The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-04-10

a rev hours before he mad confessc
! to the other man that he had not heart
from Doris for days, and it must lool
to Tolliver as though his rival, no
daring to compete with him face t.
face, had kept out of his sight unit
his back was turned, when he had al
once rushed to her upon the first in
formation that there was nobody upor
the field to dispute with him. Doris
however, relieved the situation some
what
YES, I sent for him and he was good
enough to come. We had not had q
little visit for some time-we have
both been rather busy, you know
Clay did not seem in the least dis
turbed at the possibility that he had
interrupted teteA.tete.
1T was frightfully lonesome to b
by myself after the delightful society
Of the past week. 10 just absent,
mindedly followed up my thoughts UNI
til l found myself here" he laughed,
"Beastly the way that flying animal
is misbehaving himself. Too bad
did not get him that first night and
save all this commotion."
III you had not attacked him It ID
quite possible no commotion would
have arisen," she suggested mildly.
He seemed tribe put out at that view
Of it.
II don't think that Is quite appreci.
alive. He was after you, reaching for
you, and OF course could not permit
anything like that from man or beast
If the advance was repellent to you.
You did not wish him to touch your"
Most certainly not. But diplomatic
treatment might have been more effec-
tive"
miss Doris, when it comes to pro-
tecting our women folks from the crea-
lures OF this or any other world, be-
lieve in the gunpowder treatment first
and the diplomatic afterwards-if
there is any afterwards. But If you
think was hasty-"
Il am not criticising, and you know
how much appreciated your motives.
But let us talk about something else."'
Before them the mountains rising
almost as straight as q wall, vast.
brooding, tumbled a. an angry sea
stretched away and away into tho dis
lance to where the everlasting snow.
crowned peaks glinted marble white
in the sunlight. Lazily the three upon
the porch talked along in the warmth
of the sunny afternoon, the girl
seeming to forget her misgivings and
laughing as lightly as had been her
wont before the coming of the strange
creature from another sphere to haunt
her. In fact, the spirits Of all three
arose and for once all friction between
the rivals for the time disappeared and
Alan even condescended to accept the
cigarette that Clay condescended to
proffer him. Then in the midst of
their light chatter a grotesque thing
happened. Across tht mid-afternoon
sun a black cloud came floating.
sprawling, malformed. q cloud which
had huge batlike wings and a lean.
outstretched arm that ended in q
graspi1x hand. And ss their tongues
stopped as they stared at this appari-
ton of the sky it's shadow fell black
upon the lawn, approached them with
silent stealth, ran snakelike up the
porch until the claw mounting to Dor.
is waist held her for an instant in ito
grasp, then releasing her passed on
beyond the house. So startling and
realistic was 1t all that March half
arose to his feet with hands clenched
as though to do battle, while Tolliver
muttered fierce imprecation beneath
his breath and the girl grew pale as
death. For q moment they looked at
each other with startled eyes, then
Tolliver forced laugh.
''Uncanny that! Too realistic by
half to be comfortable. But of course
it was nothing but q fool cloud, and
thank goodness we are not supersti7
tious. Listen. to that!" From over
head there came the peculiar clanking
whistle Of aerial propellers and STEP
ping quickly to the lawn they gazed
up. Two new aeroplanes were speed.
ing towards the little treeless play.
ground park a little way beyond which
has been set aside for their use. Il
1T Is North and Luther arriving,I
March told them. II saw in the paper
that they were expected to arrive to1
day. North 10 an old friend Of mine.
Suppose we 30 down and see him.
Doris quickly assented. and walking
one at each side of her March and
Tolliver passed out Of the gate and
wandered towards the alighting place
Of the planes. Her head uncovered.
her glossy hair glinting opalesque in
the sunlight, exceedingly fair Of face
and faultless Of form in her perfectly
fitting gray gown, no man passed her
without second admiring look, few
women without secret envy. And proud
Of her indeed were the two who
walked 50 erectly at her side
They found North busy about his
machine, tightening this, looseninE
that, testing everything. He was a
good-looking young fellow of about
twenty-five, determined Of face. and
sinewy of form and an aviator Of the
foremost rank. although almost the AM
tithesis Of the Inflated Putnam. For