The Monte Vista journal., 1914-02-21


hours when Ned had been by her
side. Lizzie in a desolate unhappy
way. went way over to a corner OF
the garden where a network of vines
inclosed an old-fashioned tree seat.
The loneliness and seclusion led to
tears now. Lizzie fairly cried herself
to sleep
1t must have been an hour later
when the chus-chug of q machine
aroused her.
ITS an automobile and it's stop
ping here" she murmured They are
strangers ana they have driven the
machine into the shadow Of the trees.
Oh, dear!"
Lizzie shivered as she thought of
the reports from the next township
of a band Of robbers who had raided
score Of farmhouses while the occu.
pants were absent.
Two men silently and mysteriously
stole past the gate, glanced up at the
grim, silent house, went around to it's
side and then the affrighted Lizzie
heard window raised.
"Oh, they are robbers, sure
enough" she gasped. They have
broken into the house. What shall 1
do?"
A sudden inspiration came to her
mind as she glanced at the automo-
bile. She did not believe she could
quite run one alone, but she knew a
good deal about its construction from
casual observation.
Il can creep under the fence, reach
the machine and they can't see me-
she planned. Then I'll hurry down
the road and give the alarm"
Lizzie reached the stalled machine.
She leaped nimbly to its step. For
only a moment her hand was busy
cropping over Its mechanism. A little
hutter of excitement and satisfaction
escaped her lips as she slipped some
thing into her pocket. Then Lizzie
sped down the shadowy road with
aeetness.
"Oh, dear! wish l had gone the
other way-but then the robbers
might have seen me-" she breathed, as
at turn the first window light that
showed was in tAe Darrow farmhouse,
a quarter Of a mile away.
Lizzie halted as she came directly
up to the house. There was a light
in only one room and beyond its open
window sat the only occupant Of the
house. 1t was Ned, at a table, writ.
Ing. Lizzie faltered. Then the urgency
Of the occasion impelled her to ac-
ton. She ran into the full radius of
the bright lamplight streaming out
into the garden.
There's robbers at our house and
the folks are all away" she cried out,
and Ned was on his feet in an instant.
He was outside. a gun in hand, be-
fore Lizzie realized 1t.
"Tell me all about 1t as we hurry
back" he directed, and she thrilled to
feel the firm, steady clasp Of his hand
on her arm as he urged her to the
road.
Lizzie could never tell afterwards
how she blurted out her story or how
she acted during that wild run. She
lost all her resentment, once again In
that dear companionship.
There they are" she fluttered. as
they came in sight of home and the
figures of two men were to be OBJ
served moving about the automobile.
The machine was loaded with plunder
they had taken from the house.
Ned shouted at them and then fired
a shot in the air. That was the last
of the robbers.
II don't see why they didn't make
of with the machine" he remarked.
why. I had taken away the spark
key" explained Lizzie. producing the
article in question.
You wise little woman!" exclaimed
Ned admiringly. Come back to the
old loving arms. darling" he added.
while tell you little story about
another automobile"
And then he entirely satisfied Liz
zie that 1t was in the line OF work
necessary and paid for that he had
been so much in the company of
Olive Bellows.
The robbers never returned to
claim their machine. BY right OF the
law OF jetsam 1t became Lizzie's auto
mobile, and Ned Darrow continued to
be Lzzie's lover.