Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1916-03-30


Is very much mistaken in his man.
It was a nuisance getting rid Of 1t,
that was all, and he wanted 1t to be
completely out Of sight when he re-
turned from Red Roof II vestige Of
the ruins remained some would hear
from him. That was understood. And
when Maud came home on the 6:14
abe would not find him asleep. not by
long shot.
Half way to Red Roof he espied
man walking briskly along the road
ahead of him. To be perfectly accu-
rate, he was walking in the middle Of
the road, and his back was toward
the swift moving, almost noiseless
Packard.
"Blow the horn for the dam fool"
said Mr.. Blithers to the chauffeur. A
moment later the pedestrian leaped
nimbly aside and the car shot past,
the dying wall of the siren dwindling
away in the whirr of the wheels.
trLook where you're going!" shouted
Mr.. Blithers from the tonneau, as If
the walker had come near to run
ming him down instead of the other
way around. "Whoa! Stop 'er. Jack
son!" he called to the driver. He had
recognized the pedestrian.
The car came to stop with grind
ing brakes. and at the same time the
pedestrian halted hundred yards
away.
upool, ,,ru oo,,onopdad Mr. pIith
ers in some haste, for the prince
seemed to be on the point Of desert
ing the highway for the wood that
lined 1t. Morning, prince!" he
shouted, waving his hat vigorously.
'Want lift?"
"No, I'll walk If you don't mind.
Out for bit of exercise, you know.
Thank you just the same"
"Where are you bound for?" asked
Mr.. Blithers.
~ don't know. I ramble where my
fancy leads me-"
"I guess I'll get out and stroll along
with you. God knows l need more ex-
ercise than l get. Is 1t agreeable?"
He was on the ground by this time.
without waiting for an answer, he
directed Jackson to run on to Red
Roof and walt for him.
81 shall be charmed" said Robin,
twinkle In the tail of his eye. "An
eight or ten mile jaunt will do you
world Of good, I'm sure. Shall we ex-
plore this little road up the mountain
and then drop down to Red Roof? l
don't believe it can be more than five
or six miles,"
"Capital," said Mr.. Blithers with
enthusiasm. He happened to know
that it was "short cut" to Red Roof
and less than a mile as the crow flies.
True, there was something of an
ascent ahead of them, but there was
also a corresponding descent at the
other end. Besides, he was confident i
he could keep up with the long leg
ged youngster by the paradoxical
process of holding back. The prince, |
having suggested the route, couldn't |
very we'll be arbitrary in traversing
1T. Mr.. Blithers regarded the sugges-
ton as an invitation.
They struck off into the narrow /
woodland road, not precisely side by
side, but somewhat after the fashion |
OF a horseback rider and his groom,
or, more strictly speaking. as q
knight and his vassal. Robin started
on so briskly that Mr.. Blithers fell
behind a few PAGES and had to exert
himself considerably to keep from los
ing more ground as they took the
nrst steep rise. The road was full Of
ruts and cross ruts and Uttered with
powders that had ambled down the
side in the spring moving.
To save his life, Mr.. Blithers couldn't
keep to a straight course. He went
from rut to rut and from rock to rock
with the fidelity Of a magnetized
atom, seldom putting his foot where
be meant to put 1t and never by any
chance achieving a steady stride. He
would take one long, purposeful step
and then a couple Of short "feelers."
very much as q man
tramps over a newly plowed field.
At the ton Of the rise Robin consid-