Grand Forks herald., 1917-02-24
North Dakota's Greatest
Classified Section

my mind what to do. Then the Walsh
affair. too. had changed Alice. She
all right after we had been talking =
while. but she was shy when she met
me. and IL came on her suddenly.
she blushed-faintly, but quite dis
ttnctly. 1t always made me want to
pick her up and kiss her. ana tell her.
that she was the only girl IN the
world for me. After . while I could
when I caught her playing the ghost.
without wanting to kiss her again. At
least, it was more than want1ng|t
was kind Of burning to do 1t.
kept on getting moro ana more
worried, and quite realized that
was in the mess Of q lifetime.
At last made up my mind that tho
quick about it A course Of foreign
travel was tho only ch4noeeof curing
myself. and the sooner took 1t. the
less painful should hnd It. I saw
plainly that 1t was not case for big
game shooting. If got away to the
loneliness Of the woods and hills. I
| should only be worse. should want
OF racketing about the capitals Of
Europe was what wanted.
I saw this quite clearly. but then I
could not drag myself away from
London. I could not bear the idea
Of leaving Alice. had to struggle
like anything to get myself to 30. but
at last I went on to Paris. I did not
She might look hurt at the thought
OF it. and then. ghost trick or no
ghost trick. I should pick her up ana
Kiss her. knew I should.
l put In three days at Paris. with
lots of wild hilarity In them. Then
the whole place seemed to turn sour.
and after lunch on the fourth day.
told Mowart to pack my things and
take ticket for Berlin. a much moro
amusing town, when you know tho
ropes, than people will admit. I
could only stand 1t for day. I was
restless, and bored beyond relief. At
six in the evening I told Mowart to
pack and came straight back to Cart
hoyle Gardens.
within three hundred yards Of Alice.
than the restlessness left me. I
wanted to see her as soon as possible.
of course, but could wait an hour
or two without an effort.
dined at home, with q much bet
ter appetite than had had in Paris
or Berlin: and then went out into
I had dined late-it must have been
nearly half past ten. There was not
much chance of finding Alice. for she
did not often come into the garden at
night. But there was a chance. and
I strolled all round 1t, looking for
her. I did not fnd her. I had made
circuit OF the garden and como
| house; I turned and went up tho
broad path which runs to the middle
Of the garden.
1 was about fifty yards from the
ring of strawberries which forms the
center of the garden. when a figure
burst out Of one of the lawns in the
ring and came running toward me.
that it was girl. and then I saw
that it was Alice herself. When she
was ten yards from me saw that she
was as white as sheet. and was
painting and sobbing. She almost ran
into me before she saw me. and then,
pulling up. fairly tumbled into my
| arms.
Whatever is it," cried. holding
ooh. rve been so frightened!'. she
gasped.
! She was as cold as ice, and tremb-
ling as have never seen any one
tremble before. half carried, half
dragged her to the nearest bench, and
sat down on it with her in my arms.
Gently, gently-you're quite safe
now-you needn't be frightened any
longer" I said; and I kissed her.
1t was rather taking advantage Of
her terror, but I was startled and did
not think of that; and 1t seemed the
| natural thing to do-just as one
not seem to mind it-and kissed her
again.
She sobbed and choked ana pant
ed for two or three minutes, then she
recovered enough to say:
| oh. I'm SO glad you came.
should never have got as far as the
gate-never!"
fed eyes and shrank closer to me.
who was It? Who frightened
you? Was it that brute Walsh :"
said, beginning to get angry: and I
half rose with the idea Of going and
smashing him.
"No-no-it was no one. It was
the e.rSa straw VIA hat" t.. she painted.
1T was the straw hat" she said. ;,
what straw hat? Tell me all
about it. please" said I: and I kissed
her again, to give her. confidence.
She. pulled herself together with.
an. effort that shook her; then she
went on in steadier voice: "I was
coming toward the center Of the gar
demand thought I saw a mana
| man in straw hat-go into the lawn
the lawn in which Etienne Bechut
| was murdered. He was very indis-
| tinct, and 1t was odd-and it puzzled
me. So when got to the lawn I went
halfway through the entrance and
peeped; and saw his straw hat lying
on the lawn just where It was when
| we found his body. And knew that
his body was there, too, Just out OF
sight round the corner. But I didn't
stop to look; It frightened me so. And
ran and ran; and the farther I ran
the more frightened I grew. I felt
as II he were after me. And couldn't
have run much farther when met
you; I should have dropped"
why, you poor childw said; ana
it all: You frightened yourself. There
fancy-pure fancy-or perhaps it was
the light falling through the trees in
q white patch that looked like a hat
mo; there was no white patch.
There were no shadows to make them.
The moon was shining full on the lawn
and the hat was lying full in tho
moonlight" she said.
hesitated she was 90
to to do. Then I said: when you've %Ts
recovered bit more, we'n 30 to that
lawn and make sure"
mo! No! won't go near the
dreadful place!' she cried.
"AN right" said. It'll take you-
hcme: and then I'll come back and,
look into it."