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“Violet dear.” I boson. "I am 11¢ M74118 I think Bud guilty of stealing money, or even of being in lelsue with those men who are planning the robberies.

Her etnreesion once.

“Of course not. Bud couldn't do anything wrong." '

ll smliled a. little at that.

"He could. He's‘ already done a lot of things that are wrong. But fortunately none of them are so important."

"I don't care! Vi declared. "I'd love him just as much no ulatter what he did.’

That was. essentially, the 81-118 “ihole character-when she loved it was a blind all absorbing devotion. There W" Blllllelhillllfi foolish but Wmfiflllnt very admirable about it. Wlolnen wlurnre cap. able of such a love often muelti dbiiberately deceive

themselves in order to kegp up their illusions. but they are usually very happy in their love.

She wandered back into the "V1118 room. and sat stirring mood ly out the window. With i dark. our street became as quiet as oould be—-excepi in warm weath- er when all the neighbors turned m" "D011 1116i!‘ steps. Ton.gllt

there was nothing to see but shabby house fronts and a few street lamps. I watched the girl

wl-th anxiety as I wen-t back and forth settting the table.

“I wlah Bud» would come around this evening." she said presently

when I told her dinner was leadynfimme ‘If "ms" "1011" Parties 111a‘ Bug Bud refused w come, even sum-ntel‘ and during thv winter."

when Vi went downs-fairs and tel-

ophoued the place where he lived. ke""—"'

'1Pete‘s there. l-Ic answered the phone when I asked said. coming upstairs again. wonder what he's doing there?‘

It seemed to nle that the worst thing posible under the

tainly the two boys were under suspicion. Pete more than Bud.

i i t

softened at i

for Budt v1 right. Pcto says now that George" "I en's h"nt $2,000."

clrcum- asked’ _ tytnnggg was Pete's presenca Cerl "I dont know. But I have to let

. . Biscuits 5 I p, .9 G®IHDEJ©IIID

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land kindly. "I hate to have to ‘toil you this. htlt after all. the pa- pers will have it. and you had bet- ter llt-ltr it from me. Frankly, the police think George is in with a ‘gang of thieves."

‘ "Isle couldn't be!

Well some things look "bud for llllll. His, friendship with this Pet- .er~l forget his utllc-r tlznue—--tv‘ho Iilas stolen and who is being iwntchetl Orifllfllll)’. though he gdocsrft know that. Another fact It's G£'OI‘i-It\'l's extravagance.

“But last fall wheu we came ibztck to town he was saving IllOll- lei’ to pay debts. Why hc dld not lfllW-"tvs gt-t cnough m cat! ——l know th:lt~———" I thought oi‘ some ,of the times he (lined with us ob iviously half starved.

i

“Yes. true enough. But I know ho afforded himself suits by the highest priced tailor ill the city. laud hr says he helped finance

"Pete gave him tips on the mar-

"Wrong as often us they we're

That was news to mc_ "Do you believe him guilty? I

‘fer thoacene and culling up every "detail of it, Yet there are things

_ I I moat did this the other day? But I loet my courage. Enid. do you‘

lo ' a H h r Rub Rheumatic Pain f... ' ° “" '°" “".From Aching Joints

‘but I could not. All ‘I could aay- .. ' .. in a weak little voice that muati it?” £08m]! ghegluagflm’ have been muffled by his over-l a p“ '1' on y" t‘ “w a o" Wm com we? atop any pain, and not one rheuma- “Yes I do love you... ftiam case in fllty requires internal Bu‘ m” seemed enough And an treatment. Rub soothing, penetrat- ter ML Wm,“ are aomeflme! u} lng St. Jacobs Oll right on the ten- Plecessary! ider spot, and by the time you say , .I twonder whether I can reallyihck R°bm —°“' “m” u" ‘tell all that followed I rclnemboltrheummdc PM“ ‘mu diam“- sl- every word. every look all-l eveujmmlfa o“ l5 " “Mlle” ‘Milmlk now I find myself goingback ov-ltmm "nlmei" which "W" ‘"930- 190111.18, and doesn't burn the gkin, it takes pain, soreness and stilt. ma, are ham to ML \uess from aching Joints. muscles rol- he kissed me then. and how and butter: awn» Ber-tics. lumbagb, can 1 t...“ “bum may; 1t w“ me backache and neuralgia. the ‘um kiss of love since-all! Llmlwr n»! Get a small trial hot- well l-elluy the um in all uly life tie of oldtlnle. honest st. Jacobs For fifteen years ago when Murk 011 from any drug 810m. and In a ILSSQII me and said be loved meQIIIOI-TIBIII You'll b9 "99 fromlllllna, .t was different. It was nothing. 1* aches and stillness- Don't suitor!

I tried to tell him how much-

only thought I was in love then and had been in love-with love ‘not with Mark.

And certainly Mark had not been really in lo"e- with me. But ‘now-

'l‘hls was a rebirth. Or rath- er. it was the supreme moln- ent of the gradual process of being torn ovcr ivllioil I had been going through during the last year and a half. For it was not the first careless caress of youth—-it was some- thing infinitely sweet and wonderful this first kiss, something dreamed of. hoped low-and all the more marvel- lous ibecause it was so long dcspaired of. Front that ulolll- out l was different. <I remember that I clung to him

a little. and then stood away a

flecks of brown, the handsome nose and the moutll that was now so tender. He was even IIIIIIIIBUIII‘ vr ‘llhill usual in his great fur-lia- cd overcoat with the sable collar that rolled high around his neck.

lovc mo," I said finally. ‘You arc sch-good lookitlg—and ulce- and ~-\\'e!l I should think lots of trout- en would fall in love with you."

Ile laughed at that and I smiled! ill answct" to his laugh. Then lj went 0n——

"l‘llere are so many women that arc young and tirclty and CllIlTIlPl lug. alld all the till: "-1 i um nail No-wait please—— becausr he] utude a motion as if to stop me‘, speaking -—“l know what Lam. At home they call me a hopeless

the police go on and try to cinvict I ulean. I can't slop ll now, 1t

old maid. They said I was getting] aged‘ and homely and no one]

Al"! 5M9!‘ B11. Where dill Pct." Sci 55"“ the "WIIQY- W! be-Ptlllfie lhldnvotlld look at me. ‘My sister EsthJ

Whose extraordinary the market? Ho more than a nleescngen

tips was nothing boy inl

a-‘bottt 5091M part of a vast and dilllger- cr tiliuks I'lll a l'(l()l'—2illll

0115 gang——-

“Enid. he said suddenly. colningfbu; 1 haven‘;

I nuts perhaps. I know l'm better now— those other quallb,

one M m9 flfmg, jugt as Bun wngjto me and putting his hzlnds on lll_\'liggg——l'ln not youug~—fur Instance]

And where did he get the money! to play them-——before_ he began‘ helping himself’! And where did, Bud get all the b10718)’ re SEHJIIIHLIi to have at. tintee? I could hardly‘ believe he was as fortunate at: gambling-since that was it. amounted t0—-as he plwtelld-zd to be. . .

l was. so worried that the nerti day I telephoned the Meade lir- Judson offices, and asked _for Mr.i

Meade. . "1 don't like to do this in office; hours when you're busy. I begun;

But I am so worried about this-l Why didn't you say some-tiring! yestterdaiz? |

“Because I thought I nuluaged] it so quietly that nothing wnttlrll get ‘into the papers," he ansvlercdi "When I saw the evening editions I knew you had seen them ton,

and that i s-hould have told you. “Bud is not in the office?“ I asked.

"N0," he told me. “We though:

under the circumstances he bad better hl- laid oft, until this a-ff-air is cleared up. Will you be

In this afternooni’, I'll drop in on my way home.’

“Why hasn't Bud been to see us I asked. when we were alone ill our little living room. "'0b, that worried you did it? Well. that part is all Tlglll. I told hllnt to kccp away. Ho. was only obeying orders. He had a large lump on his head. and looked n bit battered up. even though be be was not badly hit. As I said I though-t I could keep this ‘thin-g quiet. so I told him to stay home until he at least looked normal."

"When. has happened about it today?

"Today some rather serious things developed." l-Ila voice be- came very gentle, and his eyes, when he looked at me, were soft

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- me nddenly, the whole world be

shoulders. "Enid, mo, will you hate me if I have t‘)! go through with this affair?" i

my dcun-telhym gtpi‘

“Never lnlnd, .hc broke in.‘

llllllleiisntlbt-‘vhun-vpl- age you arc, you arelleit in the bottle

the s dcr for it. Perhaps youth?

little to look ut hiln-his graying, ltair. his gray eye-s with spots antlv

‘But I don't sec why you should,

Rub rheumatism away.

.._..__,__r._.

“But t hllCW llotlllng better men, so l suppose l didn't. mind. And as tor using lny money tor vim“ and her college. that was, if any. tiling. a selllall act ol mine. Loos ullut l got out ol II.

"l would never have known you utllcrtrlse." he suiu.

'l~‘l'ullcls-" I cried 53.113“ "'l‘tlltlk how dreadful that would ho! Not to have known you," And then I laughed and we both laughed at this foolish talk. But he cautc over and took my hands and held thenl. '

"Pllcy llcvur liked. me, they thought I was queer," I said. itlllltkiug of our little town 0f

Heltly .l"al-ls. _

"Naltlrally. since they could “'0; appreciate you." ' -

"You lllakc me fecl like a new person," l told lllnl. Then, wnm. ,mg. to confide in hlnl and tell him ieVlifyilllllg. l went on: | "l thought it was my fault-q ‘wasn't like those other: people, l never seemed to like what they ilikcti. I never seemed to think the sumo way they dld. Sal w“ “uuoel-Z"

“Never lnilld." he answered, "That is after all the tragedy of a small town or village. The num- bcr of people are so limited that there are fewer chances of find- ing the rcal conlratlcs and frimlda the people with similar tastes- uulcss of course you happen to be cut more or less in the same pat- tern. Herc ut least there are vuough people so you can be sure of finding those you like.

‘Or love," I added shyly raised his hand to my check.

"Or love.” he echoed. and put

and

"It was pretty awful," I flgfggd‘.

lwhat sue wants for Christmas." [aha _e-r. ~ "It ia

"claimed.

“I've tried not to

an lgullt the days. We have so little broken our oney we can't afford real glftalyolrre too aw t-MfiQ.|9,~_Qqq,_|-'m__

this year."

"I dont want any," VI said. ‘(lbllege closes for two weeks tomorrow. l'm going to find a

‘position and earn some mon .' ‘I finished sewing dinner and tore open the letter. Esther usual- ly only wrote when she had bad news of some sort. There are well meaning women like that. g

“Dear Enid." she begun. “I don't know what to send youfor a prou- ‘ent this Christmas. I" knowyolfd rather have money bacauso you can get: thlnga in the city,’ and maybe need the money anyway. But Jlnl has been on a tantrum lately and I can't get a cent from him for presents to anyone."

“Tell ller to send us some lam and- canned vegetnblea—that will save us on marketing bills." Vi. remarked practically. .

"I tried to get Jim to send‘ en- ough money ad's Vi could go to the end of her term, to summer," the letter went on. But be insist! be hasn't got. it. There's insuran- ce t0 pay this month and. next month a note he gave" three months ago when we rebuilt the wagon shed. Jim's getting stingy in his old age anyway. -

“Sn fillully I couldn't. stand no more. And I up and says he and James could stay and take ‘care of themselves over Christ- ntas, That I was coming to the clty——"

Herc-i Now"? Vi asked startled.

I read on——"to the city for two weeks. I'm not mtuch at letter writing. and there's lots of things I want to talk about. Besides since you'll ‘be coming home in February. it may be my last chalice to see the city. I'll bring in a lot of farm sttuff so's I won't be lunch expense. I'll colnc on the 24th."

"Well," Vi said in surprise. ‘That curious. Mother ‘evidently is rebelling at the life out there, and at father's neglect." .

I did not know w-hat to answer. [from other letters Esther wrote.

. . lwntuie .' suggested looking at the felt-flotsam. oo

almost cllllstmul". l'solag to let you

will‘. I bail ofoou not tio yourself up "ll-h 8 olll-ndlke ma. You haven't

t, because

some to-un l I dies: mybiilt or. this and have a decent name 10' offer you again." ‘ ,; ‘ "Bud!" Vl cried. white-faced and frightened‘ - " ' - ',

nermra comps‘ Chapter 88

l n‘ “if, -.

t i. ,

I ten nod and Violet atone R8 l i’ l .

soon‘ us l could, and ran to HZ, l , w \ Walsh's tea noon! l0 Sit and talk 7-‘ ‘fl l‘, l '.

with The dinner rush was ov- ,,- " l‘ _-- _ l ' ' .

or. an er pretty lltltl ta - "' "'— ' i‘ - ». . . ?".“".'i."".'.i""""'°“'"* gui-“Il-ll "71 ¥*' . "WM~th-¢~ww:»l.a."aw~ ~ no e garnlcllaib kofh ‘ ’ ‘ desk. and while Hale; muted ti; s°*°““"' °u "fill-III"!

dinner checks. we talked.

d had not. told: Vi about Francis, ind: I did’ not tell Hanan, yet. One of the awe“. est things about a first. on. easement is keeping it secret for a litltle time Every wom- an likes to clasp to her he“; thisprocioua bit of knowledge

before she shores it with a WmPlPM-WBIY indifferent world.

"lMore trouble down in Wall Street." she observed. adding up figures expertly.

"How is Bud coming on?"

"Rather badly." I answered. "At least he insisted on break- ing his engagement with Violet until he was clear of this busi- nesa."

"Really!" Helen Dut down her pencil and turned around to me. "Do you know I admire him 1m- tllat. I dildnt know he had it in him." . -

“I'm afraid Vi doesn't share your feelings. She/a heart-broken,

I!

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I answered.

"Well, poor child she would be. B-ut it iu the thing for Bud to do, just the same. I don't think he to_ok any money-he's not. that sort that's evident to anyone. But he was foolish. and he was taken in by that crowd he rnn about trith. l see they suspect this Slnl- ons." - "Yea," I answered abseutly, not

Ilcncw that Jim had. not com- pletely reformed, and that Esth- er was still afraid of "the other‘ woman." She knew nothing def- inite, and she was afraid to find out. ‘But she ‘was uneasy about it. But of course I could ont talk: of it to Violet. "It will be nice to see her." I tried to lnuke my voice cheerful. It vril lbe nice if Bud is out of! this trouble." Vi answered "Nei- ther she nor father knows llel comes nrotulrl here so much. nndl

his arnt around rne.

I went over and over this in

they don't know we are engaged._ If she comes now—-nnd finds hiln‘

my lulud, while I put on potatcatfiltfflvtically accused of steallnK-"l

to boil and inspected ' the milk in‘ the Illlfllfl-l

turc icc box and decided on n dcs]

“ND- “'5 l'm" m"? i" d" 30- Ills desirable but youth lsr-some-lsert ior- our dinner. ,-

antuvc-rod. But. I scarcely" knewl

what. what I was saying. For his Ilantla m“ a nlutufityiflnd

times shallow. You have a depthl

Enid (IQIIT-lllfl shelves in the

the china from, little kitchen.

I brought out

“Emmi”! i‘ mm’ 4'" m!" 5h°lil‘l“!'-""_vou don't look like anything ‘but and carricd it on our pretty blackj

Thou suddenly his arms were‘ around lllc. : a nova sro-l-lr l’ Chapter 85 i

I

I One afternoon a day or so after‘ ail those things happened, Fran-i t-is ‘Meade cttlnc for me in his car. "l thought we nligllt run out

alto the country ‘somewhere. and; got back for a late dinner," he, sugzestcd. | "I'd like to—— only~~-—" "Unly what?

‘You see. I'd leavc Violet alone then. and she feeling so lunch up- se —-—" _

"Of course! But nothing can bcl done for a day or two The police are carrying out an tltlvestigutlou and George is under bond Lu ap- pear when they waut him. liIcun- tinlo I'ln keeping hiln on my pay- roll, but I told ‘hiln not to come down to the office until this thing blours over." '

“You're so good!" I burst out suddenly. You have done so mucll for Bud. and now, when l'ln sure you think he's guilty. you go on protecting him him."

"l'm not good!" Tilers was al- most u trace of impatience -in his voice. "l wish you wouldn't say it. Whcn a woman like you culls mo. .':ood—it—well, it makes me conscious of my shortcomings."

"But wily not?" I stood in the room looking ut him puzzled "Bud says—~——"

"Never mind what he broke in suddenly. wily you think l'm so you call it.

Because oi’ Bud"—l begun.

“George ‘does his office work vary well. so keeping him ill ills present job is not goodness but

Bud says." "Tell me ‘good. as

efficiency be said. "He's blight, energetic, ulnbltoua-and it's easy to see that you little

niece ls in love with him, so her ‘futurc is bound up with his. But this has nothing to do with ole- I believe I'd. do anything to have you-well, like me."

"But I do," my voice was not quite under control when I said this. And I could not trust myself to say any more. Probably every woman known by inlltutlon when the lnun Iis going to tell her he loves iler. I knew now. in a flash what ‘Francis lvlreado was going to S1)‘. And when he said It, lt was all so mucll like the working out of a dream. that I scarcely believ- od it. even while I hoard his voice

"Do you-like mo?" he asked quietly. ‘Could you love me."

"Love you?"l heard my own voice repeating. "I-Iow could I help but love you? You've been so fins to us——ond ob, Iiirancls you're so wonderful -"

It simply came out of me like that andl when I stopped speak ing. ‘I looked up at him half frigh- tened. "Wondstrful," I had called hint-and he was-but I wonder- ed how I had dared to tell him so "Enid dear-dear Enid" he said And then his arms were around