The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-09-22

Suppose l go down the street and get
a glimpse of the face under the hat"
Longing for companionshlp was the
element Of the occasion, although Den
I'll did not take time to analyze it
that far. He watched a hand reach
for the hat, and 1t and its wearer van
ished from his sight. Denzll was down
the stairs promptly. He turned a cor
ner and then another me-. Just as he
neared the front of the building across
the court from the building in which
his office vas located, he slowed I'D
his pace.
ut is She" he reflected. "Shall I
cross the street, or get ahead of her?
1t won't do to appear bold or annoying.
Why that's strange"
What vas strange, was that the
wearer of the hat had dark hair. He
had noted her a blonde. Had distance
deluded him? At all events, however,
there vas a charming n%eatness of at
tire and gracefulness of FORM, He had
started in as the adventure-he would
pursue it further.
Finally, with a well-affected uncon-
seriousness of spying or proximity, Dem
I'll gained the side of his object of in-
terest. He ventured a glance. It
brought disappointment. The veil was
down to the lips. 1t was not a heavy
veil, but it quite concealed the upper
portion of the face of the unknown.
Then someone jostled him. He was
compelled to fall behind, and he was
content now to follow this object of
an idle, capricious within and possibly
thereby learn her identity.
Thus for -four squares. At the end
of the last there was abruptly inter-
jected into the situation a vivid ele-
ment of excitement. A thunderous
racket filled the air. A dozen shrill
tones chorused warning, dread. She
Of the yelled hat seemed all uncon-
scious of the racket. CHANGING down
the side street, Denzil sprang into ac-
ton as he caught sight of a heavy
truck attached to two horses, who
were covering distance with prodigious
spurts of speed.
They had left the street and were
tearing down the pavement. The girl
was directly in their course. Within a
single palpitating moment they would
crush down upon her. With a superb
athletic swing Denzil was at her side.
He seized her bodily and swung her
back, driving her squarely into the
arms of a pOrtly pedestrian-but safe.
Himself he did not escape so easily.
He experienced a stunning contact and
lost ~sensibiliGy.
"Don't move" fell upon his hearing,
as he lay outstretched on a lounge
in the rea room of a pharmacy. mo
bones broken, but only youth and stur-
diness could have escaped as you
have. Rest a little. Your young lady is
all right. She tainted, but they have
brought her around all right
"My young lady!" repeated Denzil
vaguely. "Oh, you mean the un-
known"
He was interrupted at that moment.
She of the hat had entered the room,
but minus the hat.
II wish to thank my brave preserv-
err" and then she wavered and fell,
staring helplessly, into a chair. The
unknown vas known-Nellie Bryant.
A sight of her reused Denzil by magic.
The wise old doctor smiled benignantly
and left them together.
She was shy, trembling, agitated, he
consumed with m~ystery-and hope. In
that strange room a stranger story was
told, revealing the wicked wiles of a
scheming stepmother, intercepted let
tiers, and forged ones.
81 believed you no longer cared for
me-" confessed Nellie, "but 1 refused
to marry the man my stepmother had
selected. I left home and just to-day
got a position with a girl friend. 1 bor-
rowed her hat to go on an errand
and"
Dear Nellie" spoke Denzil ~tenderly,
"you can give up that position. I'll Of.
fer you a better one-as my wife,"