1ft MMHMMH
SYNOPSIS.
Cowboyi of tha Flying Heart ranch are
heartbroken over the loss of their much
prized phonograph by the defeat of their
champion In a foot-race with the cook of
the Centipede ranch. A house parly la
n at the Klylns Heart. J. Walllncford
Speed, cheer leader at Tale, and Culver
Covington, Inter-colleRlate. champion run
ner, are expecte Helen Blake, Hpeed's
sweetheart, siiKKests to Jean Chapln, sls
ter of the owner of the ranch, that ahe
Induce Covington, her lover, to win back
the phonograph. Helen declares that If
Covington won't run. Speed will. The
cowboys are hilarious over the prospect.
Speed and his valet Larry Gins, trainer
at Yale, arrive. Helen Blake asks Speed,
who has posed to her as an athlete, to
race against the Centipede man. The
cowboys Join In the appeal to Wally, and
(earing that Helen will find hlin out, he
consents. He Insist, however, that he
hall be entered as an unknown, figuring
ihat Covington will arrive In time to tuke
ils place. Kresno, glee club singer from
Stanford university and In love with
elen. tries to discredit Speed with the
ladles and the eowhoys. Epeed and GIhss
fut In the time they are supposed to be
raining playing cnass In a secluded spot.
The cowboys tell dsns it Is up to him to
see that 8peed wins the race. Willie, the
gunman, declares the trainer will go back
east packed In Ice, If Speed falls. A tele.
frram comes from Covington saying he is
n Jail at Omaha for ten days. Class In
a panic fnn-es Hneed to begin training In
earnest. The cowboys force Speed to eat
In the training quarters and prepare him
a diet of very rare meat. Miss Blake
bakes a cake for 8peed end, In offended
when Ierry refuses to allow him to eat
It Covington arrives on crutches. He
says he broke his toe In Omaha. Mrs.
Keap, engaged to Covington and In love
with Jack Chapln, exposes Speed to
Helen, because Speed had failed to pre
vent Covington from Joining the party.
, CHAPTER XV Continued.
. "Will you marry me?" asked J. Wal-
llngford Speed.
"The Idea!" Miss Blake gasped.
J "Will you?"
j "Please don't apeak that way. When
a man cares for a woman, he doesn't
deceive her he tells her everything.
You told me you were a great runner,
and I believed you. I'll never believe
'you again. Of course, I shall behave
to you In a perfectly friendly manner,
but underneath the surface I shall be
consumed with Indignation." Miss
iBIake commenced to be consumed.
rSee! You don't acknowledge your
perfidy even now."
"What's the use? If I said I couldn't
run, and then beat the cook, you'd be
lieve I deceived you again. And sup
pose that I can't beat him?"
"Then I shall know they have told
me the truth."
'And If, on the other band, I should
win" Miss Blake's eyes fell "Helen,
would you marry me?" Speed started
toward her, but she had fled out into
,the twilight
Dusk was settling over stretches of
purple land, and already the room was
peopled by shadows. Work was over;
there were sounds of cheerful prepara
tions for supper; from the bouse came
faint chorda of laughter.
It was the hush that precedes the
evening as It does the dawn; the hour
kit reverie, In which all music Is sweet.
Land forgotten faces arise to haunt
Speed stood where the girl bad left
him, miserable, hopeless, helpless. And
certainly bis love was lost He had
stayed on In the stubborn supersti
tious belief that something would
surely happen to relieve him from bis
predicament fortune bad never failed
him before and Instead, every day,
(every incident, bad served to Involve
him deeper. Now she knew I It was
Iher golden heart that had held her
true thus far, but could any devotion
"I Lev Yout" Wally Said.
survive the sight of humiliation such
as ha would suffer on the morrow? Al
ready he beard the triumphant Jeers
of the Centipede henchmen, the angry
,clamor of the Flying Heart, the mock
,lng laughter of his rival.
He groaned aloud. Forsooth,
broken toe! Of all the countless tons
of thousands of toes In Christendom,
tha ens he had hung his salvation
poa had proven weaker than a reed.
What cruel Jest of Fate was this? If
Fate had wished to break a toe why
had she not selected, ont of all the bil
lions at her disposal, that of some
, ether athlete than Culver Covington
even his own.
I J. Walllngford Speed started sud
denly and paled. He had remembered
that no one could force a crippled man
to run.
"By Jove," he exclaimed, "I'll do It!"
He crossed quickly to the bunk
house door and looked in. The room
was empty. The supper-bell pealed
out, and he heard the cow-men answer
it Now was the appointed moment;
he might have no other. With cat-like
tread he slipped into the sleeping
quarters, returning in a moment with
a revolver. He stared thankfully at
the weapon better this than dishonor.
"Why didn't I think of it before?
It's perfectly simple. I'll accidentally
shoot myself In the foot!''
But even aa he gazed at the gun he
saw that the muzzle was as large as
a gopher-hole. A bullet of that size
would sink a ship, he meditated In a
panic, and as for his foot what fright
ful execution it would work! But It
were better to lose a foot than a foot
race, under present conditions, so be
began to unlace his shoe. Then real
izing the value of circumstantial evi
dence, he paused. No! His disability
must bear all the earmarks of an acci
dent He must guess the location of
his smallest and least important toe,
and tniBt the rest to his marksman
ship. Visions of blood-poisoning be
set blm, and when he pressed the
muzzle against the point of his shoe
his hand shook with such a palsy that
he feared he might mUs. He steeled
himself with the thought that other
men had snuffed out life Itself in this
manner, then sat down upon the floor
and cocked the weapon a second time.
He wondered if the shock might, by
any chance, numb him into uncon
sciousness. If so, he might bleed to
death before assistance arrived. But
he had nothing to do with that The
only question was, which foot He re
garded them both tenderly. They
were nice feet, and bad done him
many favors. He loved every toe;
they were almost like innocent chil
dren. It was a dastardly deed to take
advantage of them thus, but he ad
vanced the revolver until It pressed
firmly against the outside of bis left
foot, then closed his eyes, and called
upon bis courage. There came a
great roaring in his ears.
How long be sat thus waiting for
the explosion be did not know, but
be opened his eyes at length to find
the foot still Intact and the muzzle
of the weapon pointing directly at his
Instep. He altered bis aim hurriedly,
when, without warning of any sort, a
man's figure appeared silhouetted
against the window.
The figure dropped noiselessly to
the floor Inside the room, and cried, in
a strange voice:
"Lock those doors! Quick!"
Finding that It was no hallucination,
Speed rose, calling out:
"Who are you?"
"Sh-hh!" The stranger darted
across the room and bolted both
doors, while the other felt a chill of
apprehension at these sinister precau
tions. He grasped bis revolver firmly
while bis heart thumped. Tha fellow's
appearance waa anything but reassur
ing: be was swarthy and sun-browned,
his clothes were ragged, his overalls
were patched; Instead of a coat, be
wore a loosely flapping vest over a
black sateen shirt, long since rusted
out to a nondescript brown.
"I've been trying to get to you for a
week," announced the mysterious vis
itor hoarsely.
"W-what do you want? Who are
you?"
"I'm Skinner, cook for the Centi
pede." "The man I race?"
"Not so loud." Skinner was strain
ing for the faintest sound from the di
rection of Hie mess-house.
. "I'll kill him!" exulted the Eastern
lad. But the other forestalled a mur
der by running on, rapidly:
"Listen, now! Hump and I Jobbed
this gang lust month; we're pardners,
see? He's got another race framed
at Pocatello, and I want to make a
get-away "
"Yes! yes! y-you needn't stay here
on my account"
"Now don't let's take any chances
to-morrow, see? We're both out for
the coin. What do you want to do
win or lose?" Skinner Jumped back
to the door and listened.
"What?"
"Don't stall!" the strangerr cried,
Impatiently. "Will I win or will you?
What's it worth?" He clipped his
words short, his eyes darted furtive
glances here and there.
"Can I win?" gasped Speed.
"You can If there's enough In It for
mei I'm broke, see? You bet five
hundred, and we'll cut It two ways."
"I I haven't that much with me."
"Borrow It Don't be a boob. Meet
me In Albuquerque Sunday, and we'll
split there."
"Is that all I have to do?"
"Certainly. What's the matter with
you, anyhow?" Skinner cast a suspi
cious glance at his. companion.
"I I guess I'm rattled It's all so
sudden.'
"Of course youll have, to run fast
enough so we don't tip off."
"How fast is that?"
"Oh, ten-four," carelessly. "That's
what Humpy and I did."
"Ten and four-fifths seconds?"
"Certainly. Don't kid me! They're
liable to break in on us."
"Mr. Skinner, I I can't run that
fast. F-flfteen Is going some for me."
"What!" Skinner stared at his op
ponent strangely.
"That's right I'm a lemon."
"Ain't you the Yale champ? The
guy that goes under 'even time'?"
Wally shook his head. "I'm his
chum. I couldn't catch a cramp."
The brown face of the Centipede
sprinter split into a grin, his eyes
gleamed. "Then I'll win," said be.
"I'm the Eucker, but I'll make good.
Get your money down, and I'll split
with you."
"No, no! Not you! Me! I musl
win!" Speed clutched his caller des
perately. "All right, I'll frame anything; but
I can't run any slower than I did with
Joe and make a live of it They'd
shoot us both."
"But there's a girl in this a girl I
love. It means more than mere life.1
Skinner was plainly becoming nerv
ous at the length of the Interview.
"Couldn't you fall down?" inquired
the younger man, timidly.
The cook laughed derisively. "1
could fall down twice and beat you In
fifteen." After an InBtant's thought:
"Say, there's one chance, If we don'l
run straight away. There's a corral
out where we race; you Insist on run
ning around It, see? There's nothing
in the at 'cles about straightaways.
That'll kid 'em on the time. It I get
too far ahead, I'll fall down."
"B-but will you stay down? Till I
catch up?"
"Sure! Leave it to me."
"You won't forget, or anything like
that?"
"Certainly not But no rough work
A Man's Figure Appeared at the Win
dow.
In front of the cowboys, understand?
Bh-h!"
Skinner vaulted lightly through the
window, landing in the dirt outside
without a sound. "Somebody coming,"
he whispered. "Understand: Mer
chants' Hotel, Albuquerque, noon, Sun
day." And the next Instant he bad
vanished into the dusk, leaving be
hind him a youth half hysterical with
hope.
Out of the blackest gloom had come
J. Walllngfotd Speed's deliverance,
telling me about this foot-race. What
In the deuce Is the matter with you,
anyhow? Why didn't you let me
know?"
The girls drew closer, and Speed
saw that Miss Blake was pale.
"I wouldn't have allowed it for a
minute. Now, of course, I'm going
to call it off."
"Ob, Jack, dear, you simply can't!"
exclaimed his sister. "You've no Idea
the state the boys are In."
"They'll never let you, Chapln,"
supplemented Fresno.
The master laughed shortly. "They
and be did not pause to consider the
ethics Involved. With light heart he
hastened to replace the borrowed re
volver in the bunk-room Just as voices
coming nearer betokened the arrival
of his friends from tbe house. As he
stepped out Into the night be came
upon Jack Chapln.
"Hello, Wally!"
"Hello, Jack!" Tbey shook bands,
while the owner of tbe Flying Heart
continued.
"I've Just got In, and they've been
won't, cb? Who Is boss here, I'd like
to know?"
"They've bet a lot of money. And
you know how they feel about that
phonograph."
"It's the most Idiotic thing I ever
heard of. Whatever possessed you,
Wally? If the men make a row, I'll
have to smuggle you and Glass over
to the railroad to-night"
"I'm for that," came tbe voice of
Larry.
"I suppose It'a all my fault," Miss
Blake began wretohedly, whereat the
object of their general solicitude took
on an aspect of valor.
(TO BB CONTINUED.)
Prophetle Retort,
The governor of Virginia, at a time
when Washington as a mere youth
ventured to remonstrate against the
Injustice of a certain decree, turned
fiercely upon the young man and In
quired:
"And who the dickens are you.slr?"
With a cold but courteous bow, the
young Virginian, drawing himself tip
to his proud height, frigidly replied:
"Nobody In particular Just now, but
for the future, sir, somebody In gen
eral." The haughty emphasis on the word
general, It Is said, sent a cold chill
running up and down the governor's
spine, which It required seven mint
Juleps and sis bottles of port to relieveJudge.
HIS WIFE WAS SOME TALKER
Married Man Coolly Informs Better
Half She Could Hear Niagara If
8he 8topped Talking.
Thoy were talking about the conver
sational power of the fair sex at a re
ception In Washington a few weeks
ago, when Congressman Augustus
Stanley of Kentucky cited a case that
left no doubt as to mother's ability to
win the first prize.
Some time back, according to the
congressman, a friend of his visited
Niagara Falls, taking with him his
wife and his wife's Bister. Immediate
ly on arriving and securing hotel quar
ters, tbe party set out to see tbe won
derful sight wlfcy and wlfey's sister
talking as they walked along on a mil
lion Interesting subjects.
"Say, John," said wlfey, turning to
the old man after they bad gone quite
a distance, "aren't we getting near tbe
falls?"
"Yes," was the prompt reply of
John. "If you will stop talking a min
ute you will hear the thunder of the
water quite plainly." Philadelphia
Telegraph.
Apportionment
Tbe architect approached the ownel
of the new hotel.
"Everything Is finished except the
kitchen and the tango room," be re
ported, "and there Is Juat $18,107 left
to spend on them."
"Go ahead and do the best you can
with the money," said the owner. "II
necessary, spend all of $107 on tbe
tltchen."
Celestial Brightness.
American You Chinamen are very
foolish to put rice aud chicken on your
countryman's grave. Do you think hd
comes out of the ground and eats
them?"
Chinaman When Mellcan man puts
flowers on friend's grave, does he think
dead man come out and smell 'em?"
PREPARING FOR THE RACE.
Hiram Watcher running' fer,
JoBlah?
Joelah Waal, I expect to run fcr
office this year an' I sorter wanter git
my wind Into Bhape fer speakln'.
Punctilious.
"DIs aln' de same umbrella I lent
you," said Uncle Rasberry.
"Cobse It aln'." replied Mr. Erastus
Pinkley. "Wlf all dem good umbrellas
to pick f'um, you didn' s'pose I were
g'lneter bring you back yoh same ol'
cotton rain-roof, did you? When I bor
rows, I pays Interest"
A Natural Inclination,
'The Chinese are ancestor worship
's." "Well," replied Senator Sorghum,
we're not altogether free from that
tendency. We can't help having a cer
tain especial regard for a man who
wears bis whiskers so as to make him
look like Abraham Lincoln."
Exchange of Duties.
"Yon think that women ought to be
allowed to do men's work?"
"Yes." replied Miss Cayenne, "If
they want to; although I can't see why
a wife should want to put In the aft
ernoons In a shop or an office while
the husband Is out dancing the
tango."
Fowl Language.
Little Leeter B , traveling on the
continent with his mother, grew tired
or hearing nothing but French and
German, etc., spoken. One morning,
hearing a rooster's cock-a-doodle-do,
he exclaimed: "Thank goodness!
There's something that speaks Eng
lish, anyway."
Danger of Misunderstanding.
"Will you call on father and aek him
for my band?" asked Gwendolyn.
"I'm afraid I'd never get a chance
to tell him why I called," replied the
young man. "You see, I'm employed
as a bill collector by people to whom
he owes money."
Vtctl mixed.
"Did yon come back on an ell-steel
train r
"When the waiters and porters fin
ished plucking me, I felt sure It was."
Birmingham Age-Herald.
Dark Suspicion,
"Gerald baa quarreled with me."
"Why?"
"Father says It was to make an
opportunity to send back that Christ
mas necktie."
The Retort Courteous.
He Minerva seemed to be about tha
only goddess who didn't want to got
married.
She No wonder. Minerva waa the
goddess of wisdom.
Evening Gown of
far- -A p. t3' "fWs
A CHARMING and simple gown for
evening wear is made of light yel
low chiffon draped over a satin under
skirt in the came color. The underskirt
Is moderately full, plain, and finished
with a wide hem. The overskirt forms
a tunic drapery about the hips and
Is caught up In a serios of shallow
plaits at each side, forming a festoon
at front and back.
An ornament In the form of a small
disk made of opalescent beads, from
which ten strands of beads hang,
serves to catch up the drapery at the
sides. An embroidery of beads Is ap
plied to the chiffon, also. This con
sists of four parallel rows of beads
extending down each side of the front
and about the bottom of the overskirt
The bodice Is a full blouse of chif
fon over a short underwalst of satin
and trimmed with a eurpllce of wldo
lace. The short, straight sleeves are
of lace, also.
There Is a wide girdle made of a
width of satin rut on the bias. It 1
wrinkled and tacked to supports. It
Is soft and adjusts linolf euelly to the
natural lines of the waist. The fast
Neckwear Sheer and Brilliant
NECKWEAR for spring Is not
marked by tho introduction of
niimy novelties but In novel treutmcnt
of pieces with which we are already
familiar. Llko almost all other up
pnrel, It tends to shecriiess in mate
rials and vividness ns to color. Pieces
are email, as a rule.
The standing ruff, supported by
small wires, leads In popularity among
the novelties. It Is shown In great
variety, made of lace or net with a
collar attached or with a fichu or a
frill to lie against the bodice or cout
One of the newest and simplest Is
shown here. It Is made of fine plaited
net This may be had at the stores,
or other plaiting of lace or chiffon, all
ready to use.
The bound edges of the net (after
tha length of the ruff bas been decided
upon and cut off) are sowed together.
Three very small wires are tacked In
at the bsck, one on each side and one
at tbe center. Tbe ruff Is finished
with narrow ellk or velvet ribbon, as
shown In the picture. The shaded rib
bons are liked for this purpose.
Just below the ruff a protty orna
ment Is shown which consists of a
small bow of velvet with little flower
forms of silk braid pendant from it
The volvet Is In a vivid color, as cerise
or emerald green, and tha flowers In
pure white silk with plush centers
Ilka the velvet In color. It Is essy to
make this little ornamental bow of
silk coronation braid and small bits
of velvet
Tha collar at tha top of tha picture
Chiffon, With Beads
ening at the front Is finished with
cluster of small ribbon roses in many
soft, delightful colorings. Tbe eeml
low neck Is finished with a fold of
chiffon.
This Is a pleasing gown, simple In
outline and In decoration. The dis
tinctly new feature In It Is the em
ployment of rows of beads for the
trimming and the bead strands as a
support for the elde draping. The
wide hem In place of tbe regulation
three-Inch hem is noticeable also in
the underskirt
The design Is suited also to the
many pretty voiles, challles and crepes
tbut are to be bought In such variety
and at such low prices. And with
some modification of the bodices this
dress may be suited to almost any age.
The hnir ornament pictured with it
is made of beads, supporting a tuft
of marabou feathers. Satin slippers
and silk huso, matching the gown in
color, make the completion of the toi
lette perfect. Hut there are beautiful
slippers in blark and bronze that are
Just as effective with this simple
gown. JULIA BOTTOMLEY.
Is of ninniultiettfl embroidered In floss
and llnUliecl ulili fine Tcnerlffo lace
about the outside edgca. It Is em
broidered In line scallops about tha
neck. This Is iino of the daintiest
put terns, and very durable It Is to
bo worn with coats or dresses.
Ilelow this collar Is a bow mado of
tubing of crepe do chine. This Is
pretty and easily mado. The crepe do
chine Is cut In narrow bias strips two
Inches wide. The edges are laid to
gether along the center of tbe strip
and tacked to place. This gives a
fold an Inch wide. This Is folded
agnln and the folded edges blind
stitched together, forming tha tubing.
About two yards of It will ba required
for the bow and ends. Tha ends are
finkihod with a pearl bead and small
round beads covered with tha crepa
da chine.
Tha remaining collar In tha plctura
la made of batiste In a light tan color
and embroidered In several colors and
in oriental design. It will be effect
ive on suits of linen In natural colors
or white, and on cloth suits. It Is
finished with a band at tho neck and
rolls over tho neck opening of bodlca
or coat.
Collars Ilka those ahown In this
style are to ba worn with or without
ties, at tha fancy of tho wearer. Long,
straight ties of narrow velvet ribbon
or of folded crepa da china are shown,
finished with beads at tha ends. Tbey
are worn much Ilka a strand of baada
about tha neck.
JULIA KOTTCMLKYs