The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-16

folk sitting g1umly under the pistol or i romantic youth he saw maids garbed in the magic of muslin fit through the shadows. Lights glowed softly A waltz came up from the casino on the breath of the summer breeze. Under the red and white awnings youth and joy and love had their day-or their night The hermit was on hand with his postal carded romance The trees gossiped in whispers on the mountain.
 And, too, the rocking chair fleet gos- siped in whispers on the veranda, pausing only when the admiral sailed by in his glory. Eagerly it ran down its game This girl-this Myra Thorn hilEhe remembered, had herself been n victim. After Kendrick disappeared she had come there no more, for there were ugly rumors of the man who had fled MT. Magee saw the girl and her long absent lover whispering together in the freight. He wondered if they, too, imagined themselves at Baldpate in the summer; if they heard the waltz in the cAsino and Sthe laughter of men in the grill room.
 Ten o'clock, said the town hall pompously. She was at the station now. In the room of her tears she was waiting-perhaps her only com panion the jacky of the @See the World" poster. whose garb was but a shade biuer than her eyes. Who was she2 What was the bribe money of the Suburban railway to her? MT. Magee did not know, but he trusted through him. He saw Professor Bol- ton walk through the fiickering half light to join Myra ThornhII1 and Ken- drick-
 It must be half past by now Yes from far below in the valley came the whistle of a train. Now-she was boarding it-she and the money! Boarding ft-for wheref For what D pt1r- poser Again the train whistIed.
 'aThe siege,'s remarked MT Magee, e.is more than half over. ladies and gentlemen"
 The professor 0f comparative litera- ture approached him and took chair at his side.
 T want to talk with you. MT. Ma gee,' he said.
 "A welcome diversion" !" assented Ma gee, his eyes still on the room
 'I have discussed matters with Miss ThornhiI1.' 2 said the professor in low voice. 4She has convinced me that in this affair you have acted from a wholly disinterested point of view. A mistaken idea of chivalry, perhaps. The infatuation Of the moment for a pretty face-a thing to which all men with red blood in their veins are sus- ceptible-a pleasant thing that would be the last to want banished from the WorId-''
 Miss ThornhiIl. z replied Billy Ma gee, sshas sized up the situation per
 
 ! detail. It is not the infatuation of the moment. professor. Say, rather, that of lifetime"
 t1Ah, yes,', the old man returned. "Youth-how sure it always is of that. do not deprecate the feeling. Once, l long ago, I, too. had youth and faith | We will not dwell on that, however. I Miss Thornhill assures me that Henry Bentley, the son of my friend John Bentley, esteems you highly. She as- serts that you are in every respect, as far as her knowledge goes, an admira- ble young man. feel sure that after calm contemplation you will see that what you have done is very unfortu- nate The package of money, which 1 in a giddy moment you have given into young lady's keeping; is much 1 desired by the Authorities as evidence against very corrupt political ring. I am certain that when you know all the details you will be glad to return with me to Reuton and do all in your power to help us regain possession. of | that package'' 7
 And now the town hall informed MT. Magee that the hour was H. He pie tured a train flying like a black shad- ow through the white night. Was she l on it-safe?
 Professor Bolton,n he said, "there couldn't possibly be any one anywhere more eager than to learn all the de tails of this affair-to hear your real reason for coming to Baldpate inn and to have the peroxide blond incident properly classified and given it's niche in history. But let me tell you again my action of tonight was no mere madness of the moment I shall stick to it through thick and thin. Now, about the blonds.''
 ''The blondsr' repeated the profes- sor dreamily. "Ah, yes, I must make a small confession of guilt there! ] did not come here to escape the re- suits of that fndiscreet remark, but ] really made it-about a year ago. Shall l ever forget? Hardly. The newspa- pers and my wife won't let me. can never again win a new honor, how ever dignifed, without being referred to in print as the peroxide blond ad- vocate- On the night when MT. Ken i drick and I climbed Raldpate noun tain remarked as much to him. And 1 so it occurred to me that if I found I any need of explaining my presence here the blond incident would do very we'll It was only-a white He.' l "A blond one," corrected MT. Magee l ssI forgive you, professor
 ITO begin with continued the pro lessor, t1 am member of the faculty of the University of Reuton, situated as you no doubt know. in the city of the same name For q long time ]