Gunnison news-champion., 1916-06-16
RtRTlE SIMS
sy LOUISE OLIVER.

see-you might get . ticket for
Beechmont. Mrs. Harding -Haines. the
sculptor. 10 doing = group for some
thing or other and 10 going to give
the proceeds to the dog hospital.
something like that. anyway. Engi-
neer an interview with the lady. Take
camera. There. get along now!"
Bert's rebellion boiled over in the
corridor.
What's all this about!" inquired .
feminine voice behind him
Bert turned smiling to the girl.
They went down to the street To-
gether, Say. BERTHE. I'm leaving"
"Why,"
She laughed . little slyly. "Oh. I'm
like the little boy in the poem
I've got the hives
And q new straw hat.
And I'm goin' back home
Where my beau lives at"
He stopped as.though . bullet had
put hole in q vital spot Il con-
graduate you. Molly" he managed to
get out. hadn't an Idea you were
engaged"
"well-rm not exactly! I guess
shouldn't have said that. But mother
is making an awful fuss about my do
ing newspaper work and insists upon
my going home and marrying man
she's picked for me-"
'And your
She sighed. I'm going to look him
over. II he suits my fancy l may"
"A hour later. the young man found
himself unioaded at the entrance gate
to the Harding Haines place. He had
preferred walking the quarter mile tc
the house to get few pictures Of the
grounds.
He had passed a group Of elms.
wonderful shrubbery. and an Italian
garden, and was approaching per
gole when he spied q swimming pool
cool. marble lined and inviting. He
looked around. Things were quiet, ex
! cept for woodpecker hammerine
near, and somewhere in the distance
the dull hum of . grass mower.
He was hot and dusty and evei
since his talk with Molly there had
been queer feeling in his head. The
solitude of the place spelled safety
Why not take q plunge! So In few
minutes he was In the bath. his clothes
and camera slowed away beneath
hydrangea-
The water was soothingly refresh
ing and he swan slowly around. keep
ing close to the shadow Of overhang
ing shrubs. And tLen-as he neared
the place nom which he had started
heA&Afd voice. Q womau's. quite
close:
Here, Jenkins. put the tea wagon
by this stone bench. I'll walt here fci
Miss Mary"
Bert thought of his clothes. not hvt
feet from the bench. and danger Of dis
covery became imminent when the
same person remarked: when yor
60 back. Jenkins. send Green to me
These shrubs are entirely too thick
They need thinning around the water
You may CO."
Bert shivered. The water became
cold as the situation grew warm
Jenkins retreated and the voice spoke
no more. but Bert knew that madam
probably Mrs. Harding -Haines herself
was seated 80 near that he could have
touched her"
Then MARY" arrived. A car came
rapidly up the drive and stopped. Nov
was the accepted time and Bert waf
about to make q grab for his clothes
when Green appeared upon the op
posite side OF the pool. There was
nothing for It bat to drop quickly back
into the water under cover Of the
| bushes.
But in the instant something had
happened. Bert had seen the girl. His
heart nearly stopped beating. for
Mary" was his Molly.
But bark! Madam was talking An
unwilling eavesdropper. Bert couldn't
help hearing.
Mary. row that you have had your
own way and earned your own bread
for year and lived real life. as you
call It. want you to consider what
say. When you were quite tiny, and .
certain young man also was quite
small, his mother and I betrothed
YOU two. rye never mentioned 1t for
several reasons. Partly because ]
changed my mind, as his family lost
every cent Of their money. But his
mother was my best friend and think
I've done wrong in waiting. II pro
duce him. wort you try to like him?"
DO know him? What il his name.
mother?"
"Bertram Van Buren,"
''Mother!"
Just then Green's quick eye noticed
splash. and he exclaimed excitedly:
Madam, there's q man in the water
II you and Miss Mary will please 90
away. I'll call jenkins and pull him
Out!"
Mrs. Harding -Haines rose quickly
Heavens! Come along to the house.
Mary. I'll cali mp the police instantly"
Buk M0lIv rec0vared Of One ahock