Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-16
FOURTEENTH INSTALLMENT
cELEsTIA HEARS THE TRUTH.

The sound was not repeated Grad.
ually the professors snarled lips re
laXed and closed over his teeth. But
fer some time longer he stood listen
ms and trying to see into the shadows
Then he turned to Celestia and, after
a moment of silent and greedy contem
plation, spoke
We are going to be married" he
said. I'VE are about to enter the
church" And he followed suggestion
by suggestion. it is not quite clear why,
unless he had in him a streak of that
quality which causes a cat to play with
4 mouse.
In Celestia's mind rose a shadowy
picture of an altar, of a clergyman in
white surplice, of candles that
burned in candelabra, of an altar boy,
of a great bell made of flowers. She
was standing facing the clergyman
and the altar, at the foot of the steps
which led to it.
Now she was being married The
clergyman was asking her some long
olemn question. Now she was repeat
ing words after him, but only with her
ips
Il, Celestia, take"
Freddie the Ferret had never been
more puzzled in his life. He was not
very familiar with the marriage cere-
mony, but still he recognized the fact
that Professor Stilliter and Celestia,
standing little way from the log hut.
were going through something of the
kind
Driven by a curiosity which over
mastered his fear of Stilliter Freddie
trept out of his hiding place and ad-
vanced over a broad outcropping of
-ranite on feet which made no sound
The mockery of marriage service
over Professor Stillter no longer
made any effort at self-control; he
.eized her in his arms. and was him
self seized by the collar and jerked
vigorously backward.
II was so sudden and so unexpected
that for a moment Professor Stilliter's
heart stood still. and he almost died
Of fright. Then with kind of whin-
ing cry he tore himself loose and faced
about.
Something bright and shining
flashed in the moonlight, there was a
sound of glass shivered to atoms, and
for the moment Professor Stilliter was
stone blind.
He gave a grunt of rage and reached
into his waistcoat pocket for the case
which he supposed contained his one
remaining spare pair of glasses. AS
we know, the case was empty.
Unnamed by this horrible surprise,
the professor forgot his intended vic.
tim for a moment and Freddie, Selling
the golden opportunity, made a des-
perate effort, capsized the professor,
eluded the snatch which the latter
made at him, and won free.
Professor Sulliter rose slowly to
his feet, his face pale as with the an
ticipation of death. So he stood a mo-
ment, and then in a voice that shook,
he called TO Celestia, who had re-
mained standing in front Of the hut.
Come here, Celestial" he called.
She moved obediently toward him.
But the Ferret threw himself in her
way. Some instinct told him that
these two people must be kept apart
Celestia did her best to reach Stilliter,
but Freddie prevented her by force
He threw his skinny arms around her
and dragged her slowly in an opposite
direction.
Stilliter did not repeat the order to
come" He merely called TO her to
hurry" And obediently she hurried
but in the direction which Freddie had
been forcing her to take. She had hur.
ried hundred feet before Stilliter
realized his mistake. He called to her
to stop, to turn back, to come to him
and all these things she tried to do
but Freddie would not let her.
Professor Stilliter's commands to
Celestia grew fainter and fainter, IN
til at last they could no longer be
heard. And now the moon had sailed
her course through the heavens ant
had descended behind the mountain
and there was a darkness In which
Freddie was almost as helpless as the
victim Of his chance blow.
He still had Tommy's knife and witt
this he cut a great pile of tender bal
sam for Celestia to lie on. BY good
fortune the night was not cold. Celes
tia lay till morning without moving OF
closing her half-open eyes. And Fred
die stood guard over her, then sat
guard, and then slept
Stilliter also slept after a time. He
had found his way to the hut, and had
controlled his panic-stricken mind suf
hciently 10 reason that II ha xaS tc