Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-23
CHAPTER rx-toontlnusd,


AGAIN he picked up his sledgo and. now
a more cautiously. once more started
forward.
"An can do" he thought, is just to
go right ahead as though this hadn't hap
pened at ALL II trouble comes, Il comes
that's all. l guess I can meet IT. Always
have got away with 1t, so far. Wen see,
what's on the cards has got to be played
to a finish. and the best hand wins|
He retraced his way to the spring, where
he carefully rinsed and filled the Cosmos
ho,tIe for Beatrice. Then back to the
Metropolitan he came. donned his bearskin,
which he fastened with wire nall, ana
started the long climb. His sledBo no care
fully hid on the second floor, in an ONCE at
the left OF the stairway
+Don't think much of this hammer, after
an" said he- What need is an AK FER
hans this afternoon can have another go
AT that hardware place and find one.
III the handles gone, I can haft It with
green wood. With q good ak and these two
revolvers-tilI I find some rines-l guess
we're safe enough, spearheads or notE
About him he glanced at the ever-present
molder and decay. This ofnce, he could
easily see. had been both spacious and lux
urious. but now II offered = sorry spectacle.
In the dust over by window somsthing
gllttered duly
stern found It was a fragment OF bev-
eled mirror. which had probably hung
there and. when the frame rotted, had
dropped He brushed 1t on and looked
eagerly into IT,
A cry OF amusement burst from MN; I'M =,
''Do look like thatf' he shouted. "Weil'
I won't, for lOngf'
He propped the glass up on the steel
beam of the window opening and got the
scissors out of the bag. Ten minutes later
the face OF Allan Stern bore some resem-
bIancs to Its original self.
what will she think and sayf' he won
dersd, as he once more took up the bag
and started on the long. exhausting climb
Sweating profussiy badly "blovn"-tor
he had not taken much time to rest on the
way-ths engineer az last reached his Of
Aces in the tower.
Before entering. ne called the girl's name.
aBeatricsl oh, Bsatricel Are you awake
IAN right, come imp she answered cheer
fully and came to meet him in the doorway
Out 10 him she stretched her hand in well
come; and the smile she gave him set his
heart pounding
He had to laugh at her astonishment and
naive delight over his changed appearances;
but ali the time his eyes were eagerly de-
vouring her beauty
For nov, freshly awakened, full Of new
uss and vigor after a sound nights sleep
the girl was magnificent
The morning light disclosed new glints Of
color IN her wondrous hair, as 1t lay broad
ma slIksn on the tiger skin
This sha had secured at the throat and
att with bits OF metal taken from the
,s~sslxage OF the fling cabinet
stern promised himself that ere long he
.,onld ana her profusion OF gold pins
md chains In some Of the Fifth avenue
shops to serve her purposes till she could
fashion real clothing
The touch of her fingers, soft and warm,
dispellsd his every anxiety. The thought
md he vas working now Tor her; serving
her; striving to preserve and keep her.
thrilled him with 1oy.
And as some foregleam Of the future
came 10 him. his Eears dropped from him
No those outworn rags he had discarded
Ia lhs forest
. ,sWsn % vs'rs beth ~ saa e Il again