The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1916-01-06
"Mr. Hazard, wait! I want to speak

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''Mr. Hazard, wait! I want to speak
with you"
Felix Hazard had just descended the
Il" steps at Fifth avenue and Madison
street, and was hurrying to his Office
1T the Sutherland Detective agency, to
bake up the labors Of the day, when
his steps were arrested by a soft femi-
nine voice. He stopped instantly, and
not without some surprise wheeled
sound and met the speakers anxious
book. He knew the voice.
"Certainly, Helen" he agreed. "You
Vound mighty serious"
The two drew closer together and
k.aved under the steps away from the
kostling sidewalk throng.
Nominally, Helen Bertel was ste
tographer at the Sutherland Offices;
but. besides being strikingly pretty
klrl with a Dianalike length of limb
Ind litheness, she had on more than
bne occasion, when asked to meet an
Emergency, shown a capability and
hdaptability that placed her in the
sank with the company's best opera
lives. Accordingly, she drew an oper-
bAves salary.
Felix Hazard and Helen Bertel were
good friends. Indeed, it was hard
sometimes for the man to smother the
warm glow that was wont to leap into
his eyes at sight of her; he made no
attempt to hide his admiration, how
over.
The girl smiled family.
"Perhaps it is serious" she returned.
'Anyhow, it's awfully queer-what
want to see you about. I'm glad we
met here instead of having to wait till
We got to the offi0a.
Last night, as maybe you remem.
Der, was beautifully full moon-and
was out lots later than should have
been, alone in my canoe, and I went
but into the lake lois farther than I
should have gone. l had an adj
venture"
Her fine gray eyes were dancing
with suppressed excitement.
"In the middle Of the lake?' Hazard
inquired.
Goodness, mol But + was far
enough off shore to make it very
strange and mysterious. The moon
glare was behind me at the time, and
once when I looked back ! saw a row.
boat. It was white-like a shell of
alabaster on path Of cold silver fire. "
Felix Hazard smiled whimsically and
remarked:
1.-THE moons influence still fingers,
see. What queer girl you are!"
She made little mouth at him and
went on:
1T was empty, or thought it was;
one doesn't find empty skiffs floating
on the lake every night, you know;
and of course T turned and padded
straight to where it was.
"Well, it wasn't empty. A man lay
unconscious in the bottom, his white
lace turned up ghostly to the moon.
thought he was dead; but even while
was holding tho two boats together
and peering down at him, he opened
his eyes and looked up at me.
sIt was funny! TO save my life
I couldn't think of a word to say!
We just stared at each other like two
ninnies for all of a minute. Then he
all at Snce sat up and groaned. He
caught at his head with both hands
and toppled forward over one of the
thwarts.
81 knew then that he had been hurt,
and got busy. Would you believe it?
He hadn't the slightest idea how he
got injured, or how he happened to
be out on the lake in a rowboat at
hearty midnight.
"By this time was making mental
note Of everything. He had an un
buttoned appearance, if you know what
I rnean-shirt unfastened, shoes I'M
laced; his collar and tie were lying on
the grating, and his hat was missing
utterly. Also he didn't have an oaI
10 his name.
'He was too weak to help much, and
shefr wasn't another boat in sight any
where-just us two away out in the
silent, moonlit lake. I tied my canoe
to the boat and towed it back to the
peach; not so easy to do with only 9
single paddle"
Hazard was intensely interested, MOI
alone because the episode was unusua
in itself, but also because he knew
that Helen Bertel would not be telling
him about it with so mucn detail i
Nhe were not moved by some under
lying purpose.
"Well," he prompted her, what
the answer?"
why, on the way to land l mad'
another discovery-several of them
TO tell the truth. He is a young mai