The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-02-17
iIef face In her hands and sobbed MS
fhou1h her heart had hrola on


though her heart had broken.
Randolph did not leap to comfort
her this time: he did not even watch
her. With his eyes on the edges Of
fire that peeped from between and
round her ankles. he began to talk.
II knew you: knew Sport know
Maggie. Just once met you all. nrd
I've never forgotten. ! couldn't" He
smiled crookedly. "You and sat down
70 hard together and you cried ont
My, what a bumpi' and laughed and
laughed-just like tonight. back there
at the stage-dOor of the Crocodile"
Pamela stopped crying.
$50 you were that awfully nice
boy" she said, disclosing tear-stained
cheeks and looking him over as thougl,
she were inventorying long list of
points of deterioration.
Robert Hervey Randolph. six feet
tall. freckled-nosed. open-faced, blue
eyed and broad-shouldered, looked up
at her almost appealingly as If his
whole sum and substance were crying
no less.
'That's me-" he said vapidly. "My
name is Robert Hervey Randolph.
Some people call me Bob, some
'Herv.' and the sidey ones say
Randy"
"And shall call you Mr.. RAN
dolph.'" said Miss Thornton bravely,
and then broke into: "After-after
I've th-thanked You again and-and
again from my heart. I'm going now"
That's wrong guess" said Robert,
smiling happily-he didn't know exact
ly why. I'm the one that's going, aft
er you promise me that you'll stay
here until ten o'clock tomorrow. But
before we come to that, please don't
thank me ever. It's selfish, but I'd
simply love to have you remember me
as Bob or Herv or, at the very worst,
Randy. Won't your
She looked this way and that before
she let her face ripple to its wondrous
smile.
"rll go as far as Randy" she con-
ceded mischievously; then the smile
went and the shadow came. But
really can't stay here, you know"
Mr.. Randolph leaped to his feet,
reached her In a single stride and
caught her by both wrists. Look at
me-" he snid. ''If you won't promise
to stay here without a break till ten
o'clock tomorrow and thereafter at
your pleasure. I'll stay myself and
hold you. Now. do you or don't you?
One--two-"
81 do
"Do what?" inquired Robert.
81 promise"
"Make yourself absolutely at home,
them he said. as he dropped her
hands and turned toward the door.
81 feel like Christmas eve." said
Miss Thornton meekly. Wont you
please tell me what's going to hap
penn"
you've guessed it-Christmas." he
answered enigmatically, tossed the
latch-key on the table. and left her.
She can he excused for spying upon
him from the curtained window. She
saw him awake the cabman. and then
watched the pantomime of long col
loquy.
"Ohw she moaned. mo wondr'
The awful. awful price of those hor''
clock thingsi Why did I let him tell !
to waltz"
Presently she was amazed to see
both the driver and Mr.. Randolph dis
appear into the dark recesses of the
cab and close after them its door. For
twenty breathless minutes she
watched. tormented by the thought
that they had retired to have 1t out
where they wouldn't be disturbed by
the police. But at last they issued
both Of them. Mr. Randolph proceed
ed to crank the car and then, walking
rather strangely, went off. headed
west; the driver mounted his box.
threw in the clutch, and scurried to
the east as though he were of to
meet the morning.
Strange doings!" thought Miss limo
gene Pamela Thornton. as she turned
from the window to start on private
ly conducted voyage Of discovery.
Strange doings. indeed and stranger
still could Imogene Pamela have heard
as well as seen. This is what really
happened: Mr.. Randolph awoke the
cabman gently but thoroughly; then
he said:
Look here: want to bug your
wagon"
"Gowan, boss; wot dyer take me
for? Here I been freezin' most to det'
fer two mortal hours an gent like
you starts right In kickin OH the clock
widout even readin' it."
"Shucksl' said Mr. Randolph.
"What's biting you? Never mind the
meter-reading; here's twenty for you
to forget that. Now tell me: Who
owns your buzz-wagon? YouT
"Naw; the Village Cab company"
replied the saturnine cabman as he
stuffed the twenty-dollar bill into his
trousers pocket.
well" said Mr.. Randolph. "you
and / are about the same build and