The Washington herald., 1914-09-09
DAILY SHORT STORY.

I
quiries that might throw some light on
the mystery.
BY the way" he said. are there
any sanitariums or asyIums around here?
| really know very little about this sec
tion. It's only my second season"
'Asylums, no. said the neighbor.
There are no institutions around here
! at all but the girls college, about five
miles away"
OF course Bob knew about the college.
He had left to timber the end Of his
property that touched the end of the
college property just as he would never
have to see the college students This
| threw no light on the mystery. College
woman were not going around the cOun-
try with holy roOsters in brass cages,
and. besides Daphne was too pretty for
a college girl
Bob went home discouraged. He was
bound to keep Daphne's secret, and yet
the very fact that his admiration for the
girl was growing to be uppermost in his
mind seemed to make him feel IL his duty
10 solve the mystery Of her strange af-
lection for the rooster. Strangely enough.
that very evening at about 5 o'clock.
Daphne appeared bre8thless This time
she came through the timberland of the
ranch. She wore no hat
Quick" she said as soon as she had
found Bob, who had come over the fields
10 meet her Il have come for Aristo-
phanes-for the rooster | came the back
way because I think they know where
we keep him. They followed me the last
time.
Bob was aware first that in her excite
ment Daphne had laid her hand on his
arm. She was especially lovely when she
was excited. Together they hurried to
the part of the ranch where the old
leghorn was kept and then, Just as Bob
heard some Rirlish shouts coming from
the driveway in front of his bungalow,
Daphne said: Hide me. hide me Quick
I'll do anything almost-me and the
rooster. Oh. know I can trust you.
Don't let the sophomores get us. please
Bob was too eager TO do what Daphne
asked him to do and to do II quickly.
| to realize what valuable light she had
| thrown on the solution Of the mystery
He carried Daphne literally. clutchIng
the frightened rooster in her arms, and
bundled them into his bungalow. ana
then when he had seen the excited group
OF girls safely out Of his property he
went back TO Daphne.
When Bob told Daphne that the only
reward he named for having hidden
her was TO be let into the secret, she
explained:
Il always thought you half knew" she
began. You see I am freshman at
college and our class chose a rooster
for a mascot. The sophomores have a
black Angora cat After We had bought
Arlstophanes We found we couldn't keep
him in the dOrmitory because he crowed.
and we knew the sOphomores would find
him and kidnap him. just as we would
like to kidnap their old cat. l was
elected keeper Of the mascot. and when
found out that you We're the very
most up-to-date rancher in the county l
choose you. Whenever we have a class
banquet or a procession we need him.
We carry him In his cage and l dress
like a Greek and clank cymbaIs and the
president OF the class swings incense III
II really lots OF fun. But Of course the
sophomores want TO kidnap him. and
they would have done II this time II
II hadn't been for you Tell me, Daphne
had been looking anXiously around at
the spacious bungalow. do you live
alone and don't you think l had better
go now"
Bob explained that he did live alone.
that farming was winter pastime, and
that the men who ran the ranch lived in
the buildings behind the bungalow. But
think you had better wait a little
while-to avoid the sophomores"
1t was an hour after dark when Bob
Dean walked with Daphne but without
the rooster. hack to the college dormI-
TORY. waking WOulQ arouse less SuSDi-
cion-Daphne said-then coming back in
Bob's motor, and after he, Bob. had lis
tened patiently to Daphne's account OF
the college pranks he interrupted her.
II have heard all I want to about col
lege," he said. "All want to know
about is you. All winter I have watched
you and 1 have been in love with you
from the first in spite of the fact that
I have had every reason to believe that
you were perfectly insane.
Il couldn't help telling you, and now
when I ask you TO let me be your pro-
tector all through life. instead OF one
short minute from a few silly sopho- |
mores. don't want you to think of
saying No. Daphne, and don't want
you to waste any more time in college |
swinging incense to a decrepit rooster |
1 want you to marry me and be my in !
spiration in this ranch hobby of mine |
Only, Daphne, remember there aren't |
going to be any more holy ROSTERS"