The Prescott daily news., 1920-01-07
aLove's Ladder"
 o0
By ALvAH JORDAN GARTH
tcopyrisAs. 1913. western N.wsp.psr u.ioa'

weapon.
 Amid the obscurity of the Prescott garden the person he confronted was | not clearly dlstingushable. He had
 halted at the mandate. but he mysti-
 fled his doughty challenger by indulg-
 ing in low, mirthful chuckle.
 "No need, Feb l" he spoke airily. Tt
 is only me, Morton Wells. A ladder. | a seeming burglar on the roof of the sun parlor. and you naturally took
 me for a burglar. We'll, I've been
 stealing nothing but-kissesi 1"
 "HuhI" calculated Feb bewilderedly,
 but the young man had coolly taken | his arm, led the protector of Plympton clear of the grounds and backed him
 to tree. "You're a good friend of
 mine," prefaced Morton.
 Seeing as you got me my present l job-rather," acquiesced the old watch
 man fervently.
 T know 1 can trust you with a se-
 cret. Pretty Eunice Prescott loves me | and l love her. Cruel parents who | look upon me as a ne'er-do-well re- | fused me the house-and 1 have to see | Eunice once in a while, and as the sun porch leads right off from her room, and my folding ladder is easy to carry along, we have circumvented gruff old | papa. Clever, eh?"
 T declare! !" exclaimed Feb, as there was a click and small contrivance in hnf t1t. a cfn01 CEQIa- | ton framework dozen feet in length, and then drew 1t back into compact mass he could place in his pocket.
 Made it yourself, too, eh?"
 That's about all I'm good for-pot- tering in mechanics,' replied Morton
 rather ruefully. Not much for any
 thing else. That's why my attentions
 to Eunice have disgruntled the old
 folks. Now then, Zeb, keep your own counsel and don't take me for Il cracks
 man next time you see me around here."
 Feb looked fondly after Morton as he disappeared Then he shook his
 head gravely. Heedless, headstrong
 Morton Wells, model as to habits and character, was looked upon as an i'm practical dreamer. He had liked to fuss with tools' since he was an ur-
 chin, and this predilection had been present in his later years. For all that, the girls of the town adored him and
 the young men treasured him as a companion and friend.
 xr,oe tIroo ,;uhfc ofta, tho or,f-
 sode of the sun porch that old ZebH halted as he was passing the Prescott
 place. as was his custom several times between dusk and dawn.
 "Hellol" he muttered-"som more
 mystery I certainly heard groan."
 It echoed from the rear of the Tres
 colt home and Feb entered the grounds.
 As he neared a one-story wing of the
 house he made discovery. Upon the ground lay motionless form; out
 spread upon the grass was the ladder
 Morton Wells had shown him the Mon
 day previous.
 Feb glanced at the house. It was
 dark and silent. It did not take him long to figure out the situation. Nor
 ton had made one of his daring visits
 to his darling, and in descending to
 the ground had missed his footing, or
 the ladder had collapsed, and here he
 was. the evidence of the fact. Feb
 was too good friend to Morton to
 arouse the Prescott family, thus be-
 traying his favorite's clandestine visits.
 He tried to arouse Morton, but the lat ter was unconscious. Feb lifted him bodily and got him to the street. He rested him under tree In the course of a few minutes Morton was restored to sensibility. He winced with pain as he tried to use one arm.
 Its broken, Zeb," he told the watchman. 'Get me home, will you? And say-afterward go and get that ladder. If it's found the Trescotts will guess what I've been up to. I'll be around in day or twoagain and don't want to be shut out from seeing Eu- nice" But Morton's prediction was without basis. For a week he was uncer the surgeons care with orders to remain quiet, and with the injured member in plaster cast for a fortnight longer His wealthy brother from the city. who had been somewhat distant with him for year or two on account of his shifting ways, came down to see him. lie wheedled out of Feb the fuu de- l .ails of the accident. He examined the ladder with manifest interest. He, too,
 locked over several experiments in the 1 way of invention in the workroom of | his wilful brother.