The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-02-16
lkn,te in his handl There could be

uO uOuDt" i ndppChOQ W iOOh aPs
Well, there could be no doubt that
this girl was not only alive" but quite
| uninjured.
There was but one course open to
me-that of abject apology. So when
could speak nationally l began.
Il am afraid my actions are most
incomprehensible to you, Miss-er-
err" She looked down at her shoes
in studied silence, and so l went on.
"But-er-well, the fact is, thought
l heard you call out"
Call out!'
"Yes-indeed, I'm sure you did
at least, that some one did MUIR
der! Murder! Murder' some one
called, and-it was awfully stupid of
me, Of course, but l thought / saw
that fellow strike you"
She laughed merrily.
at certainly was rather stupid.
Why, that was Jack-my Jack!"-
and again she looked down and
flushed demurely. 81 don't think he
is likely to strike meat any rate,
not just yet, you know! this almost
soto voce. "But l wonder what you
could have heard and seen! And
you ran all the way from the Head
to rescue me from horrible death
1t was very, very kind of you, and
thank you very, very much-quite as
much as-as if you had not been mis-.
taken, you know"
1
"Oh, it is too generous of you tC
say that! 1t is so good of you to for.
| give me for-er-for this intrusion
upon you"
Not at ALL 1t really was very
kind of you, you know-perhaps
more than kind!"-and she raised
her eyes, and for moment our
glances met.
l started. What was lurking In
those blue depths? Was it amuse,
ment? Was it mischief?
But the next moment the girl low
cred her eyelids, and the flush in hei
cheeks deepened a little. She did
not turn away, but stood there pokine
the turf with her shoes. She made 6
most charming picture. l moved
towards her.
Il say-no-now really did yor
call?"
She turned away, not at al haught
lily, I thought, but so very evidently
to intimate my dismissal that, after
once more apologizing, l bowed ant
left her.
But all the way home and for sew
eral days afterwards I thought ant
thought and thought of this strange
little incident, and especially of the
mischievous CLEAN in those blue eyes
and / wondered If had been tricked
Had she teen lying there laughing
under that m-o'-shanter az my mac
race?
Well, the explanation of it all cam,
a few days later.
Staying in the same boarding house
as myself was pretty little girl will
whom 1 had become rather chumm.
"a fellow is apt to do so at these
times-and one day when | was will
her she received letter from frient
of hers who was staying in the town
saying that she was taking part il
some amateur theatricals to be giveI
in public hall for the benefit o
some local charity. She enclosed
some tickets.
My companion, of course, explained
it all to me, and-naturally enough
perhaps-we went.
1t was rather poor show. TIL,
amateurs had made singular selec
tion, for the piece was an old-fash
ioned lurid melodrama crammed will
incident. But my companions friend
a Miss Nora Payton," according t,
the program, had'a big part, and wa
really good in it.
Gradually the plot was worked up
and in due time the third act wa
reached. Here we were evidently ii
for something supremely sensational
for the program gave the scene as:
"Night-On Lonely Moor"
Up went the curtain and on cam
my companions friend, fiurried an,
frightened looking. A few ruminativ
sentences-not remarkable for thei
originality-were uttered, and then
man entered, young and heroic look
ing.
Voluble talking followed, at frs
passionately loving, then passionatel
, angry. And then came this astonish
[ ing incident.
The girl threw up her hands tras
| ically. The man stepped back an
put his hand into the breast of hi
, coat.