(?
Virginia
of the
Air Lanes
A ROMANCE OF
FLYING
. . , By . . .
Herbert Quick
Copyright. 1939. by the Bobbi
Merrill Company
CIl.YPTEK X.
Till KETREAT OF THEODORE
TUB first day Theodore sent or
ders for the shipment of the
engines aud began to provide
better equipment 'for the
bouse. He brought as u companion
for Miss Suarez an elderly widow.
Mrs. Stott, who was addicted to the
writing of poems of a lovelorn nature
Virginia's opinion of ber new uncle's
worldly wisdom rose at this provision
for cbuperonage. But sbe gave him
too much credit. He merely thought
of Virginia's becoming lonely.
lie could not depart until sure that
''Miss Virginia" would not feet slighted
should be push on.
Craighead's telegrams came In from
the east, still Delphic In significance.
One reported that New York was prac
tically "surrounded," another that the
country would soon be "grldironed."
Theodore was deaf to voices from the
outer world. A letter from narrod,
proving that the news of his return
bad reached the cabin In the dunes,
lay on the old escritoire one morning.
Theodore Inserted a paper knife In the
envelope, half cut It open and saw
Virginia's dress glimmering outside.
The half opened letter fell to the desk,
and Uncle Theodore leaped out on the
veranda.-
"Morning, uncle!" said she. "nave
you slept well?"
"Fine."
"You don't look It." snld she. "Yout
eye look dull. You devote too much
time to business while your family is
asleep, don't you?"
"Unole" thought of the unopened let
ter, the unanswered telegrams, the
neglected business. Mr. Waddy's mon
y. the "uncompleted aeronef. the sleep
less nights, tormented by not business
at all, not business! Decidedly not!
I slept too soundly," said he.
They spent most of their time out of
doors. Theodore ate wolfishly each
day and drank great quantities of cof
fee to show that he was In fine fetrle
qulte unable to pick up bis end of the
conversation. It was youth and spring
and sweet fellowship, though the
Items made blm sick of Mrs. Stott's
table talk. He wanted the river and
Psyche, knowing that he ought to go
and leave her. Every night he vowed
to go next morning and laid plans for
another day with her.
Early one morning tbey started out
on a berry picking expedition. The
girl trod in a hollow and fell lu a
heap on the Bermuda grass. Theo
dore found ber with ber ankle gripped
iu ber bands and her lips tight to bold
Lack a cry. A hurried question, a
cheery reply out In two with a twinge
of pain, and he picked her up. She
threw ber arms about his neck to ease
the burden. , Alas. It made It heavier
The fervor of his embrace did the an
kle no good and nearly crushed poor
Virginia. The color rose slowly to ber
brow as he set ber down on the veran
da lind stood over her, breathing hard.
Sbe rose on the sound foot and tried
the other carefully.
"It isn't bad at all." said she.
Taking off the shoe, she held the tit
tle foot In her hand, examining the an
kle critically.
"Do you think It's swelling? she
asked. .
Theodore tenderly squeezed the
shapely ankle and rose to his feet.
"1 don't know." said he. "l-Ffc
liniaT-
Ile had seized ber hand and was
looking at her with none of the Im
personality of the surgeon or physl
clan. She did not take her band
away. He dropped it and ran ran
toward the river.
' Theodore was absent at dinner with
- out apology, and the women were In
bed before "bp s!i ohT3 room and
lay tossing again. Desperate, he rose
and went to the library, lighted
lamp, saw the still sealed letter from
Captain Harrod and slushed It open as
if It had been tue breast of his mortal
foe. It ran:
I hear that you are back south.
Tione vou can come ' right non. The en
Klnct U here for ten duyi. The man tha
lout the Hying thing the young lady coma
In ! back. He If right crazy. Mr. ineo
dore. from losing tils machine. He kp:
trvtim to Bll Into the shed and yells hi
Is rooned. They l a lot of letters anc
tcleyiJii at Palmetto Heuch.
Theodore struck himself on tht
breasi and started to his feet deter
mined to flee to bis work and from
the roinnnMf (lungers of bis unclehood
Trembling with excitement, be attempt
cd n note to Virginia. Wi.uer at the
cabin, messages at the beach, meant
danger oud disgrace if he neglected bis
task longer. Infamy if be toyed on
with temptation. He told Chloe
Ihrouch ber door that he bad been
called away nud that sho must explal
to the ladles. lie hastily packed
bag. ran down aud unmoored th
launch and (ted down tho river.
Captain Harrod, dignified, barefoot
cd, soft voiced, unkempt, kept bis
louely vigil on tlio white straight edg
of beach that lay from Fort Morgan
to Perdldo bay. Cuptaln Harrod, Ig
BBS THREW HER ARMS ABOUT BIS NICK
TO EASB TUB BURDEN.
noting landscape and seascape, Uevot
ed himself to the study of sand tracks
of all sorts tracks of foxes examin
lng the beach for turtles' eggs, months
ahead of time; talon marks of opos
sums and raccoons prowling about for
crabs, mice and birds' eggs; hoof
marks of wild bogs, etc. Trails of men
there were along the sparsely trav-
eled highway of the strand and the
footprints of one In particular attract
ed him. Tracks In the sand were to
Harrod book, newspaper, telegraph
and circulating library. lie knew sev
eral things that this man might be
a deserter from the fort, perhaps, or
it might be some one connected with
the revenue service. Ills cabin was
"Harrod's flshlngcamp" nothing more.
Whnt bad revenue officers to do with
such bumble piscatorial headquarters
as these? They should not care about
Theodore's hidden Invention.
And yet one day a slimy metal sea
monster stuck a blunt nose out from
the water at about the Ave fathom
contour line, opened a rectangular
mouth and flicked a square red tongue
like an angry snake until Captain Har
rod on the highest dune opened a bril
liant red handkerchief with a Chau
tauqua salute and wiped bis nose elab
orately. Whereupon the sea monster
sank beneath the brine. What took
place that night was concealed by
darkness. If Captain Harrod was
busy carrying packages ashore until
morning be came by them honestly, no
doubt
An examination of the popular nov
els or periodicals of the past say of
tbe era of that president whose Chris
tlan unme our Theodore bears will be
rewarded by a realization of prophecy
gone wrong as to tue influence on
smuggling of aerial navigation. It
must bring free trade, they said
Ships navigating the air could laud
their cargoes anywhere. Yet the air
ships gave the custom house people
little trouble. Airships were so con
spicuous; their loads were necessarily
o light; the system of reporting them
by wireless from Canada, Mexico aud
tbe Islands was so efficient.
Very unexpectedly it was the sub
marine that drove the "revenues" wild
and filled the law books with Draco
nlan statutes. No trade ever grew
faster. The boat Osh dived beneath the
wavfa anZ rose on some lonely coast
like this by appointment with some
Captain. Harrod sltttug like a bewhls-
kered bit of wreckage on the dunes. '
Harrod was nervous about the foot
prints, and he persevered In a search
until, he found their maker lying asleep
In a comfortable sleeping bag In a
nearby thicket, ne recognized him as
Wlzner, Inventor of the helicopter that
was blown out to sea. He waked Wlz
ner, and the latter assailed Harrod In
abuse which included the absent Cur-
son.
You let my helicopter go out to
sea," he wailed, "and it was worth, a
million dollars to me."
Harrod took pity on the Inventor,
and us a result Wlzner stayed for
weeks, sleeping In bis bag on the porch
of the cabin, and, to the captain's In
tense uitger, tried several times to visit
tbe shed where Carson's newly invent
ed airship wus In course of completion.
Fluully Carson arrived. . Theodore
ordered the spying man away, and an
altercation ensued In which Wlzner
was roughly bandied. At last he took
tls leave, vowing vengeance on Carson
and the airship, which, he said, was
worthless. He bad made rough draw
ings of the airship, as be had managed
secretly to elude Harrod's watchful
ness. At the lagoon he took a boat and
rowed to the north shore. Tbe boat
from the submarine that hud signaled
Ilurrod bad brought ber crew ashore,
lie addressed one of the men as Fn
ville and teamed that the Stickleback,
tho submarine, wus offshore for some
unknown purpose. Reagan, the Stic
kleback's captain, came uizlly up, and
Wlzner Informed blm that be (Wlzner)
was going on board ber. The captain,
amazed, asked for whnt renson.
"I'm goln' to use ber."
"The d I you are!"
"Well, If not I'll show you up to
tbe authorities as a smuggler, Reagan
you an' Hat-rod.
Reagan's fuce paled. He bnstlly
drew a revolver from his pocket, then
thrust it bnck.
"How do we know," snld Rengnn,
"that you won't pench after you get
through with us?"
"If I make the play I expect to," re
plied Wlzner, "I'll bo lu d d tO..'"
deeiHr'n you are!"
That means. said Reagan, "worse
than smuggling."
"I mean the only thing the law pun
ishes worse than smuggling with a
submariner
Reagan answered slowly:
"I didn't expect I'd ever go that far.
but I guess I'll have to serve under
you. Wizuer. You're captain of ta
Stickleback."
OIAPTER XL
THE AEHONEK VIRGINIA.
IRGINIA, left alone, was rath
er glud of It, Her desertion
of the Sbaynes was a crisis
lu her life. Sbe had acted
Impulsively in a matter of great mo
ment and needed time for thought
She had taken flight to Carson's Land
ing and to shelter in tbe shade of tbe
sole remaining branch of ber family
tree, full of confidence that she would
find there a silver haired uncle and a
delicate old lavender aunt redolent of
the old regime and ready to receive
ber tenderly loyal to the Carson blood.
Instead of silver hair, Theodore, the
audaciously false uncle, had the "lit
tle, silky kid's mustache," and there
was no aunt The grandnlece of old
General Carson, related to Theodore
Carson by no chain of descent save
the dubious one of the original third
Carson brother of hundreds of years
ago and tbe ownership of this planta
tion, was weakly allowed to assume
kinship from tbe pluce aid name and
never thought of sitting down with
Theodore and tracing the thing out
She wondered just what the relation
ship was anyhow. Chloe said that
Cahsonses were Cahsonses, and she
never bothered about different kinds,
ne couldn't be a real uncle, Virginia
felt sure of that He might be a son
of General Carson by a second wife.
He was the head of the family any
how. She must be satisfied with that
Of his Invention, save that it was In
the mysterious shed, chosen because
of its remoteness and Its unobstructed
beach, she really knew nothing. She
began to wonder now whether he
was a world's genius or only the
crude product of a country college,
with nothing to command a second
glance except bis sinewy erectness,
the pathetic yearning In his eyes and
the wonderful softness In his voice.
Uncle Theodore," suggested Vir
ginia to Mrs. Stott, "has invited us to
visit him. And. do you know, I think
we'll go back with tbe captain If you
can overcome your aversion to the wa
ter."
Will the bay be rough?" asked Mrs,
Stott as If confident that the captain
served out the weather.
"Dead ca'm. ma'am."
"We'll go." said Mrs. Stott.
The ladles hurriedly packed their
dunnage and embarked. They were a
gay party. Virginia was full of laugh
ter, ner color rose and her eyes dilat
ed as they took the strenm early
enough to let them through the new
canal Into the lagoon by daylight.
"Do you see nuy signs of a storm?"
asked Mrs. Stott. noting his upward
rlnnces.
"No. mn'am." be returned. "Ah was
list tryln' to make out If Ah'd evo'
seen that craft befo' aloft thah.".
Tbe craft alluded to was a great all
Ver Condor, gleaming In the sun.
Virginia studied her absorbedly with
her field glasses.
"I think," said Virginia, "that she's
the Roc. I'm sure of it."
"Yes. ma'am." replied narrod.
"She's lyln' to," said the captain.
"Thah goes huh lift down."
"Why," asked Virginia wonderlngly
"what can she want over there In the
woods?" '
"She's list about ove' yo' home,
ma'am," said narrod.
Virginia grew pale and, asking for
the glass, scanned the great aerostat
with the lowered lift, like a nexus, to
the ground. . . ' ,
"Can't you go a little- faster?" said
ihe, loving down the binoculars.
"Aftah we clear Weok's bay," said
the captain. '''
Dnne ce ir ofjJiictMnc)ulhri.ood
for the south shore, the engines firing
In continuous explosion. Suddenly
with a lltrto rrer"i '( i leaned
out to look. upward past the awning.
In the water, instead of, bird or sail or
cloud, aVe hud sucu, coming up from
tbe depths under their rail, the Roc,
under full speed, her great engines
purring like tiger cats, ber screws
shimmering, her giant hull a resplend
ent bubble of steel. Looking up, Vir
ginia saw her overhead and -cowered
back into the boat, for peering over
the rail and calling like an evil bird
was Sllberberg.
"Shall Ah answer tbe hall, miss?"
asked the captain.
"No!" whispered Virginia. "Take
no notice, I beg of you, captain!"
The Roc swept on like a meteor,
leaving the launch behind. Virginia
asked the captain If be supposed she
bad been recognized.
"Ah reckon not miss," said he. "J 1st
a chance mcetln', Ah reckon. She
come to, raglit ove' the Inn," said the
captain.
Virginia sat under the middle of the
awning, qulto in a tremble. Tbe boat
slowly threaded the shelly entrance to
the bayou and passed the wharf of tbe
Inn. The peoplo on the quay were
craning their necks at tho descent of
the passengers from the Roc.
"Hurry, captain, hurry!" urged Vir
glnla.
"Ah cain't, ma'am," snld he. "Ah'll
bev to llo to a minute fob that boat
Neve' fear, miss; yo' all rnght with
me!"
"Hero you see," said a voice from
the wharf, "two soon to be discarded
modes of navigation the boat dlsplnc
lng water and tbe aerostnt floating In
the nlr upheld by gas. The hydroplane
must replace the boat; the aeronef,
VIRGINIA STUDIED HER ABHORHEDLY WITH
HKR FIELD GLASSES.
the aerostat I uave "made a special
ty of this. I know. The value of
that cigar Bhaped craft up there as
Junk, deducted from her present value,
Is the measure of Mr. Flnley Shayne's
loss when our big show opens Its
ticket wagon. Scest thou?"
Virginia looked attentively at the
speaker, startled to bear her uncle's
name mentioned almost In his pres
ence. She saw a youngish man of
medium height, thin habit of body and
long, thick balr, who was gazing, with
every appearance of Interest not at
the airship, but at a lady of perhaps
twenty-seven years, short plump, ad
mirably gowned in a sort of rednced
half mourning, with ber Jolly little
face turned toward the Roc, her brown
balr tousled about ber face, her prom
inent little chin carrying the facial an
gle forward and downward.
"That talk will do with me." said
she, "but you've got to show papa
something besides oratory pretty soon
or there'll be- trouble. He tells me
that you and Mr. Carson are the first
ever to sell him a gold brick, and he
proposes to make an example of you.
You're supposed to be In custody now.
Why. here's papa!"
Mr. Wnddy came down the wharf.
combing bis whiskers and mustache
out In front of his nose with bis fin
gers. As Harrod's boat glided within
arm's length of the wharf the lift de
scended from the airship, filling Vir
ginia with terror.
"I don't think I'll get you another
posy, Caroline," said the old man.
picking it to bits like that."
"I'm trying my fortune," said she,
with a Utile embarrassed laugh.
"Humph!" said her father.
The younger man, seemingly recov
ered front his perplexity, was touching
the row of buttons one by one. and as
fie launch gathered way Virginia
heard him say to button after button
"She loves me! She loves me notl 8he
loves me! Hooray!"
The shout si-eoted the favorable an
swer of the oraclo. The lady, as if
feeling the fingers In ber curls, turned
aud gently 'slapped the geutleman's
ears. The launch shot Into the canal
and out of sight. The ladles were made
sole owners of Carson's cabin, and the
men slept with the aeronef by night.
while by day Captain Harrod stood by
to eld Theodore, slipping away to tbe
top of the dunes at times to scan the
oiling for the slimy nosed Stickleback,
Inexplicably reappearing with her oval
deck Just awash, ber thin, seml-tnvlsl-
ble periscope in air. Having arranged
with Reagan for a cessation of the
contraband business until the aeronef
was off the stocks, . tbe captain was
worried. He waved the Chautauqua
salute one day, whereupon tbe subma
rtne sounded, like a Rallied rorqual.
The captain's ingenuity was not equal
to the task of developing a theory to
account for her presence or her alarm,
Carson suddenly became possessed of
an unremitting energy that command
ed Virginia's admiration. As he told
ber again of his struggles, his experi
ments, his falling Into the garden of
Dr, Wltherspoon, .bis meeting with
Craighead, the financial enlistment of
Mr. Waddy and of the puzzling' mes
sages he bad received she became an
enthusiast too.
"I'd like to meet Mr. Craighead,"
said sbe. "I'd like to feel sure that he
can secure a monopoly of the naviga
tion of the air."
"You might form an opinion of him,'
said he, "by reading bis telegrams.
"Of whom?" Inquired Virginia, evi
dently' thinking of something else.
"Craighead," replied Carson, "nere
they are. What do you think of them?1
The first was dated Charleston,
W. Va. "Air products Incorporated."
it ran. "Immense sensation In trust
Incubator and brooder. Why don't I
hear from HluBtrfous co-consplrator?
Craighead, the riute."
"Tries to be humorous," said Vir
ginia. "Let's see the next"
The next dute wus dated. "En route
to Cosmopolls from Incubator," and
was unsigned. "To blm who commands
the winds, from him who winds the
commands, greeting." It ran. "Be of
good cheer. The train Is laid, the gin
Is set, the dogs of war strain forward
In the leash. But Is there any aeronef?
Broom end of pipe d renin assumes ter
rifying concreteness. Noble, sir, assure
me of thine! Just wire saving you are
you nnd there Is nn neroncf, collect!"
"Did you answer this?" asked Vlr
glnlu.
Thcf (lore f hook b!s heml:
"It win days mill i!:iys before I c
If
"Why didn't he wnd It to the planta
tion?" asked Virginia.
I gave hltu this address." said Tbeo-
dort. "1 I stayed there too too long."
He 0ened the gyroscope globe and
began running the engines lightly, set
ting th heavy little wheels spinning,
rocking the aeronef from side to side
to note the operation of the balancing
devices. Preserving their pertiendlcu-
lnrlty. as if of intelligent purpose, the
gyroscopes moved the levers of the
wing differentials which would accel
erate the propeller wheels of the low
ered wing tad correspondingly slow
the upper. Right or left stern or bow.
the depressed area would work the
harder, the raised part slower, while
powerful rudders co-operated, moving
like a fish's flus, eveu now while the
propeller rested. Theodore was get
ting past an awkward reference to his
long stay at the plantation by a pains
taking examination of the brain of his
airship.
See how it works. Virginia," he ex
claimed. "It knows the levers to be
moved. Why. If a puff starts to over
turn her she'll strike with the lowered
wings alone like a bird. And see the
Intelligence of those rudders! And
Wlzuer said she'd turn turtle!"
And Mr. Craighead doesu't get any
report of all this! What must be
think?"
"I told him about It" said Theodora
proudly. "And it was no time to tele
graph apologies. It was a time to
work."
Virginia opened another of Craig
head's telegrams. It was addressed to
Palmetto Beach, "or somewhere It la
hoped," and seemed to be regarded by
Craighead as very Important "My
luck hath turned! It Is Craighead Fe
lix now, said he. "Have found a
gang of grafters organized to get us
grants in no time; will cinch New
York by Friday; Chicago already hem
med In. New thought fee of roads in
grangers everywhere. Will secure title
except for road purposes, Shayne, thy
sun sets apace! Whoop I Whoop!
Whoopee! We've got 'em, we've got
'em! Caroline's dad ready to bust all
eight banks to back scheme. You must
make good, Theodorle. Answer for tha
sake of divine pity Just one leetle
teeney peep! Napoleon Bonaparte
Hannibal Mllttades Craighead."
"What does he mean," asked Vir
ginia, "by all this about grants, high
ways and fee simple? It's awfully
queer."
"I don't know," replied Carson.
"Some vislonnry thing."
And who la Caroline?" asked Vlr
glnla.
"Mrs. Grayblll, Mr. Waddy's daugh
ter. Now, listen, Virginia, and watch.
She's ready to try."
ne threw In the clutch, and the
wings began whirring like great buzzes.
Faster and faster the wing sections
whirled until the aeronef strained up
ward on ber lashings like a restive
horse. Theodore tipped a lever, and
sho leaped forward, stretching the
ropes at an anglo of forty-five degrees.
He reversed It, and she slacked back
ward, as might an eagle repulsed by a
foe.' Virginia swung her hat and shout
ed.
Pull the line on the end of. that
wing," said be, "and see if you can tip
her. Pull!"
Virginia walked gingerly forward.
her dress, fliiii),,. her Jiat whisked to
the top of the room. Grasping the fly
tug rope end, she pulled downward.
Tbe wings settled slightly, and then as
tbe gyroscope brain felt the depres
slon the lowered wings lifted as if con
sclously rising to a load. It was mar
velous.
Can't you pull hardorr cried Theo
dore, bareheaded, bis balr flying.
"Try."
Aye, aye. sir," cried Virginia cheer
ily. "Try It Is."
Reaching up. she pulled herself clear
of the floor, her strong little form
swaying like a most charming pendu
lum. Tbe euormous dragon fly, throw
lng Its power Into the depressing wing,
rode level, with nine stone weight of
solid American girl dangling from the
tip of one wing a mechanical para
dox. The boat stood In air as level as
a ship In a calm.
"Hurrah!" shouted Theodore, swing
tng his arms. "Never anything like It
in the world. Curried yon on on wing
and kept level Hurrah for the Vir
ginia!"
He eased ber down and stepped to
where Virginia waited, hands out
stretched, red from the rough rope.
hair blown abroad.
"And are you going to name her
that?" she cried. "Oh, how perfectly
dear of your
Theodore held tbe chafed bands, trl
umph In his face, ne opened the little
red palms and kissed them over and
over again. Mrs. Btott came in and
saw him doing It
"I hurt my hands," said Virginia,
showing them. "And nncle Is kissing
them well."
"Very kind and self sacrificing, I'm
sure," replied Mrs. Stott
CnAPTEU XII.
' ICR. CRAIGHEAD tit ccstodt.
THE money for the last touches
to the airship was to be the
extent of Mr. Waddy's new
financial-: venture, and then
came Cralgheud with Ills new batched
plan for actually monopolizing the air,
and Mr. Waddy, having submitted It
to his local lawyer, hesitated and was
lost.
"I'll go Into It." he snld. "We'll make
everybody come utid settle that wants
a trip by airship. Hey?"
"Exactly." replied Ornlghcnd.
"Jest as If tlio whole country was
our farm," cried Mr. Waddy.
"It will be for circumambient pur
poses." replied Craighead. "And, as
you so well said, a farm's a cinch. And
remember. Mr. Waddy, In putting
Stinync nod his plraies down and out
we and our pirates are making way
for the matchless, unstnkable, doubl
acting, universal speed, direct drive.
nonhalatlon. orthochromatlc Carson
aernoef. Don't forget our haughty
southron coconspirator who will wing
hla way to Illinois by the time we re
turn. Don t fall down aud forget that
Well, you'd better have him on.
hand," said Mr. Waddy. "as he prom
ised, or I'll know why he took my
good hard money."
it was on occasions of this sort that
Mr. Craighead bad sweated telegram
begging to know if Theodore really
had any airship.
"But think, my dear sir," protested
Mr. Craighead, "of the untold millions
lu the Broom Idea aerial monopoly.
Even if Theodore should be only four
clubs and a spade, we still hold the
aces, my dear Mr. Waddy. Do not
grind your teeth thus so long as the
American Nitrates and Air Products
company remains as the Archimedean
lever with which to pry up and dump
the world. We are ahead whatever
happens to the aeronef end of tho
deal"
Well, the aeronef end," said Mr.
Waddy, "bad better come to the cen
ter or I'll see what law there Is for
getting money by fatse pretenses."
The two men were tbe best of trav
eling companions. Mr. Waddy Insisted
on going in the smoker. Mr. Craighead
took the stateroom while his money
lasted and then borrowed of Mr. Wad
dy.
Mr. Craighead had advertised for
people to organize a rapid business
campaign covering the civilized world
to meet him In West Twenty-third
street at the studio of an acquaintance
to whom he had neglected to Impart
any knowledge of the tryst with tha
specialists. Wtddy and Craighead ar
rived somewhat late on account of th
time consumed in adjusting Mr. Craig
head's aura and found a crush of peo
ple entirely alien to the fine arts, filling
the studio and th hall outside. Craig
head's sculptor friend, with a lady .
model, escaped th angry mob Into tho
scaffolding of an equestrian grouo ren.
resenting an Indian maiden In a stam
pede of buffaloes. The model had been,
posing for something an Indian maid
en perhaps aud bsd feathers In her
hair.
Craighead broke through by Imper
sonating an officer, shouting "Mak
way for the police!" and upporcuttlng
the crowd with bis elbows.
"Hello, De Land!" said he, nodding
to the sculptor. "Most beauteous
princess of the Apnches, how?"
"That you.- Craig?" called down th
sculptor. "What, not sober? Go after
the police. Turn these people out.
please. Craig!"
"Friends of mine," said Craighead.
I advertised for 'em. Hope you
haven't been Incommoded, old man."
"Not at all!" replied th sculptor sar-
rustically. "But get tbetn out so ills
Brown and 1 can descend."
Craighead's manner ot disposing ot
tbe crowd commanded Mr. Waddy's
lincere respect H went about with
marvelous rapidity, sending a way tho
whose nonutlllty was unquestionable
and making engagements with others
at "our Wall street office." th nam
of which made everybody mora r
ipectful.
The dinner to which Mr. Cralgba4
took Mr. De Land, Miss Brown sod
Mr. Waddy was th first of s series,
which reduced Mr. Waddy to torpor.
The old gentleman. In his long frock.
coat which buttoned to a aurtout, his
frowsy face and hla evident attach
ment to Mr. Craighead, was remember
ed in certain ultra, bohemlan clrclas
for his surreptitious slinking into th
dimmest corners of cafe and roof gar
decs. He had a dark secret Mr. Crala
head aald. which, he did not expiate
originated In Mr. Waddy's agreement
with the lady In gegglea that the wht
situation was Improper. He felt oblbj
to keep with Craighead becaus or
a suspicion that the, aeronef was
figment of two Slattery Institute tsv
aglnatlons, and he did not purpos t
let any guilty man escape, go h
providently engaged a detective t
shadow both himself and Mr, Craig
head, the unremitting presence of
whom In very plain clothes made Mr.
Waddy feel and look guilty and fugi.
tlve.
His second reason for becoming Mr.
Craighead's double was his sense ot
duty of preventing that pupil of De.
Wltherspoon from breaking the tow
of abstinence. Bo he drank most of
the Intoxicants served to Craighead,
somewhat to the Injury of his health,
but much to tbe betterment of hla rep
utation as a roisterer. Altogether 1ft
was a relief to get Craighead back
home, where be Installed him as ft
lodger and boarder, charging him wall
for his accommodation and lending
him the money on his note to pay for
It On arrival he wont to bed and
turned Craighead over to Mrs. Gray
bill, with strict Injunctions to tele
phone the sheriff's office If he was un
accounted for for more than an hour,
It was a situation with some unique
aspects. Mr. Craighead began whlllng
way time with a work on the "Mor-
phology of the Crawfish" and dips Into
De Qulncey's "Spanish Nun." Look
ing from tho library window, be saw
Mrs. Grayblll enter a summer nous,
leaving a red hat on the railing out
side The "Morphology" grew uninterest
ing. Crnlgheud stepped from the win
dow, went Into tbe summer house and
started at finding Mrs. Grayblll there,
her hair tousled about her head, her
little nose elevated in that comical re
semblance to her father's.' "Mr. Wad
dy Informs me that the late Mr. Gray
blll was a minister of the gospel," h
ventured.
"Yes," she replied, "be was."
"And that he hes been called," Crala
head went on, "to a better life a year
or more?"
(Continued to rage 8).