OCR Interpretation

The day book. (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, March 07, 1917, NOON EDITION, Image 19


Persistent link: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1917-03-07/ed-1/seq-19/

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mail the engagement ring. Hotly
excited, Rolfe promptly returned to
Eleanor her letters and some keep
sakes she had given him. They had
not spoken since.
It took two days to realize the
wreck of all his happiness, and Elea
nor nearly cried her eyes out over
the result of her wretched pettish
ness. Neither, however, would make
the first advance. Longing lor sym
pathetic companionship, Rolfe natu
rally turned to" Daisy. They were a
good deal together, but Rolfe very
soon realized that no one could fill
the void in his life, and Miss Worden
was rather bored at the attentions of
an' escort always depressed and
plainly showing that he cared noth
ing for her at heart.
Eleanor followed the system of all
piqued maidens. She flirted unmer
cifully with Ross. The latter took this
as homage, but for a marvel he did
not infringe on this new friendship.
In fact, both he and Daisy had a spe
cious secret mutually understood,
and the existence never guessed at
by either Eleanor or Rolfe until a cli
max came.
It came in time, it seemed, even
tuating on the evening of the day be
fore that upon which Rolfe had de
cided to leave Springfield forever. All
day long Eleanor had strolled about
the garden in a sadly dispirited frame
of mind. Some friends had come
over for a bout at her favorite pas
time, but Eleanor was in no mood
for archery. She excused herself on
the plea of a sick headache. Her sol
itude increased after her friends had
left, for her father and mother went
away late in the afternoon to be gone
,on an automobile trip to another
towm Eleanor was lying on a couch
in her room upstairs when the house
ff maid intruded apologetically.
"Would you mind, Miss Eleanor, if
I took the evening off instead of my
' regular one, Friday? I have a cou
sin to my folks and I'd like to visit
with her"
"No, Mary," replied Eleanor, "I,
shall not need you. In an hour or
so I will lock up and go to bed. I am
all tired out" '
Hearstick, she should have said,
but of course she could not tell Mary
that. Eleanor heard Mary close the
front door after her as she left the
house. Then she weru to the open
window and sat down by it and sat
staring out at the fast fading land
scape. And then her glance became
fixed on a lighted window not 100
feet distant. The Dexters lived the
distance of one intervening lot from
the Tyng place. And that light Elea
nor well know what in the room oc
cupied by Rolfe when he was at
He was at home just now as a mat
ter of fact, but soon to leave it In
fact, at that moment Rolfe was pack
ing his trunk for his anticipated jour
ney on the first morning train for the
Suddenly Eleanor gave a start,
stared hard and strained her hearing.
Three mysterious figures appeared
from (he nearby shrubbery, stealthy
and sinister.
"Servant out of sight?" asked one
of the other.
"Yes, the coast Is clear of her."
"And only the pretty girl left in the
"That's right."
"She's upstairs. One of you hold
her quiet till we get what is worth
carrying away."
"Mercy!" gasped Eleanor.
In an instant she was on her feet
First she thought of the plate, jew- .
elry and money in .the little safe in
the library. Then of herself. She
heard footsteps in the hall. Escape
was cut off. What should she do?
She might scream, but the burglars
would soon stifle any outcry.
"Can I do it?" she panted, as a
strange inspiration came to her. She
ran to her writing desk. In the semi
dusk she scrawled the word: "Help,
quick!" on a sheet of paper. She
hurried to a corner where her arch
ery outfit was. In tremulous haste

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