The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-09-24

SOUND asleep. Inc woman gazed down
at him in wonder and envy. II only
she could drop to sleep like that. Very
softly she pressed her lips to his hair.
At eleven o'clock the following
night the hall light in the Hargreave
house was turned off and the whole
interior became dark. A shadow
crept through the lilac bushes with.
out any more sound that a cat would
have made. Florence's window was
open, as the arch-conspirator had ex-
pected it would be. With a small
string and stone as a sling he sent
the letter whirling skillfully through
the air. 1t sailed into the girls room.
The man below heard no sound of the
stone hitting anything and concluded
that it had struck the bed.
He waited patiently. Presently a
wavering light could be distinguished
over the sill of the window. The girl
was awake and had lit the candle.
This knowledge was sufficient for his
need The tragic letter would do the
rest, that is, if the girl came from
the same pattern as her father and $
mother-strong willed and adventu-
rous.
He tiptoed back to the lilacs, when
a noise sent him close to the ground.
Half dozen feet away he saw a
shadow creeping along toward the
front door. Presently the shadow
stood up as If listening. He stopped
again and ran lightly to the steps, up
these to the door, which he hugged
Who was this? wondered Braine
Patiently he waited, arranging his pos
ture so that he could keep lockout
at the door. BY and by the door
opened cautiously. A man holding
a candle appeared Braine vaguely
recognized Olgas description of the
butler The man on the veranda sud-
denly blew out the light.
Braine could hear the low murmur
of voices. but nothing more. The Goa
Versatlon lasted scarcely minute.
The door closed and the man ran
down the steps, across the lawn, with
Braine close at his heels.
"Just rlomeft, Mr.. Hargreave,"
he called ironically; lust a moment!"
The man he addressed as Hargreave
turned with lightning rapidity and
struck. The blow caught Braine
above the ear, knocking him fat.
When he regained his feet the rumble
of motor told him the rest of the
story.
BY the dim light of her bedroom
candle Florence read the note which
had found entrance so strangely and
mysteriously into her room. Her IA
ther! He lived, he needed her! Alive
but in dread peril, and only she could
save him! She longed to fly to him
at once, then and there. How could
she wait till tomorrow night at eight?
Immediately she began to plan how to
circumvent the watchful Jones and
the careful Susan. Her fatherl She
slept no more that night.
my Darling Daughter: l must see
you. Come at eight o'clock tomorrow
night to 7S Grove street, third floor.
death warrant.
Your unhappy FATHER"
What child would refuse to obey a
summons like this?
A light tap on the door started her.
"Is anything the matter?" asked
the mild voice of Jones'
| NO l got up to get a drink of
I water"
| She heard his footsteps die away
down the corridor. She thrust the
letter into the pocket of her dress,
which lay neatly folded on the chair
at the foot of the bed, then climbed
back into the bed itself. She must
not tell even Mr.. Norton.
Was the child spinning a romance
over the first young man she had ever
met? In her heart of hearts the girl
did not know.
/ Her father!
1t was all so terribly and tragically
simple, to match a woman's mind
against that of child. Both Norton
and the sober Jones had explicitly
warned her never to go anywhere,
receive telephone calls or letters, with
out first consulting one or the other
to deceive them, with all the cunning
of her sex.
The next morning at breakfast there
was nothing unusual either in her ap-
pearance or manners. Under the
shrewd scrutiny of Jones she was just
her everyday self, fine bit of acting
for one who had yet to see the stage.
Il.xf ie ~,
it is born in man to fight. and Flor
ence was no exception to the rule.
She was going to save her father
She read with Susan, played the
piano, sewed little, laughed, hummed
and did thousand and one things
young girls do when they have the
deception of their elders in view.