The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-06-24
The Eleven O'clock
Ramble
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS

TT WAS usually just about eleven
L o'clock at night when Peggy re-
turned to her fiat from the theater
and. as she finished the last flight
of stairs, she could always hear the
thump. of her collie's tail on the
floor. 1t seemed as if Dayid's great
est joy in life came when he heard
|. her key in the lock. The hours
were long and lonely while ne
guarded the flat, his nose pressed
to the door. He had been trained
against greeting her noisily lest ne
wake sleeping tenants.
After joyous greetings David and
Peggy prepared for their late walk.
David brought his leash and Peggy
waited until she heard door OPP
posite close and footsteps descend
the stairs and then they emerged
together from the apartment build
ing.
1t didn't matter how weary Peg
gy was, even on matinee days.
when she had had two perform
ances at the theater-Dav1d was
always taken out for his evening
walk. And, living just two blocks
from Riverside drive, they invarl-
ably made their way straight TO
the river since it gave David a
gambol on the grass and feSgy
some long breaths of fresh ar from
the Hudson.
And Jack Bennett, down on Xiv
erside drive, had found OF late tnat
he had a shadow, which. instead Oh
being fashioned on masculine llnes'
was feminine. In other words, Ben
net had noticed during the past
three weeks that young lazy
seemed to be following him every
where he went. She Kept wen
within sight of him from the mo-
ment he turned into the drive until
he was within a block of home,
then suddenly disappeared. she
had never made any attempt TO
speak to him, but there was no
doubt In his mind that she was
watching him.
However, so long as there was
no conversation attempted, Bennet
continued to enjoy his eleven
o'clock ramble with Jim, his Wire
haired. fox terrier. Jip and the
young ladys big, shaggy black doS
seemed to hit it off very well, Tor
they barked joyous greeting ana
then dashed off together.
1t was Bennet's most enJoyable
hour of the day-this walk VIVA
Jip when most of that part of the
noisy city was deep in slumber. lie
was glad to be alone, yet he
couldn't help being just slightly IN
terested in the personality OF the
girl who followed him so persist
emily though discreetly about. She
disappeared so suddenly and so
completely each night just as he
was about to enter his own apart
ment building that Bennett had
never had so much as glimpse OF
her face.
He would not have been human
had he not tried to assuage his GU
rIosity regarding her, but 1t was
to no avail. Always she made her
mysterious getaway with her Dig
dog.
On Thursday night Bennett felt
. himself Swallowed a trit1e less close
iy than hitherto. Then stified cry
broke the stiffness of the drive and
sent Bennett swiftly in the direction
from whence it came.
There was the snarl of dogs. Ben
net heard his own Jip's snappy
bark proclaiming the fact that
something untoward was taking
place.
AS he drew nearer the sounds he
heard a girls voice shouting fran
tically: David. David-come, Da-
vid." And he knew that she was
following the cry of her dog into
the darkness of the shrubs that
banked the walks toward the river.
The big black dog must be in
trouble of some kind, was Bennets
Thought, and reaching the girls
swiftly moving figure he asked:
whats the matter? Can l help
your
"Oh!" breathed the girl, with ire
mendous relief in her voice, I'm
afraid some one has got David my
dog-I hear him snarling and
you'd better let me go down
it's not safe" put in Bennett.
"David won't let you touch him
II Tn not along" she told him and
followed beside him.
A bit further on they saw
through the density of shrubbery
an eyil-looking man with David
and the dog was trying frantically
| to escape the trap into which he
had fallen.
Upon hearing masculine voice
and footsteps hurrying in his oil
| rection the man bolted, and a sec
| ond later David was freed and lick
| ing Peggy's hands and otherwise
| showing his gratitude. Another
| second and he bounded off, fol
| lowed by Jip, both eager for theil
accustomed romp.
49, = that said Bennett ste