The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-16

dental talk with his new ally. He felt
confidence in his protestation of fealty.
He was surprised to find the man full
of clever suggestions, and when he left
the bridge an hour later he was sure
that the letter would reach Clio safe
ly, and found himself the center of
deep laid exciting plot.
You see, the bridgetender had said,
Il run up to the Barrett place often.
The steward is an old friend of mine.
I'll see that little miss gets your letter.
And. say, when you want to loiter
around up there, drop into my watch
house here and slip on some toys there
that will disguise you like high-class
detective"
Thereafter for two evenings Q
slouching figure. suggesting some
tramp wayfarer looking for free lunch
and lodging. meandered by the Bar
rett home. On the first occasion Clio,
in the garden, managed to slip q note
over the fence. On the second she
was near enough to the stroller to
catch the words: BE ON hand" and
her pretty lips whispered the agreea-
BILE response: Every evening at this
hour"
So it was that those two had pref
ty thorough understanding OF the situ-
alton, when, one, evening just at dusk,
Mr.. Barrett drove up to the curb in his
automobile. He was an active public
ofiicer and attentive to his duties, and
was bound back for his office as soon
as dinner was over.
Mr. Barrett attended all fires, courts
and public meetings so as to keep in
touch with everything affecting the
civic interest He had a regular alarm
bell attached to his machine, its tones
so familiar to the general public that
the people cleared the way promptly
when its signal tones echoed out,
What happened two minutes after
Mr.. Barrett had left the car, was that
Gerald sprang into the vacated drivers
seat from behind a tree. At the same
moment Clio squeezed her way
through the hedge Just as she got
into the rear seat of the machine her
father appeared unexpectedly. lie
had left u package of papers in the au-
to and had returned to secure them.
Gerald with leap sent the machine
forward, disregarding the amazed and
threatening shouts of the Infatuated
mayor. by the time the bridge, was
reached, Mr.. Barrett had rushed TO
the stables, secured a horse and was
! in hot pursuit of the fugitives.
Good" shouted the bridSetender,
as the machine whizxea past him and
his keen vita took in fully the merits
Of the aituation. Then he stared back
the road and made out the chief official
! of the town in the near distance.
This won't do" decided the bridge.
! tender, and then-the instant the horse
reached the end of the bridge the loyal
friend of the lovers touched the lever
and swung the bridge open.
The mayor raved, the mayor scent
ed completely. In vain he menaced the
bridgetender, who feigned the neces'
sity of an oiling process in connection
with the swinging apparatus.
Clang! clang! clang! not knowing
all that had happened behind him, ant
taking no risks, fearing that tele
phone warning might head them OF
right tndustriously Gerald piled tn
alarm bell en- the auto. In five min
utes there was a clear course, the.
were through the town and beyond II
Regular wedding bells!" he chol
tied gayly, as they shot down smootl
country road in the direction Of tn
home of the nearest rural minister.
| fCopyrtcht 1916 by w. G, Chapman)