The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-19


her play would have done. When the
heroine followed the James brothers,
she had only a club in her hand.
Here was a frearm ready at hand.
and though it was not loaded. how
was Raffies to know?
"A play, is it," queried the masked
man as he bent forward to look
Yes"
"A useless waste Of time. | have
been told that there are 500 plays
written for every one accepted What
is the plot? Perhaps l can give you
pointer or two
1T is thisi" said Miss Edith as she
pulled the drawer open and seized
the revolver and pointed 1t straight
at him. There is a closet over there.
II you do not enter 1t l will shoot you
deadi"
Don't trouble yourself. In the first
place, l am not armed, and II were
there would be no shooting on my
side. In the second, wish to identity
myself and explain my presence here.
II you will kindly call your brother
Fred. whom presume Is In the house,
and whom I have known personally
for the last five years"
Il shall do nothing Of the kind. sir.
Into that closet or I firei"
Il am not the rascal Raffies. We
were discussing him at the club few
nights ago and"
The revolver that did not know Il
was loaded seemed about to go of
and send a bullet into his brain, and
the intruder rose and walked over to
the closet Indicated and opened the
door and entered. The girl followed
at his heels and turned the key and
then sat down all OF tremble and
began to cry. She had not made up
her mind what further to do when
the father came downstairs with q
shotgun in his hand. He had heard
some noise that aroused him. In the
front hall he stumbled over a silver
trophy that Fred had won in his
athletic days.
What the devil is happening
here?" he demanded in official lam
guage as he looked from the fearful
daughter to the trophy and back
"Oh, Daddy, have cap-captured
Raffies! He is in that closet!"
Then I'll have him out and blow
the top of his head offl What in
blazes are you doing capturing rob
bers without saying anything to your
superior officer about 1t? Things have
came to a pretty pass In the service.
Now, then, stand back while | have
the scoundrel out. Say, you in there
If you make the least resistance I'll
blow you into dogs meat!"
The door was flung wide open and
Raffies walked out. He had removed
his mask and was trying to smile. but
1t was sickly effort. He began to
apologize and explain, but the general
cut him short until he had been
bound with cord torn from a por-
there. Then the general continued
to menace him with the shotgun
while the daughter ran upstairs to
wake up Fred. Fred came down with
a couple of gums" the mother de-
scended with bottle Of witch hazel
clutched by the neck, and the two
women servants were ready to take
position on the right or the left flank.
/ as ordered by the general. Apologies
and explanations were renewed, and
after q time they prevailed. Miss
Edith was glad she had not shot any.
body with an unloaded revolver. The
general was sorry that he had had all
his trouble for nothing. and Fred said
| that he would be at dinner where the
5000 were laid out.
The next time Raffies appeared at
the manor house II was under his own
hams and be was on his best behavior.
Some few remarks were made to call
for bushes on his part, and the gen.
eral still insisted that he had not been
treated according to the rules of war
fare, but things passed OF so we'll that
Howard Burt was asked to call again.
After that he did not appear to need
any special invitation, and It may be
that by the time the play is finished
the hero and heroine will decide that
the hand of Providence threw them
together to prevent Edith's becoming
an old maid.