Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-12-24
Continued from last week.
CHAPTER XIII.
BENIN Declares Himself.


shoulder. She gave it a shove and met
with soft resistance that caused her
to screw her head about in alright.
On the pillow beside her lay the tear
stained face of her beloved little mis-.
treSs.
Land sakes!" she exclaimed.
Whatever in the world"
The big brown eyes opened wide in
startled gaze. Still dazed from slum-
ger, the girl clutched her companions
arm. Utilize! don't leave NEEDN'T
leave me alOne!"
II won't dearie; course not. There,
here, it's all right-only bad dream.
Lie still and go to sleep again" crooned
the old woman as she had sOOthed the
girl when young child. She muttered
aside: "Such goings on! never did !"
Amy rose on her elbow and stared
at the window. why, it's daylight al
ready. You'll be getting up"
Its time. But just you lie still.
dearie."
81 don't want to. I'll get up and
help you. rm-I'm lonely" IT.
'Lonely?'
'And-frightened."
Frightened? Land sakeS! What
makes you frightened?"
Because he It's q secret. Prom
ise you'll never, never tell until | say
you may"
"All right
Lean closer, so 1 can whisper 1t in
your ear. He's home!"
"Huh?"
"DOn't be a dummy! viii is home"
"They let him out, did tney?"
mo. That's the secret. / went for
him in the coupe after you were sound
asleep"
My! my! You went after him--all
aloneT"
Amy blushed and hurriedly ex-
planned: "He told me he would go
raving crazy if they kept him shut up;
81 what else could do? We had it all
nged. AS soon as the moon went
down, he climbed from his window and
brought him home"
poor Mr.. VIII! OF course, If he
would have gone crazy, you done just
right. dearie."
ann so glad you think SO. becaISe
you must help me keep him hid. else
they'll come and take him back there
or maybe to JAIL"
Title cogitated. and replied:
There's that place in the attic where
you and him used to play robbers
cave"
Just the thing. Wen fix it up at
once. Maybe. though, they'll only ask
If he is here. Go and see if he No,
keep away, so il they come you can
tell theIE you haven't seen anything of
him."
After breakfast Amy found courage
to creep upstairs to listen at Clinton's
door. Hearing nothing, she slipped
under the door a note asking him to
remain in his room and raise his rear
shade If unable to reach Tillie in the
kitchen by means of the speaking tube.
She returned downstairs to help
Tillie "do up" the mornings work, but
soon cajOled her out into the garden.
Hardly were they out of the house
when the telephone rang. The call
not being answered, the ring was re-
peated, not once, but fully half dozen
times, at frequent intervals. Blissful-
ly ignorant of the impatient Calls,
Amy, with hands safeguarded from
tborns by leather gauntlet gloves, was
training the rOSe-laden vines over the
lattice of her summer house. Tillie
supported the stepladder and handed
up ties of soft Irvine.
After time the telephone renewed
its impatient summons. The garden
ers worked on, oblivious. Presently
the telephone was REINFORCED by the
sharper ring of the dOorbell. The re-
suit was the same. Three times the
bells rang, more or less in unison.
Stin no response; still Amy remained
Intent on her thorny blossomy task,
with only an occasional glance upward
at the rear window of her brothers
bedroom.
The doorbell ceased ringing. A few
moment later two persons, a keen-eyed,
suspicious young man and an agitated
young lady, came hurrying out of the
pergola into the garden.
There she is ~ exclaimed the young
lady. She waved her hand and called !:
"O-ho! Amy!"
Amy twisted about so suddenly that
she almost fell off the ladder.
Goodness ~ she whispered. Its
Ellen aHd Charlie!"
''P00rS! Don't fret Wen fool them
easy" treasured Tillie.
The girl promptly recovered her bal
ance and her aplomb. and called ban
teringly: "Oh, is it really you? You
must be going for a foothill motor
drive to be out at this unearthly hour.
1t almost tumbled me over to see you.
''Then you haven't heard. dear!" ex-