The Winslow mail., 1917-03-09
"A HALLOWEEN DREkM!"
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

: lQSc CnaC THIS was so, IOr as IL nap
pened he was just in style.
Gladys Harkaway had a dreadful
time making up her mind what to
wear, changing from a Pierrette to a
| Columbine, to a WITCH to a waiting
maid, to Tangiers dancer, to to-
boggan girl and winding up by decid-
ing on Night.
Nat DilwOrth and Darwin Bent went
| as King Coal and King Cotton. Tom
| MOrehead was the Black Hand, Emery
Hughes was King Pluto, and Jim him
self was in the broad black and white
stripes of a convict.
Nobody knew it was Jim! But over
across the river the guards were pa
! trolling the banks, for Number 5911 had
escaped and so far no trace of him
! had been found. When Jim had turned
the boat adrift and run under cover Of
the darkness up the bank and across
! the tracks into the open country, the
unusual number of automobiles on
| the road attracted him. Then he re-
membered it was the night of the club
party. Why not join the revelers? He
was en- costume and he could easily
imprOvise a mask out of his handker-
| chief
Things were ridiculously easy and he
found himself in the center of the old
crowd he had known so well in the
past. Of course, he was not able to
/ distinguish his old friends. Friends?
How many had believed him when he
had protested his innocence? Evidence
was against him and Billings, the dis
trict attorney, had way of making
people believe black was white but
still he had grown up with them all,
and he had rather expected sympathy.
Two ideas obsessed him; one was
! Gladys Harkaway, because he lovedher,
the other Emery Hughes, because on
thinking things over, he decided that
Hughes knew what had become of the
missing securities and as Hughes, too,
was in love with Gladys it had been an
easy way to get him out of the way.
I'D like to know what Gladys is
wearing" he said to a saucy little
black and white checkerboard girl in
the middle of a waltz.
GLADYS! Gladys Harkaway" she
exclaimed. "Don't let on I told you,
but there she is with the wand and
star. She's Night!'
is Emery here, do you suppose?" he
ventured further.
Emery? Oh, you mean Mr.. Hughes?
Yes, he's dancing with Night. They
know l don't think she cares q snap for
him. But since he's made so much
money everybody says she's an awful
fool to let him Slip
1t was nearly midnight and almost
time for unmasking. jim watched his
chance to get away. Out on the ter
race he looked around uneasily.
Two people passed him and page
opened the door of a cabriolet at the
steps. Jim gasped as he saw Pluto
hand Night into the car. The door
slammed and the starter purred. The
car was sliding away into the shad-
ows when jim jumped and ran taking
short cut across the grass and hurl-
ing himself ON the step as it passed.
Jims hand was on the old pipe in
his pocket. He whipped it out. In
the darkness it answered for his pur-
pose. ''Drive the car where l tell you
and keep your mouth shut" he com
manded. "Take the river road and
| turn to the right of the forks"
Pluto swore, but did as he was told.
| Once down the beech-lined drive he
swung into the river road.
"Now, Emery Hughes, get out and
show Miss Harkaway where you put
those securities. It's all as clear as
lay to me now; pretended you were
studying geology, didn't you, and
showed me specimens of rock when
you thought I'd found you out. What
Ounce | was until it was too late"
81 want you too, Gladys. I'll need
l witness. No one takes my word any
more. 1 want you to see where this
| cObber has hidden his loot"
"Theres nothing there" protested
| The other man.
"How do you know"
"Be-because I sold them"
The pipe that looked so much like
gun il the darkness had done its work
| we'll.
"Fine!" cried Jim. "The truth at
asst. Well just drive into town now
| and tell that to Billings. Pm tired Of
ibis uniform" !"
jim opened his eyes and sat up. The
warm October afternoon was waning
and a chill had come into the air. He
, shivered as ne picked up the pipe that
had gone out and fallen from the
swing.
"Beastly dream! And yet I'm sorry
It's not true in a way, with the mys-
| terry of the securities not cleared up
yet and Gladys undecided whether
she'll marry me-"
The phone rang. 1t was Gladys.
Jim, what have you been doing this
| lovely Sunday afternoon. Why didn't
oo,,,o ov,op0 hnap