The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1915-08-18
FOURTH INSTALLMENT
CHAPTER x.


But Tommy stopped short with a
kind of jerk, as a tethered animal
stops when it comes to the end of its
rope; for he saw clearly, and all in a
moment, that II was not a woman who
invited him TO share the shelter of the
hut but a little child. He stopped
short then and smiled as a boy smiles.
Not room enough for two in there, "
he said. But IL you get frightened or
want anything, Just call. I'll hear.
And-good night"
1t seemed darker when she had
closed the door of the hut and no
longer cleaned in the fire light. Pro-
fessor Stilliter lowered his rifle with
a suppressed sigh of relief and sank
down among the bushes. And when
Tommy, BEAUTIFULLY tired, had fallen
into a sound sleep he withdrew to a
distance with his followers, and passed
a night of supreme discomfort upon
the hard ground. Celestial was safe
in Tommy's care. and there was no
use separating them before morning.
Bright and early Celestia walked and
stepped from the hut into the cold.
still Adirondack dawn. Tommy, his
feet to the fire that had almost died.
still slept. She knelt by him and
studied his face at leisure. Presently
she touched his hand cautiously with
the tip of her finger and found that il
was cold. Then, happy as a child, to
be of service, she put wood on the fire
and blew the embers into fame. Still
Tommy did not wake, and she knelt
by him once more and, with a laugh,
bowed her lovely head and kissed him.
Tommy was dreaming of her. She
had promised to marry him as soon
as he had killed the horrible dragon
that lived under the hill. Tommy,
after a desperate battle, in which he
was armed with only a can-opener, had
iust succeeded in opening the dragons
tugular vein, and was just rushing out
from under the hill to claim his re.
ward from the waiting Celestia, when
she really kissed him. and he walked.
and knew that he had been kissed.
His very first words were of reproof.
- "Celestia, dear" he said, you
mustn't do that"
Mustn't kiss your" T}
"Of course not"
Her great eyes assumed an injured
look.
TN heaven" she said, IAN angel al
ways wakes me with a kiss"
Tommy was wide awake now.
What kind OF an angel?" he in
uulred with kind of cold suspicion in
his voice.
"Oh." she said carelessly, anyone
that happened to pass by, and thought
that had slept long enough. But
then Celestia liked to be kissed. Don't
humans?"
yes" said Tommy, sometimes. /
liked it. Only among us it's a sacred
sort OF thing, and grown-up humans re-
serve their kisses for celestial moods.
or for children, who are always rather
heavenly" AS he spoke, he began to
prepare breakfast, and Celestia smiled
upon him, but not as If she was very
much interested in what he had said,
or indeed understood 1t. Suddenly she
said:
81 want to cook"
you do, do your Do you know
how?
1--WE watched you"
Tommy rose with laugh.
Then you SHALL" he said, "and I'll
have q swim to wake me up"
"A SWIM"
you do 1t in the water" said
Tommy gravely. and he made swim
ming motions with his arms.
"Oh. but I'd rather swim. too, than
cook" said Celestia, and she prepared
to follow him. But Tommy shook his
head.
Somebody has to cook" he said.
"and was the first to think about
swimming and so it would be selfish
Of you"
you were nicer TO me yesterday"
said Celestia. and she turned with a
little cry OF establishment to the kettle,
which had Just boiled over.
Tommy hurried away chuckling, and
Just before he came TO tho Narrow
Island Beach he stripped and hung his
clothes on a tree limb. then he ran
into the water until II was waist deep.
and then dove.
Celestia. busy with the cooking, was
not troubling her mind about celestial
affairs.
The reason that Tommy could not
understand Celestia was simple. She
could not explain herself. She be
hsved beyond question that she had
always lived In hsessa until the day