The Early Bird: A Business Man's Love Story

ance in his sentimental insistence. Mr. Turner, watching her from afar, saw her desert the calfly smitten one, and immediately dashed for the breach. He had watched from too great a distance, how

after them, Miss Hastings glided to

y charming evening?"

r of an evening," ad

trouble whatever she divined precisely why Sam chose the path he did, and why he seemed in such almost blundering haste. They were a little late, it was true, for just as they started, Billy and Miss Stevens turned aside and out of sight into the shadiest and narrowest and most involved of the shrubbery-lined paths, the one which circled about the little concealed summer-house with a dove-cote on top, which was commonly dubbed "the cooing plac

did it that way any

d him; "that is, unless they are ve

ve had experienc

y. "I think I've had rather more tha

oor, and a guest of the Westlakes, but he scarcely knew how to express it,

hold of Miss Josephine's arm and was helping her up the slope, but their shoulders were not touching in the process, nor were arms clasped closely against sides. They passed by the big tree unseeing, then, as they neared the house, without a word, they parted. Miss Stevens proceeded toward the porch, and stopped to take a handkerchief from her sleeve and pass it carefully and lightly over her face. Billy Westlake strode off a little way toward the bowling shed, stopped and lit a cigare

lone," he said; "I want

him frigidly. "You owe me no exp

declared. "You saw me twice this aft

" she stated still frigidly, and s

rm and detaining her. "You did see me in silly situa

med him, now with absolute north pole

her more

iss Hastings slipped on the rocks and I h

me go, Mr. Turner?" d

le so that she was compelled to face him. "I don't choose

to be detained against my w

ght behind them, "the lady has requested you

reasonable answer to this demand when Mi

quite capable of protecting myself," and leaving the two stunned gentlemen together, she once more took her handk

Princeman, looking after her

Sam. "Have you a c

esting game. He cared less for it as time went on, he found; less to-night than ever. He crept away into the dim and deserted parlor and sat down at the piano, the only friend in which he cared to confide just then. He played, with a queer lingering touch which had something of hesitation

had relented, but came directly into the room and stood at the end of the piano. He reached up and shook hands with her quite naturally, an

rise!" she said. "I d

pped to listen you would have known. You ought to

ce to his "kid brother." "I stood there a long time an

shed g

thing I sort of put toge

l! And so you

time to time. I don't suppose it's finished yet, because I never play it exactly as I did before. I always seem to ad

?" she

n a half-emb

e machine has a little lever which throws the keys in or out of engagement, so that you can play it as a regular piano if you wish, and if you leave the keys engaged while you are playing the rolls, they work

e felt quite justified in having deliberately come to the conclusion that she had been "mean" to him; in having deliberately

ly. "What was the first one, I wonder? One

thought it very pretty then, but I played it over the other day, the first time in y

tle air of his own composition-and played it much better than ever he had played it before. Then they walked out on the porch and strolled down toward the bowling shed. Half way there was a little side path, leading off through an arbor into a shady way which crossed the brook on a little

played again the pl

er with absorbed interest. He was a fine picture of athletic manhood as he stood up, weighing the ball, and a splendid picture of masculine action as he rushed forward to deliver it. Sam had to acknowledge that himself, and out of fairness he even had to join in the mad applause when Princeman made strike after strike. They had Princeman up again

evens was absent. She was there, with him, in Paradise! Incidentally Sam made an engagement to drive with her in the morning, and when, at the close of that delightful evening, the carryall carr