The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-12-03

and once more saw. Then he felt in
his pocket to see If this time he had
a spare pair with him. He had
Nobody" he thought, will ever
catch me with but one pair again"
A man OF iron nerves and OF great
imagination under perfect control,
Professor Stlliter had but one weak
ness-his eyes. Otherwise he was as
strong as a bull but let him once be-
gin to think about his eyes and he be
came the prey OF fearful and wild
fancies.
Most men die but once. Professor
Stilliter had died a thousand deaths
and all Of them violent and horrible,
and due to a sudden loss of sight.
During the preceding night, lying mis-
erably on the hard, rooty ground, he
had had a most unpleasant nightmare
about himself.
He was alone in the midst Of vast,
trackless forest. He was ther' on
scientific business-to record the song
OF certain very rare bird But the
bird wouldn't sing. II would only
laugh.
Now he had stopped to rest; so had
the laughing bird. In the forest was
the silence of death Suddenly the
bird began to laugh again, and this
time the laughter came nearer and
nearer And presently there emerged
from the forest into the little open
glade in which he stood two chill
dren, who held hands and laughed.
They were Tommy Steele and the lit
tie Amesbury girl They walked
straight toward him as if they didn't
see him. But they must have, for sud
denly they stopped, and Tommy said:
$50 you are the man that tried to
take her away from me and lock her
up in heaven, aren't you?"
yes, am, and what's more, I'll get
her this time"
And he lunged at the little Ames-
bury girl, and Tommy simply knocked
his glasses off.
He stood still for quite long time.
He could hear the children, still laugh
ing as they wandered off into the for
est The laughter grew fainter and
fainter
Then he knelt and began to hunt for
his glasses. He hunted until the knees
OF his trousers were worn through
and the small of his back ached like
an liberated tooth. He hunted slowly
and methodically until he felt that he
must have covered every square inch
of the open glade.
Then he began to scream for help.
After an hour his screams grew hoarse
and faint and presently his vocal
cords relaxed and he could no longer
make sound.
So 1t was to be death was it? Death
In the damned forest. when he was
still in the prime of life! Death be
cause little boy loved little girl
and always stood up for her! Well
Il had to be, and he tried to resign
himself to it and be calm.
He woke so frightened that he was
hall dead in reality. And it took him
some time to pull himself together.
Well, the party landed and took up
the long trail to Four Corners
About leaving Tommy without
clothes, Stilliter had no compunctions.
The young man might suffer. He
would undoubtedly catch a frightful
cold. but he wouldn't actually die.
He'll swim across" Stilliter thought,
and walk naked until he reaches the
outskirts OF Four Corners. Then he'll
hide in bush and call piteously for
help. I wish | could be there to see.
The scene should have in 1t the true
essence OF comedy"
Stilliter had no beliefs that could
not be ratified In scientific way, but
he could not altogether explain away
the miraculous coincidence OF Tommy
being the very first person that Celes'
tia should meet.
why pick out to meet her when
she comes back, from all the millions
who might be the first to meet her,
the one person who was unhappy