The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-30

glance shorewards, he saw a big husky
trampish-looking fellow going through
his clothes. He shouted at the despoil-
err, but the latter did not desist. Dane
ran up on the shore. He grappled
with the thief.
1t proved to be an unequal contest.
The tramp was double his match in
bulk and strength. There was a strenu-
GUS tussle. Then, %springing free from
Danes grasp, his assailant grabbed
up a heavy club and dealt him a dozen
cruel blows.
1t was hours later when Dane
aroused from a deathlike lethargy. His
face was dabbled with blood, he was
weak and dizzy-headed. In a mechan-
lcal sort Of way he proceeded to dress
himself. II was in the cast-off gar
ments of the tramp, although he did
not notice this. The enemy had made
the despoilment complete.
In a brain daze that co~mprehended
little of environment or the extent
of his injuries, Dane staggered down
the beach. He had a dim realization
of the fact that he was badly hurt and
must find succor. At last his blurred
sense of vision made out a fence, a
habitation beyond it. Dane reeled
along a gravel path, gave a lurch and
landed face downward amid a redo
lent bed of flowers.
Don't move, mister. Just tell what
you want and I'll get it for you" were
the words that recalled him to life
again, three days later. Dane started.
A little urchin who spoke was seated
beside the bed in which he lay in a
low-ceilinged but Immediately clean
apartment.
What place is this?" began Dane
wonderingly.
why, it's home" explained the lad.
Whose homer"
"Mine-sister's. She's made It
yours, too, for she felt so sorry
the fix % were in. She's left me
to nurse you while she takes the but
ter and eggs to town"
All through the rest Of that day
Dane in fragments gathered up the
sequel to his battle on the shore of
the lake. He had been discovered at
their very doorstep by the Mertons,
sister and brother. His wretchedness
had appealed to a sympathetic heart.
Poor as they were, the best they had
had been at once awarded this in
voluntary guest.
Ned Merton was chatty and artless,
AS the hours passed, Dane grew
stronger. He took a certain pleasure
in delving into the details of the lives
of these two children of the heart,
struggling to secure a mere livelihood,
and thankful for it.
Then came Ruth Merton-a bright,
bronzed, true-eyed girl, so graceful
and beautiful that Cyril Dane ac-
knowledged mentally to a new regard
for the sex.
She insisted on his remaining an
invalid until he grew strong. She
brought him a book to read. 1t was
one of his own. 1t was a novel ex-
perience to hear this artless critic
glory over it's beautiful descriptive
parts, and deprecate the vanity and
hollowness of its cynicism and false
standards of actual Wife.
His ann and conversation
proved to the young girl that he was
a gentleman and of more than average
cultured intelligence. Dane sent a
wire to Rossiter that brought back
clothes and money. There were two
convalescent weeks when he strolled
with his new, charming acquaintance
and marveled at the clear, soulful way
in which she showed him and trans
lated the beauties of nature about
them.
81 am coming back" he told Ruth
Merton, as he took her hand and
looked into her honest eyes with a
thrill-I am coming back in two
days"
81 am going back into the country
to remodel my new story" he told
Rossiter in the city, the day following.
Discovered something new?" init
mated Rossiter.
yes, a woman whose soul Is be-
yond rubies, who has taught me what
true love really means, my wife-if
she will have me-"
Copyright. 1915. by W. G. Chapman.)