The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-02-03

arms, twisted ana tense, rose lTOH neI
sides, reached the horizontal-and
then without a word or a sound she
dropped dead in the dust.
Next 10 the church in the village
stood the little parsonage. A car was
drawn up in front of this, and in the
middle Of the road, looking expectant-,
" at the car which Tommy was driv-
ing. stood Professor Stilliter with
white flower in his button hole Also
on the lookout was clergyman and a
lady who was doubtless his wife.
To Tommy the scene was like
page in a book, written for children
in words of two syllables. Stilliter,
the white fower-the clergyman. 1t
was almost too simple.
To Stilliter the driver who should
bring Celestia to him was a man OF
no importance. Net until the car was al
most upon him with undiminished
speed, did he divert his eyes from Ce'
lestia's face to that Of the man be-
side her Upon the face Of that man
there was jubilant boyish grin.
Tommy pressed button, the car
gave one of those sudden signals OF
warning that sound like giant being
sick at his stomach
Professor Stilliter leaped aside, but
not in time to escape being grazed by
the mud guard, which sent him roll
Ing.
Freddie the Ferret leaped to his
feet for the sheer JOY of being alive
to see his enemy bite the dust When
Professor Stilliter got his feet the car
was passing out of the village. To get
his own car under way was not the
work of a moment, the driver having
gone into the back yard of the parson-
age for pail of water, and remained
to gossip with the maid of all work.
But Tommy knew that there would
be a pursuit, and thenceforth drove
his own car, or rather the one with.
which he had eloped, as fast as ne
dared. He had no personal fear or.
Stilliter. But he wished, il possible.
to show Celestia the cave, and the
proofs, that she had once Inhabited.
The state of hypnosis that she was
in troubled and distressed him. Bus
sooner or later it must pass, ne
thought. Certainly nature must come
to the rescue. Meanwhile, he took a.
pathetic pleasure in working on her
mental condition with view to pro-
noting her comfort.
"You look tired, dear" he said.
Are you?'
No answT.
"The driver says don't be tired
And YOU have to obey the driver.
This had a marvellous effect. Her
head no longer dropped, color came
into her cheeks, and into her eyes a
look of vivacity. In one way Tommy
was rejoiced; at the same time ne
felt as if he would rather like to cry.
There was something so pathetic
about her absolute docility.
Soon said Tommy, ''you are going
to leave the car and go for long
walk through the woods with me.
You'll walk fast and not get tired.
We're going to the wonderful cave
where you lived and played when you
were a little girl, and which they
taught you to believe was heaven
He broke off suddenly. Then asked
her a question.
"Do you have to do as the driver
tells you?"
Il Yes"
\ "Do you have to believe a thing II
he tells you to believe it?'
\ Yes"
| Half an hour passed. Tommy shut
off power, and brought the car to a
stand at the side of the narrow road.
Come, Celestial" he said, and fol-
low me-
He turned his back upon the road
and stepped off boldly into the woods.
Celestia followed him, walking as she
had been told to do with swift tire
lessness. And the Ferret followed
her.
There is no need to describe that
walk or the country through which it
led them. 1t was just a walk as Tom
my had told her of, long and fast.
But it didn't tire her. 1t was for
the most part along narrow blazed
: trails, but sometimes Tommy took
short cuts Known to himself. When
. there was no longer light to see by,
: they rested and Tommy put his coat
> around Celestia, and Freddie put his
over her knees. They rested there till
: the moon rose, and then went on mora
] slowly. but no less surely, until they
! came to the bold, upthrust mountain
; mass at whose feet Tommy had found
!, the entrance to the famous cave.
And now the fact that Celestia
showed no sign of coming out of her
trance worried him immensely. What
was the use of taking her into the
cave and showing her its charm and
: tinsel? Better to explore it more thor
oughly himself, but carefully lest he
:, get lost, so that when she came to
.. her right mind he could show her