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there was a real ejement of romanti
cism in Price's plan.
"You see, I'll surprise Miss Hoyt
with the song the college fellows sang
many a-moonlight night under the
seminary windows 'Come Where My
Love Lies Dreaming. We'll practice.
up a bit, steal into the Hoyt garden
and give this dead old burg a real sen
sation." It was almost nine o'clock in the
evening when the twain started out,
each carrying his special instrument
under his arm. Earlier in the day they'
had strayed past the Hoyt home, and
Price indicated where they would
post themselves in the garden when
the appointed hour arrived. As they
left the hotel Price discovered that he
had run out of extra -guitar strings.
' "I'll get a supply from the drug
store in case of accidents," he ex
plained. "You go ahead and I'll soon
join you."
Harvey reached the Hoyt home. He
stepped in among the -shrubbery and
waited for hiB friend. Suddenly the
lights were turned on in an upper
roonu There, appeared at its window a
feminine form. It was Miss Hoyt,
pale, disturbed, and she drew, close to
the window, her hand crossed on her
breast, as if"to-subdue some deep
emotion. 'Her head bent towards the
interior of the house, as if some dis
turbing sound alarmed her.
So entranced was Harvey at the
sudden beautiful apparition that he
had not drawn out of the full focus
of the flaming gas jet. She saw him,
uttered a faint cry and then leaned
from the window.
"Forgive me," she faltered, "you
are a stranger, but won't you that
is I am all alone in the house, ahd;
some one is below, and I am afraid."
"At once," replied Harvey, swiftly
taking in the situation.
He swung the mandolin case, ready
for use as a weapon, ran around to
the front of the, house and' dashed .up
the. steps to find the door open. He
stdod still in the 'hallway and listened
intently.
Harvey flared a match, found a gas
jet and flooded the hall with light. i
Just then a timid, trembling form '
came down the staircase. It was Miss (
Hoyt. She bore a heavy cane.
"It is papa's," she said. "Please
don't rush into danger I am not"
airam now. '
For all that, she kept close to her I
mtrepm cnampion as narvey smjyiy
advanced down the hall, armed with
the weapon she had provided. Then,
as there was a stir and then, a crash,
as of a chair thrown violently over,
she dung to his arm. The next mo
ment Harvey could not repress a jolly
laugh.
"There 'is our formidable night dis.- .
lurber no burglar after all, Miss
Hoyt!" he exclaimed.
A large Newfoundland dog darted
from the library -into the hall and
spurried past them through the front
doorway. He had evidently wandered
in just as Miss Hoyt had run up the
stairs to get a wrap before resuming
her swing seat on the porch.
"You you seem to know my
name," she began, and then, looking
straight at the now somewhat embar
rassed Harvey, she flushed all over
her face. And .just then, too, Harvey
noticed a hat with a great blue veil on
a hall seat, and understood? This was
the young lady "he. had noticed at the
park. Had she overheard the con
versation between himself and Price? .
He wondered, as .he retreated to the'
porch.
"I I had better explain how I
came to be here," he observed "in
the garden", I mean."
"T fhinlr T Trnrvor " smiled T)ni5i "T"
had.an intimation of a serenade. Ij f
sawMr. Price today, but did not wlshj
to spoil wljat he intended as a sur-
prise. "Mercy! What is that?" -
It was a shot, shouts, a crash
then the jangling strings of sonie
musical instrument.
Both rushed o.ut to the porch. A,,
crash Jof glass made the still hightf
echoes hideous. A man was dashing;
madly across the glass-covered gar-
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