The bee., 1916-12-08
AMAZING GRACE
By ELSIE SEE.

ttCt loH Aiit AAhiAOWttu ANOhN HiVHvoNN
by Mabel Craig.
"Oh, Grace, what has got into you?
You used to be more fun than any
body" Ada Green became impatient
when all their pleadlngs for Grace's
support proved in vain.
After the other girls left Mabel and
Ada discussed Grace's Indifference and
concluded that 1t was born of her Bit
terness caused by a recent quarrel
with Stanley Price, to whom Grace
had been almost engaged since their
childhood. Neither Of the girls had
even a faint suspicion that Grace's
seeming indifference was merely a ruse
to throw them Off their guard so that
she might carry out her plan to sur
prise them in the midst Of their Hal
loween frolic.
As for her quarrel with Stanley
Price, Grace shrugged her shapely
shoulders and said to herself that un-
til he admitted the reasonableness of
her determination to do one woman's
share in the restaurant inspection be-
ing planned by the pure-food COM
mittees of the various wOmen's clubs,
he could 60 in the direction Of the
bow-wows.
For the first week after their quar-
rel Stanley Price had been highly
amused at Grace's air of naughty
coldness as she would give him bare
ly recognizable greeting when they
happened to be on their neighboring
front porches at the same time. When
a whole week passed without Stanley
getting so much as glimpse Of Grace
the situation began to lose its humor
for him.
~Oh, bother those clubwomen for
catching Grace in their net" NUT
tered Stanley. as he paced his room
and puifed a cigarette on the night Of
Halloween, "rm going over tonight,
when Fate is Supposed to be on the
Job, ana offer to bury the hatehetS I
He had not turned on the light IN
his room and when he closed the hall
door preparatory to dressing for his
intended call his room was In dark
ness except for the faint light COM
ing into his window from the porch
light at the Trigg house next door.
Just as Stanley'g hand was on tho
switch BY his chiffonier a light flashed
from John Trigg's window directly op-
posite, and Stanley saw Grace and her
younger brother laughing gleefully as
she donned the coat Of his dress suit
and held up the trousers and found
their length Just right for her tall
figure. n- !
Grace was evidently borrowing
Johns dress suit and Stanley reflected
that Il must be for some sort Of frolic.
~By GeOrgel I'll waylay her II I'm
arrested for it." said Stanley. and sud-
denly stopped short, struck with a new
idea.
half an hour later Stanley crept
stealthily around the house from the
rear and took up his position where
he could watch the front door Of the
Trigg house without being seen. In
the darkness his figure stood out as a
fairly good imitation Of policeman,
for he had on his portly fathers long
frock coat well padded with pillows
and had his hat crown pushed up and
its brim turned down to simulate
helmet.
He waited more than an hour be-
fore John Trigg and another tall per-
son in mans attire emerged from the
Trigg residence.
"Tll have to hurry, Sis" said John.
''rm horribly late already for my en-
gagement."
"All right" said Grace. "YOu just
leave me there at the entrance to
Walton place and l sha'n't be a bit
afraid to go on to Ada's house."
$50 that's the game, is itT" said
Stanley, as he half crawled along in
the shadow of the house. Once in
the back yard, though, he went out Of
the gate and up the alley in long,
quick strides that soon put him
block nearer to the entrance of Wal
ton place than John and Grace were.
A few minutes later he heard John
call out $50 long," and almost imme-'
dlately saw Grace approaching with
swagger which she meant to be a
very bold one. When she reached the
shrubbery Stanley walked out with
an easy swing, carelessly twirling a
short stick which served him for a
pollceman's club. She hesltated and
thought herself lost as the big man
stopped directly in front of her and
gave a sort of salute with his club.
Il reckon you don't know there's a
law forbiddin' women on the streets
in mems Clothes" he said grufiy.
Not a word came in reply for
Graces tongue was powerless behind
her tightly pressed, indrawn lips.
"Oh, well, don't be scarlt," he said,
patronizingly. 'T'll see you safe home
and wen say no more about it." He
took hold of her arm familiarly, but
the next instant felt a stinging smack
in his face from a small, but heavily
glOved hand.
"HOw dare youi" Her voice fairly
exploded In his ear.
NUs