 IN n tfo0 b1Yt ba7. O,oyDo-7op% hoI5 baY
pinioned both her wrists with one hanC
and with the other rubbed great hand
fuls Of snow into her face, sparing net
ther mouth nor eyes.
! You willr' he cried. ''You will tea
up my pictures! a dirty trick, and yo-
r get washed for itr'
Half suffoeated, choking, gasping
g she still fought on, sQulrming an
kicking with such spirit that the pal
Of them appeared to the beholder Xix
; figures Of mist writhing in a fountai
Of snow.
More violence was to mar the peac
Of morning. Unexpectedly attacke
from the rear, the conqueror was sci:
ed by the nape of the neck and on
wrist ana Jerked to his feet, simu
taneously receiving a succession G
kicks from his assailant. Prompte
by an entirely natural curiosity, he e.
sayed to turn his head to see VIII
this might be, but q twist of his fore
arm and the pressure of strong finger
under his ear constrained him to n
main as he was, therefore, abandonin
resistance and, oddly enough, accep
ing without comment the indicatio
that his captor desired to remain fl
the moment incognito, he resorte
calmly TO explanations.
"She tore up a picture Of nine b
said, receiving the punishment witt
out apparent emotion. "She seemed I
think because she'd drawn it herse
she had right to-"
There was a slight whimsical droo