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^ CONQUEST I in mm VI vm inn11 I By BOOTH TARKINGTON. Author of "Cherry." "Monsieur Be*.uc?iire." Etc. | Copyright. 1906. by Harper & Brothers (Continuedfrom page (? ) quired Mr. Davey, who. being tbe eldest of the party, was tbe most curious. "What happened?" "She was out in the street, up on that high bicycle of Joe Louden's. He was teachiu' her to ride, an' she was sittln* on it like a man does. I stopped and told her she wasn't respectable. Sixteen years old, goin' on seventeen!" "What did she say?" "Laughed!" said Jonas, his voice becoming louder as the recital of bis wrongs renewed their sting in his soul. *T A.iruKoil XittU^UCAl . "What did you do?" "I went up to her and told her she wasn't a decent g!rl and shook the wheel." Mr. Tabor illustrated by seizin? the lapels of Joe Havey and shaking him. "I told her if her grandfather had any spunk she'd git an old fashioned bidin' for behavin' that way. And I shook the wheel again." Here Mr. Tabor, forgetting in the wrath incited by the recollection that he had not to do with an inanimate object, swung the gasping and helpless Mr. Davey rapidly back and forth in his chair. "I shook It good and hard!" "What did she do then?" asked Feter Bradbury. "Fell off on me." replied Jonas vlo lenuy. "un purpose. "I wisht she'd killed ye," said Mr. Davey In a choking voice as. released, he sank back in his chair. "On purpose!" repeated Jonas. "And smashed a straw hat I hadn't lad three months! All to pieces! So it couldn't be fixed!" ^/'And what then?" pursued Bradbui^. "She ran," replied Jonas bitterly? "ran! And Joe Louden?Joe Louden"? He paused and gulped. "What did he do?" Peter leaned forward in his chair eagerly. The narrator of the outrage gulped again and opened and shut his mouth before responding. "He said If I didn't pay for a broken spoke on his wheel he'd have to sue me!" CHAPTER II. Jf AIN street, already mufHed by the snow, added to its qule\ tude a frozen hush where A X the wonder bearing youth pursued his course along Its white, v. straight way. None was there In whom impertinence overmastered astonishment or who recovered from the 6ight in time to Jeer with effect. No "Trab's boy" gathered courage to enact in the thoroughfare a scene of mockery and of Joy. And now that expression he wore? -f^e indulgent amusement of a man of the world?began to disintegrate and show signs of change. It becAme finely grave, as of a high conventionality, lofty, assured and mannered, as he approached the Pike "mansion." It was# a big. smooth stone faced house, product of the seventies, frowning under an outrageously iusistent mansard. capped by a cupola and staring out of long windows overtopped with ornamental slabs. Two cast iron deer, painted death gray, twins of the same moid, stood on opposite sides of the front walk, their backs toward it and each other, their bodies in profile^ the street, their necks bent, however. so that they gazed upon the passerby. yet gazed without emotion. Two large calm dogs guarded the top of the steps leading to the front door. They also were twins nr.d of the same interesting metal, though honored beyond the deer by coats of black paint and shellac. It was to be remarked that these dogs were of no distinguishable species or breed, yet they were unmistakably dogs. The dullest must have recognized them as such at a glance, which was i>erhaps enough. It was a hideous house, important looking. cold, yet harshly aggressive, and It sat In the middle of its flat acre of snowy lawn like a rich, fat man enraged and sitting straight lip In bed to swear. And yet there was one charming thing alK>ut this ugly house. Some workmen were Inclosing a large side porch with heavy canvas, evideully for festal purposes. Looking out from between two strips of tiie canvas was the ro*v and delicate face of a pretty girt, smiling upon Eugene Bantry as he passed. It was an obviously pretty face, all the youth and prettiuess there for your very llrst glance, elaborately pretty, like the splendid profusion of hair about and above It. amber colored Injr. upon which so much time had been* spent that a circle of large, round curls rose above the mass of it like golden bubbles tipping a coronet. The girl's fingers were pressed thoughtfully against her chin as Eugene strode into view Immediately her eyes widened and brightened. He swung along the feure with the handsomest appearance of uuconsclousness until he reached n point nearly opposijk her. Then lie turned his head as if^mpharJirdly and met her eyes. At once she* threw out her hand toward him. waving iiim a greeting, a gesture which as her fingers had been near her lips wa a little like throwing a kiss. lie crooked an elbow and wltli a one. two. three military movement removed his small brimmed hat. extending :t t. JuU arm's lew-rth at t!*?2 ? I I J sliouhfer 1. returned it t~>"Tils "hea3 * with life j -tI precision. This was J also new ti> ( anaan. He was letting ^ Mamie Pike have it all at ouee. } Tiie inipr: ^sion was as large as lie 1 could have iesired. She remained at ? tin? opening in the canvas and watch- ed him unt'l he wagged his shoulders s round the in xt corner and disappeared ' into a cross >treet. As for Eugene, he f was calm with a great calm and very I 1 red. i F He had not covered a great distance, ( however. l?? fore his gravity was re- T placed by his former smiling look of T i the landed entleman amused by the Innocent p dimes of the peasants, c though there was no one in sight ex- f cept a woman sweeping some snow from the front steps or a couage. ana i she, not perceiving Liini. retired indoors without knowing her loss. He ^ had come to a thinly built part of the : town, the perfect quiet of which made ! the sound he heard as he openo 1 the ; * picket gate of his own home all tlie j ^ | more startling. It was a scream, loud. ! r frantic and terror stricken. I t( Eugene stopped, with the gate half j open. |1 Out of the winter skeleton of a grape j arbor at one side of the four square i 1 j brick house a browu faced girl of sev- j ; euteen precipitated herself through the I T air in the midst of a shower of toru j cardboard which she threw l?efore her ! ? j as she leaped. She lit upon her toes ; ; and headed for the gate at top speed, i . pursued by a pale young man whose " thin arras strove spasmodically to reach her. Scattering snow behind them, hair flying, the pair sped on like two tattered branches before a high * wind, for, as they came nearer Eugene. " of whom, in the tensity of their flight. ^ , they took no note, it was to be seen that both were so shabbily dressed as 0 I to be almost ragged. a 1 ? . e The girl ran beautiruuy. dui a ueeier t foot was behind her and. though she ^ dodged and evaded like a creature of ^ the woods, the reaching hand fell upon the loose sleeve of her red blouse, nor fe 1 lightly. She gave a wrench of frenzy. The antique fabric refused the I strain, parted at the#hou!der seam so i thoroughly that the whole sleeve came ' j away, but not to its owner's release, for she had been brought round by the Jerk, so that, agile as she had shown herself, the pursuer threw an arm 0 about her neck before she could twist M away and held her. There was a sharp struggle as short. ^ as it was fierce. Neither of these extra-1 j ordinary wrestlers spoke. They fought, j Victory hung lii the balance for per- j ,? haps four sc-ou:!.*. 'Then the girl was, thrown heavily upon her back In such! r a turmoil cf snow that she seemed to j be the mere nucleus of a white comet, i . She strung e l to get t:p. plying knee ? and elbow with a very anguish of de- j, termination, but her opponent held her, pinioned both her wrists with one bandand with the other rubbed great handfuls of snow Into her face, sparing nel- ? ther mouth nor eyes. r "You will!" he cried. "You will tear ^ up my pictures! A dirty trick, and you { get washed for it!" 0 Half suffocated, choking, gasping, g she still fought on. squirming and i u kicking with such spirit that the pair a of them appeared to the beholder like ! j, figures of mist writhing in u fountain i n of snow. More violence was to mar the pence t of morning. U:iexi>ectedly attacked ' v from the rear, the conqueror was seiz- j ti ed by the uape of the neck and one h wrist aud jerked to his feet, siuiul-! o taneously receiving a succession of kicks from his assailant. Prompted s by an entirely natural curiosity, he essayed to turn his head to sc.* who , i this might 1>.\ but a twist of his fore-1 p arm and t lie pressure of strong lingers | t under his ear constrained him to re- a mai:i at he was. therefore, abandoning j v resistance and. oddly enough, aceept-! i' ing without comment the indication i L that his captor desired to remain for t the moment incognito, he resorted : calmly to explanations. ; c "Sue tore up a picture of mine." he t' said, receiving tlie pumsiimenc wun- a out aj)j?arent emotion. "She seemed to 1 v think because she'd drawu it herself i v she had a right to." ! f There was a slight whimsical droop j a at the corner of his mouth as he j spoke, which might have been thought j ' characteristic of him. He was au odd j c looking boy. not ill made, though very ! 1 thin and uot tall. His pallor was clear and eveu. as though constitution- i c al; the features were delicate, almost ] ' childlike, but they were very slightly distorted, through nervous habit, to an expression at once wistful and hu- I 1 morons: one eyebrow was a shade j higher thau the other, one side of the 8 mouth slightly drawn down; the eye- J lids twi'chrd a little, habitually: the | fine, blue eyes themselves were almost comically reproachful?the look of n puppy who thinks you would not have j beaten bl:n if you had known what was la his hejrt. Ail of this was Id ! | the quality of his voice, too. as he i said to his Invisible captor, with an air of detachment from any personal | feeling: * j "What peculiar shoes you wear! I j don't think I ever felt any so pointed before." The rescuing knight took no thought ' of ofTering to help the persecuted I dnuisel to arise; instead he tightened his trip upon the prisoner's neck un- j til. perforce, water?not tears?started I from the latter's eyes. "You miserable little muff!" said the conqueror. "What the devil do you ; mean making this scene on our front ! I lawn?" "Why. it's Eugene!" exclaimed the j helpless one. "They didn't expect you i till tonight. When did you get in?" 1 "Just in time to give you a lesson. n:v bu?-k." replied Hantry grimly. "In j good time for that, my playful step- , brother." lie began to twist the other's wrist, j ' a tit i' l __:o n__L iD I Tie application o? which "schoolboys i , md even freshmen are often adept. { Sugene made the torture acute and vns apparently enjoying the work r vhen suddenly, without any manner ] c >f warning, he received an astounding 1 low upon the left ear. which half ' c tunned him for the moment and sent j , lis hat flying and himself reeling, so ! :roat was tbe surprise and shock of it. ' ( t was not a slap, not an open handed j >ush?nothing like it-but a iierce. well f iolivered blow from a clinched fist nth the shoulder behind it, and it t vas the girl who had given it. ' Don't you dare to touch Joe!" she ried passionately. "Don't you lay a s Inger on him!" Furious and red. he staggered round o look at her. "You wretched little wildcat, what o you mean by that?" he broke out. "Dou't you touch Joe!" she panted. Don't you"? Her breath caught and here was a break in her voice as she uced him. She could not finish the ej?etition of that cry. "Don't you ouch Joe!" But there was no break in tbe spirit, hat passion of protection which had eait the blow. Both boys looked at er. somewhat aghast. Eugeue recovered himself. He swung ound upon his heel, restored his hat to is head with precision, picked up his tick and touched his banjo case with i L "Carry that into the house." he said jdifferently to his stepbrother. "Don't you do it!" said the girl hotly etween her chatterlug teeth. Eugeue turned toward her. wearing be sharp edge of a smile. Not reloving bis eyes from her face, he prouced with deliberation a flat silver ox from a pocket, took therefrom a igarette. replaced the box. extracted smaller slleer rox from another pockt. shook out of It a fusee, slowly lit ae cigarette?this In a splendid sl?nee. which ne finally broke to say inguidly. but with particular distinct- . ess: "Ariel Tabor, go home!" The girl's teeth stopped chatteri 'g 1 er lips remaining parted; she shook he hair out of her eyes and stared at im as If she did not understand, but oe Louden, who had picked up the anjo case obediently, burst into beerful laughter. 'That's it. Gene." be cried gayly. That's the way to talk to her!" "Stow It. you young cub." replied lugene, not turning to him. "Do you bink I'm trying to be amusing?" "I don't know what you mean by ?tow it.'" Joe began, "but if'? "I mean." Interrupted the other, not elnxing his faintly smiling stare at be girl?"I mean that Ariel Tabor Is o go home. Really we can't have this ind of thing occurring upon our front lwn!" The flush upon her wet cheeks deepned and became dark. Even her arm Tew redder as she gazed back at hlra. " n his eyes was patent his complete (j ealization of the figure she cut of this g >are arm. of the strewn hair, of the I alien stocking, of the ragged shoulder ( f her blouse, of her patched short f klrt of the whole disheveled little fig* j ire. He was the master of the house. V nd he was sending her home as 111 be- I aved children are sent home by 7 eighbors. j V "M - *? t ;U ourviplnHtr rtf II i IIP IllllllUUnc, <(UiU^cu ou|#vk>v>>.^ ? . bis proprietor of silver boxes, tills f rearer of strange and brilliant gnrnents. became slightly Intensified as ie pointed to tbe fallen sleeve, a rag f red and snow, lying near her feet "You might take that with yo j?" be aid interrogatively. Fler gaze had not wavered In meet:ig his. hut at this her eyelashes be:nn to wink uncontrollably, ber chin o tremble. She bent over the sleeve nd picked it up before Joe Louden, vho had started toward her. eonid do t for her. Then turning, her bead still ent so that her face was hidden from Kith of them, she ran out of the gate. Ariel ran along the fence until she ame to the next gate, which opened ipon a walk leading to a shabby, mendering old house of one story. w$li a ery long, low porch, once painted vhite. running tbe full length of the ront. Ariel sprang upon the' porch in.l disappeared within the house. Joe stood looking after her. his eyeashes winking as had hers. "You Mightn't to have treated her that way." ie said huskily. "Pick up that banjo case again and otue on." commanded Mr. Bantry tarty. "Where's the mater?" Joe stared at him. "Where's what?" "The mater!" was the frown ng re>ly. "Oh. yes, I know!" said Joe. looking it his stepbrother curiously. "I've seen ! "Don't you dare to touch Joe!" she cried. ( It In starlea. Elie's U23tiui2. iLsu-'U lie | i surprise. Vou'ro wearing lots of lotlies. Gei:c." "I suppose it wi'.l seem so to Canaan," | oturned the other weariedly. "Govern- j >r feeling fitV" "I never saw him." Joe replied, then j aught himself. "Oh. I see what you ! neanl Yes. he's all right." They had come Into the hall, and Lu- j :ene was removing the long coat, while J lis stepbrother looked at him thoughtully. "Gene," asked the latter in a sof- j ened voice, "have you seen Mamie j 'ike yet?" "You will find, my young friend," reponded Mr. Bantry. "if you ever go ' ibout much outside of Canaan, that la- J *** This man out acquainting of SCHNAPPS qualities that g less expense th erUMADDQ V>oo Vy^n at paper so that every che\ opportunity to get acqua facts and know that drug to produce the cheering c the famous Piedmont cot tobaccos, and that SCHNA ought to chew. Still the who accept other and cl that do not give the same ] !(KIW j "THE! | Sold A r.nnr^ntppH h\i $ "T ViMUl Ulll V VV4 UJ v ? Secretary of \gri | As At ft and unadulterai ft Law passed by s 5 thei.tr 5 4 booklet "fam( ?) SE* I I dies' names are ujt supposed to be mentioned indiscriminately." "It's only," said Joe. "Lint I wanted ! to say that there's a dance at their house tonight. I suppose you'll be go- > iu? " "Certainly. Are you'; Both knew that tiie question was j needless, but Joe answered gently: "Oli. no, of conr.-e not. lie leaned ! over and fumbled with one foot as if | to fasten a loose1 shoestring. "She i wouldu t be very likely to ask me." "Well, what about it?" "Only that?that Arie Tabor's going." "Indeedi" liugone paused on the stairs, which lie bad begun to ascend "Very interesting." "I thought," cj'itinueil Joe.hp?etl!'" bought a supply of I himself with the di 1 Tobacco, which ha ratify his desire to an cheap tobacco. ivertised in this Some day they "*r baa bad an fV-A n/tnnr?thn inted with the they've missed b; iXfoLdt ^ago-then intry flue-cured themselves. SCHNAPPS i >rc 3rc chcwcrs icaper tobaccos cent cuts, and 1C pleasure. , sure you get the 0 orftNt ,"whi: Everyw / 9 ierial No. 137, of tl culture, at Washing i. - -i- ^ i _, )SOiuiei<y ted, under theNati< Congress June 30, AOER CO., Pr TICES - - - CINCINNATI, O. )US PAINTINGS AND FU s'T FREE UPON REQUES - 1 straightening i.- to look at him, "that V maybe you'd dance with her. I don't V believe many will ask her?I'm afraid they won't?and if you would, even 1 only once, it would kind of make up ] for"?he faltered?"for out there," he finished, nodding his head In the direction of the gate. \ If Eugene vouchsafed any reply It \ was lost in a loud, shrill cry from V above, as a small, intensely nervoui i looking woman in blue silk ran halfway down the stairs to meet him and , caught him tearfully In her arms. "Dear old mater!" said Eugene. Joe went out of the front door quickly. (Continued next week.) ' V? tobacco with'' stinctive taste s the cheering chew, and at ' M H get a taste of the real fTl realize what enjoyment /not getting SCHNAPPS they'll feel like locking *1 s sold everywhere in 5 I and 15 cent plugs. Be genuine. dofl] sketi here I fie office of the j ton, D. C., 5 ' -1 Pure 5 snal Pure Food % 1906. ft | aprietors. 8 NNY STORIES" 8 8 1 I ?S 1 i