The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1912-06-28

lung on my shoulders to settle Very
well; | will settle. Fred Winters must
prove he is not a coward, and Ruth
must apologize for doing him an in
justice. ] bring about marriage
make two souls happy and gain q
tip-top Teller for brother-in-law. I'm!
] am equal to the occasion"
Eagles Nest is a manor house. Sc
is the Birches. They are three miles
apart. Two days after Miss Ruth
reached the Nest, Mr.. Winters reached
the Birches. 1t just happened so.
AS the ex-warrior had his auto with
him, and the girl had had her electric
sent down, 1t could be only a question
of time when the two must meet.
! Young Burt imagined that meeting
and smiled. Not word-not nod
not look! For three days he dis
appeared from the paternal mansion
and a detective might have traced him
to country inn between the two
manor houses. He was there on bust
ness. He saw his sister and friend
out in the electric, but he took good
care not to be seen himself. In his
company, much to the wonderment Of
the landlord and others, were three
beetle-browed men who seemed to
ache to cut throats. No one knew their
mission, but on a sunny morning, out
behind the barn., young Burt was say
ing to them:
you go right down the road about
Il mile to, the thick growth Of bushes
and go into ambush. When two young
ladies' in an electric runabout come
along look up and down the road and
see If you can see an auto. If you can
then go ahead and hold up the girls.
These revolvers are loaded with blank
cartridges. Do a good deal Of shoot
ing. If the chap in the auto stops to
mix in give him fists"
care we to hurt him?" was asked.
eff you can. Don't fear that he
won't try to hurt you. If he doesn't
show up then let the ladies pass and
come back here"
eff it's highway robbery or assault
we may get arrested" muttered the
leader Of the trio.
"Then I'll get you clear. It's all in
the way Of a joke, you know. The idea
is that the man in the auto rescues
the ladies, and the harder you fight
the more credit he gets. All as easy
as pie, you see!"
For four days Mr.. Winter had been
out in his auto, and for the same four
days Miss Ruth Burt had gone spin
ming over the highways IN her electric.
No meeting. One was due, however.
On this morning Miss Ruth started
for the village, and Mr.. Winter to eX-
plore pond where there was said to
be good fishing. There came a time
when he sighted her, but too far ahead
TO tell who it was. He was about to
turn off when he heard the reports of
pistols, and saw three men bound out
Of the bushes and stop the vehicle.
Five minutes covered the distance
The autoist didn't stop to look at tho
woman who was screaming at the top
of her voice. The three men were his
game. They shouted to him to hands
up" but he didn't put them higher
than the professional boxer usually
does. They turned their guns on him,
but he got on to the blank cartridge
bluff, and then followed @ sad ten
for the conspirators. They
were knocked gally-west and gally-
east, and they finally threw away their
useless WEAPONS and fed into the
woods.
It was then that the putting, bleed
ing Mr.. Winters had time to look
about him. He knew that the electric
and the young lady were there, and |
that after his arrival the cries for help |
had ceased.
"What-you," he exclaimed, as he
looked into the face of the girl who
wasn't sure that he was not a cow
ard.
"And you herel" she answered
''You have come to no harm?"
''No, thanks to YOU"
Then there came an embarrassing
silence. One of the men had left his
cap behind, and Mr.. Winters stood
turning it over with his foot.
''You did not call on your return
from Cuba" said the girl at last.
81 feared you might not be at home
to me-"
did you fight this way in Cuba?"
II shall have to refer you to the
official reports"
II am stopping at Eagles Nest"
Eyes 2"
"And you might CALL"
Thanks, will"
And when he did call it didn't take
twenty minutes to make satisfactory
and week later young
Burt was saying to his mother:
They've made it up"