Newspaper Page Text
scribed later. And later, too, the
word went around that the crack
athlete of the teams had been daunt
ed, scared by his enemies, had not
the grit to fight them, in fact, had
shown the "'white feather."
"And they are thinking of electing
a new captain," declared the ghb
tongued lElsa. "And he's just a fraud,
for he has no courageyHe was afraid,
don't you see it a coward. And I've
fixed up a present for him. It's ha this
envelope? See,'' and ere she had
sealed the receptacle Elsa showed
glued across a sheet of note paper
a -white feather.
And Clio Barry, the accommodat
ing, always the gentle burden-bearer,
had been given the humiliating mis
sive to mail. And now she was think
ing it all over.
She had liked Neil, always. If the
quiet young student showed a prefer
ence for any particular young lady
it had been herself, and she had been
rather pleased and proud of it. She
had viewed him as a-natural knight
of chivalry, a model of honor, worthy
o'f wearing the brightest badge of
true courage. And now !
"He wouldn't flunk!" uttered Clio.
"There is a mistake, or spitework,
somewhere. The letter sha'n't be
sent uritil I know that meddlesome,
scatterbrained Elsa has got matters
right"
Her mind fully made up, Clio was
immovable. She joined in the tennis
game, constantly looking for Neil to
appear, but he did not come. . She
nexf wished for her brother to put
in an appearance. He had.not been
' home since the day previous, which
was unusual with him. But neither
did Ned Barry come to enlighten her
fully on the fracas affair. After the
garden party had dispersed, Clio put
on her hat and started for the village.
Her father had been absent for a
week, but was expected on the even
ing train. Clio went to theVdepot,
but .was disappointed, as the judge
did not come as she had expected.
, She took a -roundabout and lonely v
course homeward. It was by way of
the college campus. Clio would have
indignantly resented charge that she
hoped to meet Neil, still he was on
her mind.
There was a barren stretch to cov
er the half-mile distance to home.
She hurried her steps as she passed
a"-wagon with a' canvas top. Thea
she shrank back and uttered a faint
scream asa man jumped from its
side. He' grasped her, looked keenly
into her facefand placed a rough
hand over her lips.
"Quick, Nance, bring a muffler!
We've got a prize. It's the girl we're
after."
A new sensation greeted Bramp-
ton the next morning. Its suspense
and terror lasted through the day
ensuing. Miss Barry had disap
peared. Had she eloped, committed
suicide or been kidnaped? Mr. Barry
was telegraphed for. Ned Barry in
a frenzy led the town officers in a
vain search for his missing sister.
Then strange, mysterious rumors
spread 'about. Neil Osborne wa3
also inTssing. All kinds of theories
f were exploited. And the third morn
ing an automobile drove into townj,
delivering Miss Barry at her home
and Neil at the college.
"Then it was no elopement after
all?" fluttered Elsa Danvers breath
lessly, ad she dashed in upon Clio.
"Oh, tell us all about it, dear!" x
'It was gypsies," pronounced Clio
gypsies who carried me away to
later seek a ransom from dear papa.
They kept me in a horrid wagon
gagged and bound. I dropped my
jacket out of tbe'wagon when they
let me eat Mr. Osborne, trying to
find me, picked up the clew. And
that letter was i it"
"With the white feather?"
"Of course. And it was directed
to hirn and he read it- poor fellow.
-Brave fellow, though!" enthused
Clio, "for he kept on and on, girls.
When he found me In the gypsy
camp, If you could have seen him
fight In turn six great, wicked gyp-
m, -.
