crowd.

Then the whole wharf vanished behind a veil of tears.

Four days later she gained the deck once more and crept to the chair which had been reserved for her. She sipped a cup of broth and sent the steward to inquire if a wireless message had been received for Miss Fralick. His answer in the negative caused her to lose interest in the animated deck scene.

Again she saw the wharf and Jack's startled face as he saw her standing there. Why should he be startled, for

passage. When her feet pressed European soil she was seized with a dreadful homesickness and longed to return. With an impulse as sudden as her starting had been she engaged passage for the return trip under an assumed name, for it seemed unnecessary that her foolishness should be advertised.

"My name," she had stammered when engaging this homeward bound passage; "my name is Gray-Miss Gray," and she almost choked in the

effort to prevent the word from rushing off her unruly tongue. Why had she chosen Jack's name to masquerade under?

Two weeks after she had sailed from New York she was homeward bound on the same vessel. The first morning she gained the deck and began a brisk walk. She had circled the deck twice and was approaching her own chair when she noticed a young man just tucking himself into an adjoining chair. As she approached he appeared to be talking to his neighbor on the other side, and it was not until she was snugly ensconced in her own chair and was arranging the rug about her feet that he turned suddenly, and their glances met.

He looked at her with the casual passing glance of the polite stranger who sees a pretty girl, and then his gaze wandered to the dashing waves beyond the rail. Cornelia's cheeks flushed, and her fingers lost their grip on the book she was holding, and it fell to the deck.

Instantly he had recovered it and returned it to her with a slight lift of his cap.

"Thank you," murmured Cornelia faintly.

"Don't mention it," said the young

man.

Cornelia read for hours on the deck there, while the young man also read a horrid, thick, learned looking volume, in which he appeared to be deeply interested. Not once did he look at Cornelia, although she found her eyes again and again straying toward the stern profile of his handsome face.

At meals she discovered the stranger at an adjoining table, where he seemed very popular, for there was much joking and merriment among his fellow passengers whenever he appeared. There were several pretty girls at that table, and Cornelia suddenly discovered that her own table was filled with very dull and poky people.

The fourth morning out and when the swift liner was within one day's time of reaching New York Cornelia slipped on the deck and was rescued by the young

man who had so greatly excited her interest. It was only natural that the rescue should be followed by his request to accompany her on her walk, and she assented with flushed cheeks and shining eyes.

"One more day, and then home," he said lightly. "I hope you enjoyed your stay."

"Thanks. I didn't stay long. I came out on this steamer and-and found I must return on her, so you see my stay was curtailed."

"Same with me. Came over to look up a relative"-it was his turn to blush now "and not being successful, took the next steamer back, which happened to be this one."

"Then you didn't find her?" ventured Cornelia with a new timidity. "Her?" he questioned.

"I thought you said-that," fluttered Cornelia.

"I

He shook his head positively. said a relative," he corrected gently, and this time he didn't blush.

"Oh," said Cornelia.

"But it was a lady," explained the young man.

"Oh," said Cornelia again.

"She ran away from me. It was very sad. You see, we expected to be married next month," he explained with engaging frankness, "and we couldn't agree upon where the honeymoon should be spent. I was for a yachting trip, and she agreed with me until she discovered that her yachting gown was most unbecoming so she decided that she'd rather take a trip to the north woods because she had a love of a hunting suit."

Cornelia stifled an exclamation. After a little while she said coldly, "You make your fiancee appear to be a most shallow person. Is she always guided

in her movements by matters of dress?"

"She is neither shallow nor unreasonable, but she aims to be a little tyrant-tried to make me do what she willed in spite of my own desires." He laughed rather bitterly. "You see, there are some women who must always be experimenting with their love to find out if it's going to stand the strain of

future tests. A man may love a woman to distraction, but his perfect subjection to her will is no proof of it, is it?" "Of course not," said Cornelia, rather irritated at his tone.

"What are you going to do if you find her?" asked Cornelia after a little pause.

"Tell her to get her yachting togs ready, for the Maida sails June 28 for all around the world," he said quickly. "Suppose she prefers the north woods?"

He removed his cap and passed a wellshaped hand across a brow where white hairs were gathering fast. "I think I'd remind her of what Ruth said-do you remember? 'Wheresoever thou goest, I will go."" But Cornelia had fled from his side and left him standing alone beside the rail with a curious light in his eyes.

It was the next day, just before the first low, gray shadow of land was sighted, that he came up to Cornelia, who was standing all alone. The wind blew aside the gray veil and showed a tremor of scarlet lips and the flickering color in her cheeks. Cornelia Fralick, alias Gray, was looking very lovely and very proud this morning.

"Good morning, Miss Gray," he greeted her, but she turned her head swiftly and shot an impatient glance in his direction.

"That is not my name, as you very well know."

"You chose it-why?" he quietly.

added with sudden passion, snatching her hand from his quick grasp. "Thinking to test his love for me, I dropped him a line saying that if he would not concede to my wishes I would not marry him. I gave him until the next day to reply, and when I did not hear from him I simply left for Europe. As the steamer left the dock he came down, but he was too late."

"Perhaps he had not received your

asked

"It was the first one that came into my head."

"You must have been thinking of Gray then," he ventured.

"I was-naturally," said Cornelia haughtily, "I was engaged to John Gray (you see, I am extending you the same confidence you offered me), and we disagreed about where we should spend the honeymoon-as if it mattered," she

note until after he reached home that night. It might have been he was at the wharf to bid farewell to a business friend and saw you by the merest accident. Perhaps he hurried home, found your note, caught a steamer the next morning and arrived in England in time to accompany you home on this steamer."

"Perhaps he did," admitted Cornelia. "Perhaps you were both very foolish young people and have found out it doesn't make much difference where you

spend your honeymoon so long as you are together."

"Perhaps," said Cornelia again.

"Were you coming back to New York, Cornelia?" he asked, with a change of tone.

"Yes, Jack," she said.

"And what were you going to say, dear?"

"I was going to tell you that your way would be my way-on land or on sea. Cornelia's voice was very low.

"And I had determined," he said softly, "that any old way would do for me so long as it was Cornelia's way.”

Red Forbes-The Story of His Latest "Grouch."

BY CLARISSA MACKIE.

Red Forbes sat on the porch of his ranch house and peered through a pair of fieldglasses across the level grassy plain into the distance, where were two moving specks.

"It's her and him," said Red Forbes enigmatically. He tilted his chair down upon its four legs, replaced the glass in its accustomed case on the wall of the house and lurched toward his saddled horse.

"I'll get him today," he muttered as he bent to tighten a girth before mounting. "No man can take my girl away from me without making trouble for himself and her too!" And, still muttering, he dashed away in the direction of the two specks which were growing smaller and smaller.

Red Forbes was quite capable of making trouble for any number of people in the short grass country.

Indeed,

his reputation as a creator of disturbances was county wide, and he was accordingly shunned.

Forbes' latest grouch was directed against Jimmy Pike of the Three Link outfit. Jimmy had assiduously courted the pretty schoolteacher, and even now had just returned from her Ohio home, whence he had brought her as a bride.

Red Forbes had been watching out for them for a week. Now he had spotted them. He had not formed any plan of revenge, but there would be no harm in

riding them down recklessly and glowering at them from under his hat. It would make things uncomfortable until he could formulate a plan.

Jimmy Pike knew Short Grass from one end of the county to the other and from corner to corner. He was aware of the weaknesses of Red Forbes. Moreover, he was weary of the perpetual stir-up caused by the red-haired one's fancied grievance. In fact, there had not been a peaceful courtship and marriage in the region since Forbes' appearance there six years before.

Therefore Jimmy Pike, who was naturally a peace-loving citizen, made up his mind that Red Forbes should find an affinity that would be lasting.

He returned from his wedding with every preparation made for the rapid cure of Red Forbes.

On this particular day he and his bride had gone near enough to the Forbes ranch to be recognized. Then they headed for home, and by the time the red-headed one had galloped himself into a state of profuse perspiration Jimmy and Mrs. Jimmy had disappeared.

There was nothing for Forbes to do save to ride on over to the town and see if there might not be a letter for him. He hoped for various reasons that there would not be anything.

There was a letter, and it proved to be an invitation to a dance in the schoolhouse the following night. "Ladies, Refreshments and Gents-Music," it said in one corner.

Forbes grinned fiendishly. This would suit his purpose admirably. He would publicly denounce Jimmy Pike as a rustler and demand satisfaction for alienation of affections. Forbes strengthened this resolve with several drinks and then went to Fiederman's clothing store and purchased a pale blue satin necktie.

The schoolhouse was well filled when Red Forbes arrived. Ben Dickson was playing a rackety piano in one corner, and several couples were dancing.

Forbes glanced fiercely around, nodding moodily in response to the pleasant greetings that met him on all sides. He felt a bit puzzled and more resentful. Here was a great gang of fellows he had

known for years, and many of them had their wives with them.

Jimmy Pike and his bride were standing temptingly near. When he caught Jimmy's eye that calloused young cattleman-nodded pleasantly and beckoned him

over.

"I haven't heard you congratulating me on marrying the nicest girl in the hull world," grinned Jimmy.

"Huh!" Red Forbes grew redder and redder until his presence seemed to cast a roseate sunset glow upon the company. The azure necktie was like a glimpse of blue sky in the sunset.

Mrs. Jimmy shook hands with Red Forbes and tried not to wince when he crushed her fingers.

"Maybe you'll let me have a dance with the bride," growled Red Forbes hoarsely.

"Of course it's up to Mrs. Pike," acquiesced Jimmy cheerfully.

"With pleasure," agreed Mrs. Jimmy, with a reproachful glance at her husband.

indeed, there was a flurry of arrival at the door.

Lamson Culver, boss of the Three Link outfit, came in with another man and two women. One of the women was Mrs. Culver. One could recognize her sharp features through the thick veil she wore, but the other woman could not be identified. She, too, was thickly veiled in pale blue chiffon. She was plump and gave evidence of prettiness. There was a loop of gold colored hair visible.

"We can't stay but a minute," said Culver genially as he introduced his friend as "Mr. Jackson, a friend from Tucson."

Then the rackety piano swung into a waltz tune, and Red Forbes swore softly. He was a wretched waltzer, and he knew it. Square dances were his salvation. How he trampled all over the little feet of Mrs. Jimmy Pike and scowled villainously whenever he met a pleasant smile among the company.

This wasn't having his revenge upon Jimmy Pike. They were certainly getting the laugh upon him. As he shuffled around in dizzying, aimless circles he pondered whether he would shoot up the dance or let them go home in peace and pick out a quiet moment when he should find Jimmy Pike alone on the plain, shoot him dead and then marry the widow.

This latter plan appealed to him, and as he danced he came to think of the newly made bride as "the widow" and called her so in his mind.

After the dance was over and as he leaned against the wall, a wallflower

Mr. Jackson immediately approached the prettiest woman present, who was none other than Mrs. Jimmy Pike, and invited her to dance.

Fiercely jealous, Red Forbes glanced around for new fields to conquer. The strange woman, still veiled, was talking to Jimmy Pike in a vivacious manner. Mrs. Culver, also veiled and cloaked, was dancing with her husband.

Red Forbes marched up to Jimmy Pike and his companion. His long body stiffened and then bent like a bladed jackknife in the accepted Short Grass fashion.

He was asking her to dance in the very face of Jimmy Pike. That was an open insult to Pike.

To his delight, she accepted at once and, slipping her hand upon his arm, turned away from Jimmy Pike.