The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-11-10

fierce jawed brute, its bloodshot Eyes
fixed upon the approaching author, its
body trembling with rumbling, threat
ening sounds. SO this was the dare"
Strange the possibility had not oc
Cured to him.
To go forward farther was very evil
IDENTIFY useless. In fight-at least for
the present-lay Gordon's safety. Ig.
ANONYMOUSLY he retreated. AS he en-.
tered the hallway Martha's eyes asked
the question her lips would not.
81 am going out later" Gordon con-
fusedly explained, ito cut the thing
down." But when he went out later
the dog had advanced to the gap in
the wall, his tapping jaws seeming to
speak disappointment in the ending
of the fray. Gordon smoked his pipe
for half an hour that evening in the
shelter of the bungalow porch before
deciding upon a further course of &C
ton.
At last he got up and searched out
an old revolver, overlooking its cas-
ings. Never before had its protection
been needed. He shook his head seri-
0uSly at Olu Martina.
with an ugly brute like that across
the way" he explained. Then Gordon
wrote his last note of warfare.
~ am going over tomorrow to saw
the branch from your tree. If the dog
is there / shall shoot him on the spot.
u. w. GORDON"
Martha's face was quite white when
-. L.a,uIN 1oo1- thn ror1u tIThof
dog" she explained, ''he sits under the
tree and growls. 1t makes me tremble
to look at him."
''The dog is a thoroughbred" read
the answering note. "If you shoot
you will pay every cent he is worth.
It's a good deal.
"P. STUYvESANT."
Gordon pondered. Some of these
brutes, he realized, were worth thou
sands of dollars, and the animal being
on its owners premises would make
him entirely accountable. 1t was a
confounding situation. Nevertheless
he ventured forth upon the following
morning; but, while he was formidably
armed with saw and ak, the revolver
reposed in a drawer of his desk-and
the dog was not there. Gordon breath
ed a sigh of relief. So his threat had
frightened old Peter, after all!
1t was no task at all to climb to the
high base of the dropping branch.
Easily he swung himself out upon a
peighborinG limb and fitted the saw.
A painting sound attracted his atten-
ton. and he glanced downward. The
dog had arrived at his post in a mad
rush. The author muttered an impre-
cation. So this was the plotted scheme
to wait and pin him up there help
lessly?
He might aim the ak at the dogs
head. of course, but the brute was a
thoroughbred, and it might mean more
perhaps than the launching of his new
book. Gordon bent down and whis-
tied peaceably. A fierce growl follow
ed, echoed suddenly by a girls smoth-
cred laughter. -.
The author wheeled about on his
swaying limb. At the back OF the Tree
stood a young woman That she had
been engaged in silent laughter was
evident from the furtive dabs at her
still glistening eyes.
"Oh, dear!' gasped the girl "Oh,
dear; it was so funny!'
Gordon, speeches., was acutely
aware of the beauty of her mass OF
bronzed hair cleaning in the sunlight,
of the full red lips parting in helpless
laughter.
ut has all been so funny" she CUR
gled-"yesterday when you started
over so bravely and-and retreated at
the sign of the bulldog, and today
when with all those red axes and
things you came like a whole fire de-
partment." She bent to caress the dog.
what shall we do with him, BobsF'
she asked wickedly. 1.-THE poor mar is
frightened to DEATH"
Gordon made a frantic effort for dig,
nifty as he chung to the uncertain bough.
II would like to speak to Peter Stuyve'
SAINT" he said stiffly.
The girl shook her head. "You
can't" she told him. '"There isn't any.
Peter S~tuyvesant was my grandfather
1 never saw him. Bobs is the only
relative 1 have. We come out to the
Olu pace W i've SNSlS SuhhhASh'
"But-but the note?" murmured Cor
don, p%erpleXed.
The girls pink cheeks grew pinker
81 wrote them" she confessed. "P,
|, Stuyvesant-that means Polly"
For a long moment the girls blue
, eyes looked up into the mans brown
, ones.
II had to-" she excused, you were
so commanding"
, 81 was" agreed Gordon.
Then the awful thing happened
Bending lower the better to see her
face, the man lost his balance and fell,
. lying there a huddled body at her feet,
|, After one sharp cry she brushed the
dog aside, and raised Gordon's suffering
face in her hands.
ITS my leg" he said painfully