Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-17

ahead with Celestia, and Tommy gave
up following, the game was up. If they
were merely resting near the cave they
would be coming along in the morn
ing and he could ambush them some
where along the trail. And he hurried
Oh as best he could in the darkness.
His own car was as he had left it.
Stilliter's was standing just behind it,
The driver had wrapped himself in a
lap robe and was sound asleep in the
tonneau. Also in the tonneau was a
good-sized wicker picnic basket, which
on examination proved to be well
stocked with sandwiches, cold chicken
and thermos bottles containing hot
coffee and soup.
Tommy carried the basket into the
woods without asking permission of
the sleeping chauffeur and ate a
square meal He had not until now
realized how hungry and thirsty and
tired he was The choicest prov. ions
in the basket he l-t aside for Celes
tia. 'If I'm hungry and tired" he
thought, think what she must be.
But suppose Stilliter tells her that
she's Just had a square meal and she
believes the dog, but that can't last
forever
Having eaten, Tommy rested for
half an hour, took up the heavy bas.
ket, and once more hit the trail. But
now he went slowly and stopped often
to rest. He had seldom been so tired
In his life. and only an overmastering
love and anxiety for Celestia kept him
going.
1t was no longer night. 1t wasn't yet
dawn; but that lovely interval between
when in what appears to be pitch
darkness, things become suddenly Wis
ible. Tommy stumbled on, shifting
the heavy basket frequently from
hand to band.
As it got to be broad day, he was
careful to make no noise. At any mo-
ment now he might hear sounds of
Stilliter and Celestia approaching.
About this time Freddie and Celes-
tia (or rather Freddie alone; for Ce.
lestia merely suffered herself to be
led, were trying to find their way
back to the cave. But for once the
luck of the tenement dweller was at
fault. A man brought up on numbered
streets and rectangular city blocks
has no incentive to develop a bump
Of locality, and at last Freddie, with
cold fear in his heart, admitted to
himself that he was hopelessly lost. 1
shouldn't have said hopelessly; the
mariner has his sextant and compass
to guide him across the waters; the
woodsman has the sun and the stars,
and the mossy sides of trees to help
out in intuitive sense Of direction,
and Freddie, feeling in his inside pock-
ct, found to his unmitigated relief
that he had his pack of cards.
Forthwith he made Celestia sit
down, and he knelt, and having shuf-
fed his greasy and shabby deck, he
dealt thirteen cards face down in
very accurate circle. Then one by
one, look of faithful expectancy on
his face, he turned them over.
Twelve Of the cards he then gath
cred up and put with the pack. The
thirteenth was the ace of hearts.
This Freddie lifted with reverence
and great care, so as not to change
the direction in which it pointed, until
1t reached the level of his eye and he
could sight along it.
A blasted pine standing alone was
the first landmark to which the god.
dess of chance directed Freddie the
Ferrett.
We're not lost now" he said, and
he helped Celestia to her feet.
You may call 1t what you please
The fact remains that Freddie the Fer