The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-05-09


sigh.
He scarcely listened as Price told
OF obtaining the picture from his cous.
in, also of an item he had noted in
newspaper some time previous com.
menting on 1.-THE rare business sue.
cess Of John Hoyt, Esq" That must
be Drusas father, SO he was safe in
spying out the land" and getting In
touch with possible millions"
Harvey had been always helpful to
Price. and the latter had treated him
pretty well. Harvey considered ser.
enades an obsolete art, and felt rather
ridiculous at the thought Of posing as
q Spanish cavalier. However, he wish.
ed to be accommodating. and there
was . real element Of romaaticism in
Prices plan.
"You see, I'll surprise Miss Hoyt
with the song the college fellows sang
many a moonlight night under the
seminary windows-'Come Where My
Love Lies Dreaming Well practice
up a bit, steal into the Hoyt garden
and give this dead old burg a real sen.
sation."
1t was almost nine o'clock in the
evening when the twain started out,
each carrying his special instrument
under his arm. Earlier in the day they
had strayed past the Hoyt homo, and
Price indicated where they would
post themselves in the garden when
the appointed hour arrived. As they
left the hotel Price discovered that he
had run out of extra guitar strings.
"I'll get supply from the drug
store in case Of accidents" he ex.
planned. "You 60 ahead and III soon
join you"
Harvey reached the Hoyt home. He
stepped In among the shrubbery and
waited for his friend. Suddenly the
lights were turned on In an upper
room. There appeared at its window a
feminine form. 1t was Miss Hoyt,
pale. disturbed, and she drew close to
the window. her hand crossed on her
breast, as II to subdue some deep
emotion. Her head bent towards the
interior Of the house, as II some dis
turbing sound alarmed her.
So entranced was Harvey at the sud.
den beautiful apparition that he had
not drawn out Of the full focus of the
flaming gas Jet. She saw him, uttered
faint cry and then leaned from the
window.
Forgive me-" she faltered, you are
a stranger, but-won't you-that is
l am all alone in the house, and some
one is below, and am afraid"
AT once" replied Harvey. swiftly
taking in the situation.
He swung the mandolin case, ready
for use as a weapon, ran around to the
front of the house and dashed up the
steps, to find the door open. He stood
still In the hallway and listened In.
tently.
Harvey tlared match, found a gas
Jet and flooded the hall with light.
lust then a timid, trembling form
came down the staircase. 1t was Miss
Hoyt. She bore a heavy cane.
1T is rapa's," she said. please
don't rush into danger-I am not afraid
now"
For all that, she kept close to her in
trepid champion as Harvey slowly ad.
vanced down the hall, armed with the
weapon she had provided. Then, as
there was stir and then crash, as
Of a chair thrown violently over, she
chung to his arm. The next moment
Harvey could not repress jolly
laugh.
There is our formidable night dis
turber-no burglar after all, Miss
Hoyt!" he exclaimed.
A large Newfoundland dog darted
from the library into the hall and
scurried past them through the front
doorway. He had evidently wandered
in just as Miss iioyt had run up tho
stairs to get a wrap before resuming
her swing seat on the porch.
"You-!.u seem to know. my name.