The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-09-16

OF i III hHOCk your Hedu OIL.
"Yes. sir; very good, sir"
The man bent over with his back to
| Clinton, as If replacing the trousers.
| When he rose he had Clinton's shoes
In his hand. Before the owner could
| protest, he was at the door. re-
| spectfu explanation drifted back
through the opening as the door was
drawn shut: Must polish them, sir.
| You'll find them here in the morning.
Clinton leaped out of bed and ran to
| jerk open the door. 1t was locked.
| He raised his hand to knock, and
dropped it, probably remembering that
| the door was deadened. He faced
about. On the floor lay the articles
that the man had taken from his peck
cts. He went TO replace them before
the moon could glide down behind the
| ragged black mass of the mountains
and leave him In darkness.
Catching up a handful Of small
change, he reached for his trousers.
They were not where he had left
them. They were neither on nor under
the neatly hung coat and waistcoat.
II was evident that the man had SNUG
gled them out under his jacket.
CONSERVATION alone saved Clinton
from an explosion of his quick temper.
II was truly q dilemma in which he
fpupd himself. To remain in the SAM
tariGh might be to lose all chSSce of
escape; but TO leave without acous-
ers-! The thought Of fleeing in pa
jamas with q charming young lady
whom one does not acknowledge to be
ones sister is, to say the least, EN-
barrassing.
He put on his remaining Clothes
buttOned up the coat, examined hts
appearance in the waning mocnlight,
and blushed. Considerate of his feel
ings, the moon went down, and the
merciful darkness cloaked him aboat.
In the obscurity, MS courage rallied.
So dark a night, nc cue would see.
With burglarious stealth he crept to
the bed and pulled CT the coverlet
and sheets. To knot them end to end
was the work of only few moments.
He stole across to the window, low
cred the upper sash, and tied one end
of his line to the two window cords
on one side. He did not open the
screen, but stepped down to crouch in
q corner and look at his watch by the
light of vesta. 1t was five to twelve.
He had not completed his preparations
any too soon.
As he returned to the window he
saw the light of passing automobile.
He sprang up on the window-seat and
opened the top screen to peer out. The
automobile slackened speed and
stopped at the first house across the
alley from the sanitarium. 1t seemed
to be coupe. At once he swung him
self out over the window sashes, peered
down to make certain that the window
below was unlighted. and cautiously
began to lower himself from the sill.
When he put his weight on the sheet
line IL stretched with the tightening
Of the knots, but held. He slowly let
himself down, hand under hand. Be
fore he came to the lower end, his
stockinged feet touched the ground.
He turned out toward the vague
blot under the overshadowing tree.
The outlines of coupe became dimly
visible, then the white form of an out
peerlng face.
"All aboard" he whispered, slipping
into the seat beside the excited girl.
The coupe glided out of the gutter
and started up the street at quickly
accelerated speed. AS they swept
across the lighted intersection Clin-
ton crouched forward with his hands
on his knees. Amy did not observe
the embarrassed movement. She was
peering ahead into the darkness be-
yond the intersection. She ran the
next block, swerved around the cor
ner, and turned on the coupe lights.
you're a little TRIUMPH" he ex-
claimed.
'That's nice Of you, you poor dear
boy Isn't ii fun? Isn't 1t romantic?
was shivering with fear that they
might pop out and Lean back till
we pass the crossing"
Involuntarily he obeyed She glanced
at him to make sure, and perceived his
costume.
"Ohl" she gasped- "Ohl Didn't
you have timer Where are your
trousers2"
"I-no-that-" he stammered-
"that COMPOUNDED attendant stole
them"
"Stolep
"Claimed the rules required him to
take my clothes to be pressed"
$50 that was It That must be one
way they keep patients from running
OF. But 1t didn't stop you, you brave
boyi"
Amy burst into a gurgle Of irrepres
sible mirth.
"see here" he admonished: Even
IL l am"
"Indeed no, not even II you are my
brother. ] mustn't see. lists real
ly too sh-shockingl This time she
startled the silence of midnight with
"A hurst of rim ring Iauotter