Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-05-23
The Exiles
By GEORGE ELMER COBB

bile along the lonely country road was
in harmony as to face. attire and spir-
its with the beauty of a rare spring
morning. He was NorvAan Reed. At
Elsdene. twenty miles to the north.
was the plant of the Wprren Machinery
company Twenty miles across to the
south at a thriving Inland city were
the offices of the corporation, which
his father practically owned.
Norman whlstled cheerily as the
high-powered machine progressed
without squeak or jar.
There was a macadamized road from
city to plant, but this especial morning
Norman had tried a short cut along
lonely road. Not house showed in the
first five miles, and it was only when
he passed a belt of woods that lie 40
ticed dilapidated cabin nesting in its
depths.
There was pretty flower patch in
front of it, and vines were festooned
over the small porch. Norman won
dered what could have induced anyone
to select that lonely spot for a home.
Abruptly he noticed vague speeding
object dash from the wild shrubbery.
Before Norman could distinguish it
clearly it disappeared under the ma
chine and a thrilling scream rang out
ooh, stop! stopi he is killed"
The accents were feminine. girl
ish form came into view. Norman
halted the auto promptly, sprang from
his seat and saw a dog lying in the
middle of the road. The animal held
up a lacerated, bleeding paw and
whined in pain. Norma bent over,
gently examined the wounded foot
and lifted the animal in his arms.
"a lucky escape" he spoke, and
turned to face young girl with blood
less face and distended eyes. Don't
worry, miss" ne continued, "the poor
animal is not seriously hurt Is it
yOurs?"
"Oh, yes. indeed |" fiuttered the pos
sesser of as fair a face as Normans
eyes had ever rested on. 1T is our
Ponco. Won't YOU please carry him to
the house where l can attend to him?'
II was thus that Norman Reed met
the lovely girl and his fate at one and
the same time As he approached the
house he noticed an old man stealthily
draw back into an old shed. Norman
called for bandages. Ponto seemed to
comprehend that he was in the care of
humane friend. At the end of five
minutes Norman lifted the grateful
AT Ill ri
on bench, and said:
"Your pet will fare quite well after
a day or two of nursing. / win drive
by tomorrow and bring you famous
curative canine lotion mat will help
out"
Then.aforward Norman Reed
seemed to have a new motive in life.
Three times a week he visited the
plant and always returned by the dirt
road. Three times a week he halted at
the little out-of-the-way house in the
woods, ostensibly to see how POnto
was getting along but in reality to
feast his eyes on the animals mistress,
who attracted him with an increasing
interest.
He learned that her name was
Clarice. She save no other, and as
Norman noted that the old man, pre-
sumably her father, made it point to
keep out of view during his visits, he
decided that there was some mysteri-
Gus reason for these two isolating
themselves from the rest of the world.
Ponto got well, and at every new
visit Norman fingered longer than at
the preceding one. A month passed
by and Clariee began to look longing
ly for the appearance of her welcome
visitor. One afternoon she was amazed
to see Ponto come running down the
road. The intelligent animal was pant
ing and excited. He dropped a long
fiat wallet at the feet of Clarice. He
looked at her beseechingly, as though
striving to tell her something. He ran
down the road a way and looked back
at her. Clarice followed him.
1t was to find Norman lying back in
the automobile, bleeding and insensi-
bile. Clarice had learned to direct the
car and she soon had the machine
nm TO the house. With the aid Of her
father she carried him into the house.
Norman regained his senses to inform
her that he had been assaulted by a
footpad, had thrown the wallet con-
tanning a large amount of money to
ronto, and the well-trained animal had
run off with it, as Norman hoped he
would do.
Norman was unable to proceed on
his way and asked Clarice to get WORD
to his father. She hurried TO the
North settlement and a few hours later
Mr.. Reed appeared. He was made
aware of the situation and thanked
Clarice for her services and those OF
the ouick-witted Ponto. When he OBJ
served the father of Clarice he gave a
violent start.
"John BordenP' he exclaimed, my
old bookkeeper!''
Then was uncovered the mystery of