The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-25

Gts.s-6e
 The Girl shrank Against Her compar-
 ion and cIutehed His Arm. knew thnt4 any one's arm could grow as hard as that And is that the way you always prepare to receive your friendsT
 Steve colored a little.
 Perhaps I'm overcautions," he re- piled. "But it has to be hard. It con stitutes what one of my men, Joe Nor gan, calls accident insurance"
 Then her face lighted up again. The delighted bob of her head with which she greeted that name astonished the man.
 ''Do you-why, you must have heard of Joev' he exclaimed.
 "Joe Morgan" she laughed. "Tat Joe,' isn't h? And of courae I have heard of him. You don't realize 1t, but I know more about this East Coast work and--and the men who arc do- ing it than I had any idea myself. Why, I'll wager that you never knew. yourself. that be once wrote in to the officials insisting that tho entry oa his name on the files be changed from Zoe Morgan, coek,' to Joseph Morgan. as- sistant to Chief O'Marar" Steye's chuckle of appreciation was answer enough. stsA
 'I want to know Joe, please! Can't I,meet him, W-. O'sfaraT'
 But the question wns unnecessary. Joe Morgan--Eat Joe to the river front and the construction squad--was al- ready hustling in their direction, even before Steve. with that slow spoile tug ging at his lips, had, finished assuring her that it was never necessary to summon Joe into the presence of an attractive member of the opposite sex. He came without being called.
 Morning. chief, Fat Joe saluted, in that thin and feedy tonor which none but fat men have.
 Steve managed the presentation with extreme pupeSility and left them When he returned almost an hour lat CT. he heard then2both laughing long before he came into view, and on the way back up the hill the girl -detailed for him much of her conversation with Fat Joe.
 'why should there be any-any ele- ment of personal danger in this work you are doing, MT. O'Mara?" she final ly asked. ''And did do wrong in mentioning to MT. Morgan how that man came out of that-place and glar- cd 30 at your
 His rejoinder should have been very reassuring.
 "So Joe has been hinting at that mystery stun again, has he? After listening to him one is compelled to believe that I run daily a veritable gauntlet of nameless perila."
 Barbara stood, small fists buried in her sweater pockets. studying his ] smile of amusement.
 T shouldn't like to believe so." her voice was ifaintly dimdent. And you you haven't accepted my invitation for Friday. May expect you? I didn't tell you, but Archie e-Archibald Wickersham-will be there, as well as Garry. So-so you won't be entirely uhacquainted."
 And then at those words his face changed. All in one fleet second, in spite of the whole mornings quick inti- macy of mood and the spirit of com panionshiptwhich to her had seemed al delightfully."- new yet time tried thing, Barbara found. that she could not read an inch behind those grave gray eyes. She found bis quiet countenance as un- readable as that of the utmost stranger might have ,beeu. And while she wait- ed, not entirely certain how displeased she was at his asedeliberation. a blackest of black horses scared splendidly over { a fence to the north and came canter- ing down the road. The rider. a tall, bareheaded girl, lifted her crop in sa- lute as she caught sight of them sMy friend. Miriam Burrell" the girl murmured in explanation to Steve. and something had gone from her voice and left it conventionally impersonal. "She's riding Ragtime, and isn't he q beauty-almost as much a beauty as she is herselfr
 The horse came on, to be refined up at last directly in front of the two at the roadside. Stephen O'Mara met for a moment the level, measuring glance of its rider before Miriam Burrell turn ed to Barbara.
 'T've enjoyed exceedingly our norn- ing canter. Bobs." her alto voice dyawled.
 Gro Be Cnntinued.l
 
 THE RxETTxDsr HAOD