The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-02

she uttered with seeming lightness.
 If occasion ever arose when l wanted to skip the town and get marricd, she had said, "I might head for Southold and your minister"
 Kenneth must have shown by his eXpressian that the words had sin- ister sound to him, for he recalled look 50 glum," that she had been only "in fun
 It was the kind of fun" that might end in tragedy, he reflected, as he drove eastward through the streaming rain.
 He could not make much speed in this weather. With the storm right in his face he must keep the wind shield closed most of the time, and it was not always easy to see rutS and gullies in the road ahead of him.
 Yet ne drove on steadily. He had forgotten to eat luncheon and stopped once to buy a sandwich from little recommendation pushed on.
 The roads were in shocking condi- tion. Three times he had to make de- tours where the rain had swept away wooden bridges. He remembered that on the outskirts of Southold was a river whose banks overflowed when there were heavy rains. Dr. Grant had told him of this and that twice within his recollection the bridge here had been swept away.
 If that bridge were down there was but one way for the clipping couple 70 leave Southold. That would be by turning about in their tracks and coming back along the road he was travelling. In which case they would meet him. Would they recoG- nize him?
 Heretofore. Southold had meant Ruth 10 him. Now-he must face a painful interview before he could even hope to see the girl he loved.
 If he had a chance to see her at all! He would make the opportunity to do 80.
 He found himself planning vari- ous excuses for going to Dr. Grants home and asking for an interview with the daughter of the house.
 That Dr. Grant would welcome him was certain-if he were at home. But that he would give him a chance to be alone with Ruth was doubtful.
 X sudden revelation of his fatu- ous idiocy came to him. If he over took the fleeing couple, he would have no time to go to Dr. Grants home. For Travers must be persuad- ed to return to SaXville and restore the money he had taken. That would be the only way of averting public disgrace.
 Even then, James Walsh would dis cover that his check had been raised by the man who would marry, his daughter. And he would bring the of fender to justice. He would consider hi inn nf n U iy1r him from Victoria's path.
 Yes. the whole affair was a trage- dy. As the day wore on, and prema- Lang felt more and more discour- aged.
 When he got to Southold, where was he to go$s
 If he went direct to Mir Hamilton's 5 home. he must pass Dr. Grants house. He recalled this fact with thrill of anticipatory pleasure and pain.
 He could hardly go to ministers home and forbid his marrying d couple until the bridegroom had emptied his pockets of stolen money.
 The bridge on the outskirts of thu town was not down, but the river was rushing over it in swirling tor rents. It splashed to the top of the car as Lang drove through the flood and the water crept up to the level of the footboards. Suppose it should get into the carburetor?
 Then, as Kenneth Lang reached dryer ground. he remembered with a sickening sense of fear that in the middle of the town, only a block be- yond the Grants home, was another stream. It was not more than a creek in dry weather. But the bridge over it was light wooden structure. Ii must be stronger than it looked to stand against such rains as had been falling through tho past week. It it had been swept away his only chance of reaching Travers and Victoria was gone.
 Carefully and as rapidly as he dared he drove into Southold--enter- ing the village on the residential side On the opposite side of the town was the business district.
 Only cnce before had Kenneth Lang been over this road. That was on the day. Ruth Grant and he had driven home together after the thun- derstorm, the day on which he had first told her he loved her.
 To Be Continued