The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1915-03-26

| G.@wJ to her, had complicated the en-
tire relationship of men and women.
Mrs. Willard had plainly sold herself,
and the price is never great enough for
any woman who has done that. Always
in June's rapidly widening observation
the man gave and the womM received.
and her very dependence made the
question of matrimony one of essential
barter and sale. 1t was wrong! 1t de-
stroyed the very source and fount of
love. Was there no remedy? June,
shaken though she was by her painful
experience of the morning. was
strengthened in her own resolve. The
answer to the problem was independ-
ence even though she suffered in the
attainment Of it. even though Ned
suffered. Their love would be all the
stronger for it, and it would be pure al
ways
Could she have seen Ned at that mo-
ment all her theories and all her de-
auctions would have taken swift fight,
and she would have bathed with her
tears the swollen wrist which he had
just freed from the rough rope that
had bound 1t.
Slowly and with infinite pain Ned
finally freed his hands. They were
qu1vering as, with a mighty effort he
raised them to the back of his head
and fumbled with the knot which held
his gag in place. 1t seemed ages be-
fore he was able to remove that tight
bandage. He removed the tight thongs
from around his ankles. He limped
awkwardly for half a mile, bent and
stopped like an old man, but exercise
restored him, and by the time he found
road he was his vigorous self again
and full Of the logged determination
which had led him so far in the pursuit
of his runaway bride.
Down the highway a mile or so he
found an obscure roadhouse, and he
strobe in at the saloon door.
While ordering ''bracer'' for his
shattered nerves he saw his two cap
tors sitting at table. He rushed mad
ly at them and knocked them both to
the floor. Dashing out of the place. he
saw their auto. He jumped in. pressed
the starting button and sped away.
The house of Mrs. Willard was closed
and locked when Ned arrived there at
O'Clock in the afternoon.
In the meantime June and Mrs. Vii
lard and BOuncer were Snugly en-
sconced in a pleasant hotel downtown,
and before her at the writing table
Mrs. Willard held open a bank book.
Its figures represented the price she
had received for the sale of her ten
best years, and she had spent an hour
in the debate of whether to give up
her earnings. June had been taken
into that debate, but she had been able
to offer no argument ON either side.
She had realized at last a great and
saddening truth-that every woman's
problem must be for herself alone.
Marie meantime, with officer Dowd
as interpreter, had telephoned every
where for news of Ned Warner, but
without result; then in despair she tel
ephoned the Willard house to excuse
her absence to June That number
did not answer after repeated trials.
Marie, more frantic than ever and
feeling sure that she was about to lose
her mind, hurried straight down to the
station and took train to the Willard
place.
1t was closed and locked. Even the
servants were gone, but at the car,
rage entrance stood the touring car.
The garage-empty too! There were
no signs that Jens Jansen or Henri
had returned.
Just as Marie was bordering over
this remarkable circumstance there
came trudging down the drive q nattv
little figure, its limbs neatly incased in |
leather leggings, its cap pushed on the |
back of its head but its tiny little
mustache all fuzzy. 1t was Henri, and
in his eyes was a very great weari- |
ness.
Where is Mr. Ned?" screamed Ma,
RE.
Name of the good Lord!' groaned
Henri. He is watching the day per-
haps. Such headachen And Henri |
pressed his humping brow.
Where is JenS?'
Vanished! l wake up. Jens is no
more! He has had a fight they say. |
He has been licked, they say. The
enormous ruttian who is strong enough
to box my friend Jens has stolen the
machine. Here it is. VOLTA! Jens
must have returned"
Marie shook Henri by the sleeve.
Where is Mr.. Ned?" she demanded.
I'm the woods" Henri waved his
arms COMPREHENSIVE.
Not tiedr'
AS you saw him, Mile. Marie" And
once more Henri was able to laugh
He blew kiss to the sky. 1t was
well executed, mademoselle. 1t was
Henri, myself. who
Marie got into the car.
You take me right out there" she
ordered.
Bravo! he approved. 1T is anotb |
err good pDtprDricp' bovo