The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-12-11

some, wealthy"
"Oh, have him already" cried
Lura Deane, clapping her hands in
glee "Now do something for Althea
here, who hasn't a tiance, not even q
beau, except Winston Morse, who Is
worse than none at all -
you won't lose by crossing the gyp-
sy's palm with silver spoke the taWny
fortune teller persuasively. Come,
pretty miss, you surely wish to know
all the golden happiness in store for
YOU"
The gypsy encampment had become
a feature of the woodland surround
ing Cloverdale. In idle curiosity the
two school chums had visited the
place. Hesitatingly Althea placed her
fair. snowy hand in the weather.
bronzed one of the fortune teller.
you will meet your life companion
in the woodland with the moon shin
ing brightly upon his face-a double
face, | see, but the lines are not clear,
and there lies the mystery love must
solve.
THE idea' derided Althea, but flut
teringly. Somehow the words of the
soothsayer bore a hinge Of romanti-
cism. "As if l would be wandering in
the woods at night, looking for lover
so mysterious that even the gypsy
cannot construe her own silly predic-
toni"
"Now wonder if by any mischance
this promised husband can be Win
ston Morse?' suggested Lura mis-
chievously, for Of all the young men
she knew he was most detested by
Althea. A stranger in Cloverdale, he
had flashed upon the community as
the scion of an opulent family in the
South and his reckless extravaganza
in way bore out his assumption.
In an hour AHhea forgot the gypsy
oracle. Two evenings later she left
the home Of Lura to hurry to her own.
Lying upon the dewy sward. clearly
a man, asleep. He resembled some
homeless tramp. His hair was un-
kempt, weeks growth Of beard gave
a sinister expression to his features.
One eye was bandagcd. Althea shud-
dered as the words of the gypsy
flashed through her mind:
I'm the woodland with the moon
shining brightly upon his facet"
She fed precipitately and never
paused until she cleared the last fringe
Of trees, to almost run into the arms
of Winston Morse. He noted her
breathless agitation, and, much to her
discomfort, insisted on seeing her
safely home. He was the man to In
fringe upon any consideration shown
him, and distracted Althea knew not
how to forbid as he spoke of calling
upon her the following evening.
There had been a distressing episode
in the experience of Althea. A month
previous she had recently lost her
mother and had been offered a new
home by an aunt at Cloverdale. One
week after her arrival there the
house had been entered while the fam
ily was absent, and fair little legacy !
left Althea by her mother, comprising
several thousand dollars In bonds, dia- !
monds and valuable family heirlOoms,
was appropriated by some clever bur-
glar.
Twice during the week after the for F.,
est incident Morse called upon Althea.
They were returning from party late ,
one night in Morse's automobile, when
he left the main road and struck off |
through the shortcut trail through the |
woods, and suddenly halted in the cen
ter of the lonely stretch.
"Althea," he spoke, II have come |
here purposely to tell you that I am !
going to leave here tonight; have all !
my traps in the machine, and you must !
60 with me. love you, and I cannot
live without you. Do not shrink from
ME. l will be an indulgent husband.
l can deck you with jewels-1 can
give you life of luxury. Stop!"
With cry of loathing Althea sprang
from the auto. He followed her.
"You shall co." he grated forth
Willingly or unwillingly! Who are
you?'
A man had sprung from behind a
tree. In wonder Althea recognized
him as the person she had seen in the
woodland. There was metallic
sound. produced by a pair of hand
cuffs.
Its been a long wait, Winston
Morse, gentleman, alias Clever Dan,
professional burglar, but have you,
and, I think, the result of your raid on
the Ross home as WE'LL"
As he spoke Adrian Noble drew
from the rear seat of the machine a
satchel resting there. He wrenched
it open.
"Just look, please, Miss Ross" he
spoke. "Don't be afraid of our un-
masked friend here, nor Of me-" and
he smiled lightly. Il am nothing worse
than q detective, on the trail of this
man and your stolen property for some
time past. Do you recognize any of
this plunderT and opening a small
box the speaker disclosed the treas
ures that Althea had so sadly missed