Homesteader CHAPTER XI I—Continued. “Oh. ft's Sergeant Grey." she said, with a tone of relief. “1 am Beulah Harris. And I've just been getting myaeif engaged to your prisoner here. Oh, It's not so awful as you think, fou see, we knew each other in Mani­ toba, an ) Tom Foster opened the door of the little apartment he «hared with his sister. He had left some Important papers lu the pocket of another suit ed up the valley to the scene of the years. It wasn’t like us If 1 had been and had been forced to return home from the office to get them. tragedy. It was a great shock to Har­ dealing with strangers." “We will go deeper Into that matter ris to find that the victim of Allan's He stepped back lu amusement ut gun was his old neighbor. Kile*. He after a little." said the coroner. “It’» what greeted his eyes. Then, he stood for a long time as one dased by very fortunate Mr. Gardiner Is here closed the door behind him ami looked the discovery, but gradually out of to add what light he can to the mys­ about the little room that served the confusion a horrible fear took tery. We will now adjourn to the room jointly as his sister’s bedroom and shape In his mind. Allan had shot where the younger Mr. Harris Ues their living room. Almost every draw­ this man. with whom they had an ap- and hear his evidence. It would be er hud been pulled Inside out and the IHdntment at this spot; had shot him unwise to move him for some days contents were lying all about the down, ns far as could be shown, with­ yet." room. “I can’t tell you how It happened. out excuse or provocation, before he “Burglars," he said to himself had so much as entered the door. The Doctor,” he said, turning his eyes, "And 1 can’t tell what Is what in body proved to be unarmed, and from larger now In his pale face, upon the Hazel's belongings. 1 wouldn't know its position bad evidently fallen into coroner, “but I think I got very home­ if anything were stolen. I'll take a the building after receiving the fatal sick—I guess I was pretty tired, too— look ut my own things." Yee—Ills own and I began thinking of things that chiffonier drawers bad been rum­ charge. Harris’ evidence was first received. had hapiiened long ago, back when 1 maged also, but not to such au extent. He found it difficult to give his story was a little child. In a little sod shan­ “Looks like the work of women connectedly, but item by item he told ty that the old shack In the valley thieves,” he said. of his acquaintance with Kiles in the some way seemed to bring to mind. He looked about for other signs of eastern province; of their decision to And then I guess I fell asleep, too, but the burglars' work, but everything else suddenly I sat up In a great fright. come west and take up more land; of seemed to be In good shape. There the chance by which they had fallen I’m not a coward,” he said, with a were bits of bric-a-brac, a good small faint smile. “ When I ’ m feeling myself In with Gardiner, and the prospect he rug or two ami some silver In the side­ had laid before them of more profita­ It takes more than a notion or a dark board, but evidently the thieves had ble returns from another form of in­ night to send the creeps up the back not cared for that sort of loot. vestment ; of how his hesitation had of my neck. But I own I sat up there There was a skylight in the room; finally been overcome by the assur­ so frightened my teeth chattered. I it was a studio apartment In a build­ had a feeling that I was going to be ance that all he need do was have bis ing adjoining other edifices of the money ready—he was to be under no attacked—I didn't know by what— same character. maybe by a wild beast — but something obligation to go any further in the Tom got out the little stepladder transaction unless entirely satisfied; was going to rush in through that old that he and Hazel used as a chair blanket hanging in the door and of the offer wired by the New York when they had extra guests. He capitalists; of the sale of his farm pounce on me.” The sweat was standing on Allan's climbed up and out onto the roof to for a disappointing sum, and their journey with the money to the old face, and he sank back weakly Into see If he could get trace of the thieves. shanty up the valley, where they were the pillows. Beulah placed a glass to He decided that they must have been to be met by Riles and Gardiner, and his Ups, and the doctor told him to In the rooms within a couple of hours, since Hazel always remained to have also, as they expected, by the owner take his time with his story. breakfast before going out to teach. “ As the minutes went by, ” Allan ^f the mine, with whom they would On the roof he came upon a start­ open direct negotiations, producing continued, after an Interval, "that ter­ A very lovely young the money as proof of their desire and rible dread grew upon me, and my ling picture. ability to carry out their undertaking; sense of danger changed from fear to woman was drying a mass of gold- of how they hoped the owner would certainty. Something was going to at­ bronze hair In the sunlight. She held be induced to accept a deposit and ac­ tack me through that door! I raised a book on her lap under the curtain company them back to town, where an my gun and took careful alm. I saw of hair and she evidently had not option would be secured from him for the blanket swing a little; then I saw hoard him come up through the sky­ a period sufficient to enable them to the fingers of a man's band. Then 1 light. “I'm sorry,” Tom began. fired. “Oh." the girl cried, startled. "1 "Perhaps I am a murderer," be con­ tinued, simply, “but before God I did not hear you come up." “And I did not dream there wns know no more why I fired that shot any one here. I am looking for than you do.” There were deep breathing and shuf­ thieves," announced Tom. •Thieves?" The girl threw back fling of feet as Allan completed this part of his statement, but only the the clouds of hair and looked Inquir­ coroner found his voice. “Most re­ ingly at the Intruder. markable evidence," he ejaculated. “Yes; I happened to return home “Most extraordinary evidence. I have and have found the drawers In our never heard anything so obviously sin­ apartment all ransacked. Have you. cere and at the same time so altogetb- perhaps, seen any strangers on the ed unexplainable." roof?" “Perhaps it's not so unexplainable,” The girl shook her head. “No. I said a quiet voice: and Mary Harris have been here for on hour drying my made her way through the circle of hair, but I have seen no one." She men to the side of the bed. She sat hold him how sorry she was and he down on the coverlet and took the found himself telling her all about his boy's hand In hers. It mattered not sister and Incidentally about himself. how many were looking on; he was He had forgotten all about the bur­ glars and was observing the wonder­ her little boy again. “Y'ou will understand. Doctor, and ful lights In the girl's hair ami the some of you men are parents,” she same tones In her large, soft brown began. “Allan will be twenty-five eyes. "Could I, perhaps, give you a little years old this corning winter. A lit­ tle less than 25 years ago my husband assistance In divining a reason—find­ was obliged to leave me alone for a ing a clue?” she asked, when they had considerable period in our little sod returned to the subject of the sneak shanty on the homestead where we thieves. had located down In Manitoba. There “Would you—come down the lad­ were no near neighbors, as we count der and see?” he asked. distance In well-settled districts, and "Of course," she said, proudly. “I I was altogether alone. I stood It all am visiting my aunt in the apartment “Perhaps I Am a Murderer,” He Con­ right for the first day or two, but my below and I am almost dying of ennui. tinued Simply. nerves were not what they should Out West where I live there is some­ turn the property over to the New have been, and gradually a strange, thing doing all the time, so that I York Investors at a handsome profit; unreasoning fear came upon me. I Jump at the chance to have even so of how he—Harris—wearied by the suppose it was the immensity of the little excitement as this." She laughed long ride in the bright, thin air, had prairies, the terrible loneliness of it as she followed Tom down through gone to sleep confidently with Allan all, and my own state of health, but the skylight. “It does look like sneak-thfevea at his side, and of how he had sudden­ the dread grew from day to day and ly been awakened by a shot and heard from night to night. I tried to busy looking for something In particular," Allan spring to his feet and rush myself, to keep my mind active, to the girl said when she had viewed across the floor of the old building. throw off the specter that haunted the contents of the emptied drawers. Then there had been another shot—a me, but day and night I was oppressed Just then they heard footsteps on revolver shot this time—and every­ with a sense of impending danger. We the stairs outside. thing was darkness, and he could hear had no wooden door on the house; we "Sh—” said Tom, his fingers on bls only something struggling nt the door. hadn't money to buy the boards to lips. Then he told of his own fight; of how make one, and all my protection was They stood motionless while the they had fallen and rolled about on a blanket hung In the doorway. I footsteps drew nearer. the rotten floor, and how. In despera­ used to watch that blanket at night; Presently a key was Inserted In tion, he had not hesitated to use his I would light the lantern and sit In fhe lock and Hazel stood before them, teeth on the fiand of bls assailant, who the corner and watch that blanket. her arms full of packages, a bag In had finally broken away and disap­ My fear gradually pictured to Itself one hand. peared in the darkness. Then he told an attack through that doorway—1 “Tom,” she cried. the rest of his story; of his vigil with didn’t know by what; by white man, "Hazel, ” her brother replied. "There Allan, of the loss of the money, of or Indian, or wild beast, or ghost, or have been burglars here!” worse, If that is possible; my mind the capture of Travers, and finally of Hazel looked at the girl with her the arrival of the policeman on the could not balance things; nothing hair all about her. "Oh,” she said. seemed too unreasonable or terrible scene. “No—no," Tom began, seeing her to expect. So I took the gun, and sat “Didn’t it seem to you a foolish In the comer, and waited. mistake. "This is a young lady I thing to go into the hills with all that (TO BE CONTINUED.) found drying her hair on the roof money to meet a man you had never when I went up to look for the seen, and buy a property you had nev­ An Egyptian Orchestra. thieves.” er examined?” asked the coroner. A full Egyptian orchestra was com­ "Helen Rogers,” the girl explained. “It wasn't foolishness; it was stark, posed of twenty harps, eight lutes, five "I stepped .¡own with your brother to raving madness, as I see it now,” Har­ or six lyres, six or seven double pipes, offer my assistance.” ris admitted. “But I didn't see it five or six flutes, one or two pipes Then, to the amazement of both Tom that way then. It looked like a lot of (rarely used), two or three tambou­ and his companion, Hazel Foster easy money. I didn’t care what tlie rines (seldom used). If vocalists were threw herself on the couch and emitted coal mine was like—I didn't care added, which was not necessarily the peal after peal of merry laughter. whether there was a coal mine at all rule, they would number about three- "Hazel, what's the matter?” asked or not, so long as we made our turn­ fourths as many as the harpers. Tom. over to the New York people.” “Yes—what amuses you?” Helen “But did It not occur to you that Land of the Sugar Maple. added. the whole thing—coal mine and mine The finest and most abundant growth "Oh. It Is too funny for words. I owner and New Yorkers and all—was of the sugar maple Is found In the New suddenly got an Invitation from Mrs. simply a scheme hatched up to Induce England states, New York, northern George Sanders to go with them for a you away into the fastnesses of the and western Pennsylvania and west­ week to the shore to brush up little foothills with a lot of money in your ward throughout the region of the Grace’s music and I dashed home to possession?” Great Lakes to Minnesota. In the put some clothes together. I never A half-bewildered look came over southern Appalachians It grows well realized that the room would look like Harris, as of a man gripped by a new were climatic conditions are similar to a cyclone or that Tom would be at and paralyzed thought. But he shook those farther north. home before I could explain. I even his head. “No, It couldn’t have been searched In his drawers for some odds that,” he said. “You see, Riles was an The practical farmer raises better and ends of things I keep In there.” old neighbor of mine, and Mr. Gardi­ crops than the theoretical agricultur­ Hazel began to laugh again, and 1 ner, too, I knew for a good many ist. this time she was joined by the other two. "And there are no burglars after all?” said Helen, disconsolately. Hazel looked at her, astonished at her tone. "You regret It?' ahe asked Helen shook her head. "No of course not. But 1 wns Just telling your brother how deadly dull It 1» here visiting my aunt and this had given me hope of a little diversion ut least." "Why don't you but oh. I'm going away on the afternoon train. I was going to ask you to come In to see us." Hazel told her. “It Is good of you. I'd love to come." Tom quickly came to the subject. "Hazel won’t be gone long. Miss Rog­ ers, and perhaps. If you don't mind, you could happen up on the roof after dinner In the evening und I—well, I could be looking for further burglars," he laughed. Hazel looked nt her brother. It was unusual for him to have no resourceful a mind. He was not given much to doing anything but attending to his business. “And by the time I get home you will be better acquainted," she said. “Would you?" Tom asked. "Would you be able to do that?" Helen nodded. "Yes, Aunt goes about a lot to meetings, and I can easily get to the roof. And " “Oh, yes; and after I return I’ll make the acquaintance of your aunt If you like and you may come properly to see us," Hazel told the girl. "Ami now I must burry and pack. Sit down— do.” Tom had to get back to his office with the papers he bad been forced to return for, and Helen said she would stay and help Hazel pack If she needed her. "I’d love to put back the things und tidy up while you’re get­ ting ready I” alio exclaimed, girlishly, "It’s almost like being back home with my chum Mary, I miss her so." This little admission quite touched Hazel, and the two girls worked to­ gether for an hour. When Hazel Foster returned from her vacation at the shore she found that something warmer than friend­ ship had developed In the relations be­ tween her brother and Helen. "And I’m so glad," she whispered to Helen after many Uings had been said. "I—I've been wanting to tell a certain man that I’d marry him. but I didn’t know what on earth to do with Tom If I did." "I'll tuke care of him If be asks me," Helen confided. “He’ll ask you. all right. He mny be waiting to know what to do with me.” ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON Why the Patron Saint of England Fought With and Slew the Monster. St George’s day—April 23—Is ob­ served In commemoration of the patron saint of England, who, according to ancient legends, wns a prince of Cap­ padocia. says London Answers. Soma writers differ ami have doubts con­ cerning St. George, the record having It that he was a native of Cecilia, and was born In a fuller's shop. However, St. George has long been regarded ns the protector and patron of the English, and is commonly re­ presented on horseback, In full armor, With a formidable dragon writhing at his feet. The drawing, which has become so familiar to us on our coins, and more recently on our pound notes. Is founded on the tradition Hint Aja, the daughter of an ancient monarch, wns once met by a dragon, which attacked her and threatened to devour her. At this fearful moment St. George passed by, slew the dragon and rescued tiie tndy. The legend has probably come to us from the East, and belongs to the age of the Crusades, when St. George Is said to have been honored with the name "Victorious.” The ancient Chris­ tian emperors bore emblems of tills knight upon their standards, and at­ tributed a miraculous power to these sacred banners. St. George wns supposed to have Inc fluenced the English warriors at the siege of Antioch and It was nt that bat­ tle that "St. George” became the En­ glish war-cry. Modern Crusoes. Crusoes of today are not so few ns many people auppose. Notwithstand­ ing that in these times almost every part of the seven seas Is traversed by ships, lonely castaways are being res­ cued every year. Now an Instance conies from the 1’nclfic, and now from the South Atlantic. Yet there are castaways who are discovered too late. Recently a United States “wind jam­ mer” rounding Cape Horn bad occa­ sion to send a boat ashore to look for water on one of the desolate Islands off the Patagonian const. They found more than water. In a roughly-made little wigwam built In a sheltered spot near the shore, they discovered the re­ mains of a seaman of unknown na­ tionality. By the wreckage strewn about, it wns conjectured he was the sole survivor of some vessel that lind gone down in that neighborhood. Mary Mile» Minter This Is charming Mary Mil«« Mlntsr, ths winsome and famous film favorlts, photographsd as shs sailsd for Eu* rops. Miss Mlntsr goes abroad to rest and sss ths sights. --------- O —— THE RIGHT THING AT THE RIGHT TIME By MARY MARSHALL DU F HE IN A STHANGE TOWN. "I am not n Virginian—but an Ameri­ can."—Patrick Henry. IS always a bad Idea to knock the I T other tillin'» home town. Especially poor policy I m It when you are making your living there. Yet there are al- way« young man—and women, too— who seem to take peculiar aatlafuctlon Iti puHMtng uncomplimentary comments on the city or town of their adoption. They don't seem to remember that the man or woman who la nt home In (bat town 1« in a position of host nml that to make scathing remarks about the town Is almoat as rude as to make scathing remarks about the house of the man whose guext you are. Especial* ly 1« this so when the town la email. The stranger In a town like New York or Chicago really harms no one but himself when lie continues to pour forth ills dlsgrunt lenient over the city of tits temporary sojourn. No one lake« offense. At moat they ure bored or untuned. But when a stranger la a email town assures the natives that It Ie away behind the times. Hint the buildings nre atrocious, the streets I he worst paved In the country, the res­ taurants and hotel« the worst run, the women the plainest and the movies the oldest he Is giving real offense, besides, of course, making himself very unpopular. It really Indicates nothing more than a person's own narrowneaa to “knock" another town In this way. If the man from n large city goes to a small one ho should take It for granted that things would be different. If n North­ erner goes South he should bear In mind that Southern climates make people more Indolent and he should re­ member that If he remains there long enough he, too, will possess something of that Indolence. And If n South­ erner goes North he should remember that the natives of the northern cities have really nothing to do with the raw climate and that the very progressive­ ness which has brought him North to do business robs dally Intercourse of some of the charming courtesy that makes Southern life so different. The real man of the world soon for­ gets any local prejudices be may have, or rather he Is wise ami well bred enough to forget them. He realizes that It Is through no fault of the na­ tives of the town where he sojourns that be baa to remain among them and that theoretically ut least he Is free to leave the town if he does not like ft. Just nt present there are a good many shifts In business nml Industry. The end of the war and demobilization of the soldiers and the closing of certain war industries and the be­ ginning of other peace Industries hnve mnde It Inevitable that n good many young men should find themselves In n new environment. City men find themselves In the country or village, and country and village men find themselves for the first time In the big cities; Easterners find themselves In the West, Westerners find themselves East, Northerners awake to the fact that great opportunities await In the land of cotton and .Southerners on dis­ embarking In the northern ports dis­ cover that there are opportunities for them there that they have not nt home. If you are one of these young men In a new environment show your good sense and good breeding by not knocking the town of your tmjourn* ’ng. (Copyright). --------- O--------- Monk First to Wear Spectacles. A Florentine scholar Invented eye­ glasses. It was In 1285 that the Idea first struck him for aiding his failing eyesight, with two lenses attached In front of his eyes by two wires hooking on behind his ears. His name wns Alexander de Spina. He wns a learned monk who lived In Florence. While EASILY ADJUSTED nt work on a beautifully Illuminated 1st Friend: Mabel, does your dog missal, In 1285, his eyesight grew dim, and Intent upon finishing his task, he match your new brown eultt 2nd Friend: All but a little white constructed the first pair of spectacles. •pot on tha end of hla tall, but l*m Th« r««t w»* aaav going to have that trimmed off.