Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-25
CHAPTER NNN-Continued


LIE WAS IN that night. lie tossed
l. l. about in a fever. His body achcd.
even the leg which SO long ago had
moldered in its shallow grave on
battlefield. For these things happen.
BY morning he was better, but he was
n different man.
HIS eyes glowered His body twitched
He was stronger. too, for now he broke
his sword across his knee and iluns
the pieces out OF the window. And with
them went the last fragment Of his ole
loyalty to his King.
Old Adelbert was now. potentially. n
traitor.
The spring came carly that year
The last Of February saw the parks
green. Snowdrops appeared in the
borders Of paths, The swans left their
wooden houses and drifted about In
water much colder than the air, Bobby
abandoned the airplaue fer a kite and
threw It aloft from Pixies Peak. A.
night, when he uudresscd, marbles
spilled out Of his pockets and rolled
under the most difficult furniture. Al
though Il Nyas cold at nights and in the
early mornings, he abandoned the white
sweater and took 10 looking for bird,
end nests in the trees Of the park. it
was OF course, much too early for nests
but nevertheless he searched. convinced
that even II growu-ups talked wisely OF
more cold weather he and the birds
knew It was spring. Aud, Of course, the
EnOwdrOps.
On the morning after old Adelbert
had turned his back on his King, Bobby
Thorpe rose early, SO early indeed that
even pepy still slept in her narrow bed
and the milk sellers had not started o.
their rounds. The early rising was a
mistake, owing to a watch which had
strangely gained an hour
Somewhat disconsolately lie wan
dered about Heavy quiet reigued. From
window he watched the meat sellc;
hang out a freshly killed deer, just
brought from the mountains He went
downstairs and ont on the street, past
r tile niece of the concierge. who was
scruhbiug the stairs.
I'm going for n walk," he told her.
III they send Pepy down you might tell
Fcr I'LL he back FOR breakfast"
lie stood for time surveying tue
deer Then he decided 10 60 hunting
himself The meat seller obligingly gavg
him the handle of floor brush, and
with this improvised gun Bobby wen;
p deer stalking. lie turned into the park;
going stealthily, and searching the lana
scape with keen hunters eyes once
or twice he levelod his weapon. killed q,
h''l' 'h' VII Nlt' nedu, ana went
b His dog trOtted at his heels When a
particularly good shot presented itsei;,
Bobby said Down, Tucker" and 1'ucA.
. er who played extremely well, would
lie down. ears cooked, until the quarry
was secured
Around the old city gate. still standing
although the wall of which il had beer
, a part was gone, there was excelIen,
/ hunting. Here they killed and skinned
"a bear took fine ivory tuslls from a dead
, elephant and searched for the trail of
j tiger.
The gate was an excellent place rol
tiger. Around It was planted an al.
most impenetrable screen OF evergreens
. so thick that the ground beneath wa.
b. quite bare Of grass. Here the tive
i. hunters crawled on stomachs that be
=, gan to feel n trihe empty and her,
I they happened on the trail
L Tucker found It first His stumpy tai
grew rigid. Nose to the ground. II,
= crawied and wriggled through the un
{ dergrowth. Bobby at his heels.
e And now Bobby saw the trail. foot
y prints, II is true that they resemble,
e those of heavy boots with nails But O,
Il the other hand, no one could say surel,
e that the nail-marks were not those o
j. claws.
Tucker circled about. The trail grey
/. more exciting. Bobby had to crawl OF
n hands and feet under and through
/ thickets. Branches had been broken a
a by the passage Of some large body Th
a sportsman clutched his weapon am
went on.
An hour later the two hunters re
turned for breakfast. Washing d
e something TO restore the leader TO
e normal appearance, but a wonderin
q family discovered him covered wit
l wounds and strangely silent.
IS why Bob, where have you been?
r his mother demanded. "Why, I neve
saw so many scratches"
I've been hunting" he replied brief,
They don't hurt anyhow"
Then he relHpsed into absorbed silence
His mother, putting cream on his cerea
n placed an experienced hand on his fore
head Are you sure you feel wei
dear?'' she asked. "T think your hea
is a little hot"
TN all right, mother"
I She was wisely silent. but she ra
over in her mind the spring treatmen
for children at home. The blood, sh
felt, should be thinned after a winte
Of sausages and rich cocoa. She men
tally searched her medicine case.
w A strange thing happened that day
ls broken plate disappeared from the uppe
a. shelf OF "A closet, where Pepy had hidde
% 1t also a cup with nick In it, simiarl
concealed; also the heels of a loaf G
, bread. Nor was that the end. For thre
70 days a sort Of magic reigned in Pepy
- kitchen. Ten potatoes, laid out to pee
became eight, Matches and two ends q
70 candle walked out. as il were, on thei
y y own feet. A tin pan with a hole in
- , left the kitchen table and was discovere
ls hiding in Bobby's bureau, when tn
FrRulein put away the washing
III On the third day Mrs. Thorpe took he
he husband into their room and closed th
le door
es Bob" she said, 4 don't want I
~ alarm you. But there is somethin
Ut wrong with Bobby"
10 sick, YOU mean?"
Of 81 don't know" Her voice was wol
IN ried He's not bit like himself, II
is always away, for one thing And h
no hardly eats at ALL"
lr ''He looks well enough nourishedw -
nd "And he comes home covered wit
be mud. | have never secn his clothes I
t. such condition, And last night, when