Adventures Of Tad

aothob of "pkppkb adams," "blown out to Sba," "Paul. gbafton," etc. [Copyrighted, luse, by D. Lothrop t Co., and l'ublisfud by Special Arrangement.] CHAPTER XI.- CONTINUED. "If there had been any thing of much value in it," Mr.' Forrest observed, watching Tad closely, "the owner would have been likely to have advertised in the city papers." "Yes," returned Tad, "but then we shouldn't be any the wiser for that, down here in Bixport, for about the only city papers that come here are the Congregationalist and the New E 'ngland Farmer.'1'' "By George!" said Mr. Forrest, with a gay laugh, "my curiosity is considerably excited by that mysterious sachel. Look here, Tad!" he cóntinued, with an extravagant display of teeth, 'Tm one of the queerest fellows you ever saw, and TH teil you what I'll do. I'll give you a nevv clean ten-dollar bill for the bag without seeing it - unknown contents and all; what do you say?" "Couldn't think of it, sir!" Tad replied, quietly. "Fifteen? Well," he conti nued, gayly, as Tad shook his head resolutely, "what will you take? Twenty? Tvventyfive?" "Why, it isn't mine to sell, sir," was the same grave reply, and Mr. Forrest xnuttered something under his mustache in reference to "an obstinate young fooi," which Tad did not quite catch. Further conversation on the subject was prevented by the sudden appearance of Polly Flagg, accompanied by Joe Whitney, on her way to school. Polly, vvho was a special favorite with Miss Smith, had permission to piek all the flowers she wanted. So, with a smile and nod to Tad, she began culling a little bouquet of purple pansies for Miss Burbank, her teacher; while Joe, with onc hand in his pocket, calmly munched a huge winter Baldwin, ■which he held in the othcr. "Have a bite, Mr. Forrest," asked Joe, ailvancing the unbitten side of the apple, with easy fainiliarity. .Êfi To please the youth Mr. Forrest condescendingly and nnthinkingly set his teeth in a portion of the tempting fruit. Joe jerked awaj his hand suddenly, for gome reason or other, and stood apparently transfixed wfth astonishment as he did so, for insertad in the applo which he lield was left n very nice set of fal.se teeth. With au inarticulate exclamation Mr. Forrest grasped apple and all, and vanished through the gate, leaving a small party of three convulsed with laughter, which was (inlv checked by tlio appearanee of Aliss Smith, wlio scemlcd to smile grimly when she heard of the unfortunate bceurrence. "False feeth, yes!- and, likoly enough, that mustache of his is false, too," sharply said the lady, who had taken au, uiULccountable dialifce to Mr. Forrest froni the very first time she hail laid eyea on him. A suggestion whieh, taken in connection with the conversation of a few minutes before, made Tad unusnally thoughtful for the rest of the day. "If you take that rid'cule over to John Doty's yon're a bigger fooi than I think ior," was Miss Smith's tart remark, when Tad gpóke to her on the subject. 'Tni free to confess," she continued, after a little, "that it mjghtn't be such a bad plan to open the bag, and see what's in it - that is, if Cap'n Flagg thinks It's the right thing to do," she added, for she had considerable respect for the Captain's judgment. But the Captain was away on a coasting trip; so the matter hadto be deferred until his return, rather to the disappointment of Miss Smith, whose secret curiosity as to the contents of the bag had something to do with her suggestion. So, when Tad again saw Mr. Forrest, he told him that he guessed he wouldn't do any thing about opening the sachel, for awhile longer, at least - perhaps he might see it advertised in some of the city papers yet, if he could only get hold of the right one. Mr. Forrest smiled unpleasantly, and said, rather sneeringly, that he had kept run of the city papersas constantly as most people, and, to his certain knowledge, no such advertisement had ever been published, nor would there ever be, as the owner was doubtless dead, or had long since given up the search of his lost property. Of course, Tad would do as he liked - it was nothing to him; and Tad noticed a decided chili in the tone and manner of the usually genial Forrest, as he turned away. And yet, in spite of the gentleman's assertions as to the matter of the advertisement he carried in his inside coatpocket a copy of the Boston Journal, which contained a notice of considerable importance to Tad Tborne, could he but have known it. CHAPTER X3L It was a lovely Saturday afternoon, and, of course, a half-holiday for Bixport youth. ïad had been very busy all the forenoon, as Mr. and Mrs. Mason, of Boston, had arrived the night before, and taken the spare room. They were very wealthy people, who had boarded with Miss Smith for three successive summers, finding in the quiet of this secluded village an enjoyment that no crowded watering-place could give them. Tad had seen very little of them, and only noticed that the lady was rather stout and pleasant-faced, while the gentleman was also stout and rather jolly. The name was cnriously familiar, though, and he raoked his brain in vain to think where he had heard it. Tad always had his liberty on Saturday afternoon, and, borrowing Mr. Kenneth's big, flat-bottomed boat, he had invited Joe Whitney, Polly Flagg and the dog Bounce to go af ter lilies in Bixport pond - a beautiful sheet of water, not far from Deacon Whitney's. "There's Mr. Mason and his wifo already," said Polly, glancing ashore; "they always put up some lunch and start for the pond just as soon as they get fairly settled at Miss Smith' s." "And there are those two Boston girls that are boardingat Widow son's - with Mr. iorrest, added Joe, with a slight chuckle, is he reniembered the bitten apple. "Come ashore and have some lunch, young folks," called Mï. Mason, who was a great favorite in Bixport, because, as they said, "he nor his wife put on city airs - if they were worth half a million dollars." So the boat was headed for the shore, and, as it touched the beach, Polly, with both hands full of long-stommed, fragrant treasures, jumped ashore - followed, more slowlyby Tad and Joe. "John, dear, will yWa look at thoso lovely lilies!" exclaimed Mis. Mason; and, at the sound of her voiee, it all carne back to Tad - the Pullman car, and the night journey to Boston behind Mrs. John G. Mason's chair, sheltered by Mrs. John G. Mason's cloak. How funny it was, to be sure! The little party gathered round the lunch-basket, onder the shade of some delightfully tall pines, and began to discuss a rather substantiul lunch. At a little distance were the Misscs Baker, two very nice girls of culture, froni Boston - and, baring said tliis, it is perhaps umiecessary to add that the younger woro eye-glasses, and had brought a volume of Ruskin for light reading, while her sister, witb artistio tendencies, was seated onder a large white nmbrella beiore an easel, making a sketch of Bixport pond in oils. Mr. Forrest, wlio represen ted hi niself as of one of the lirst families of New York, was most elaborately dressed in a cool and beeoming boating suit of creamcolored llannel; and when lio aróse from a very green mossy log on which he had ln'i'n .-itinj.'1, the effect of color was so striking as to draw an audible snort from the observant Joe Whitney. "Say, Mr. Forrest," be called, with his moutli full of sandwich, "I wouldn't set down much in them white clo's - they're all streaked ap behind now; besides, there's Iota oí bumble-bee's-nesta round here." Mr. Forrest, who had turned vory red, did nol receiye the suggestion in a kindly spirit. "Youngman'hesaid, loftüy, "allow me to say that your coarse familiarity is vci-y unplcasant have tin, goodness to altend to your own allairs." "All right," replied Joo, ïvith a wink oí exquisite meaning directed to Polly, who shook her head at him warningly, and, after another attaek on thu eat-. ablea, he sat in silent meditation. "Gut a pin, Polly?" he asked, in a low tone of voice, as he wiped a lingerI inï crumb or two from his lips with his coat-sleeve. "What do you want of it?" suspiciously returned Polly. 'Why - I want it!" was the unsatisfaetory reply. "Here's one, Joe," said Mr. Mason, with, I regret to sav, a somewhat humorons twinkle in his eye. "Mow, John!" expostulated hiswife, as Joe, taking it, rose to his feet and strolled off, "what made you? - you know that boy is always up to some kind of misehief. " But Mr. Mason, who had stretched himsulf at tase on the green sward, with his straw hat over hi.s face, seemed suddenly to have fallen into a deep sleep, not unpunctuated by an occasional snore; so Mrs. Mason, leaning back against a tree-trunk, fanned herself languidly, and chatted with Polly, who was making a lily-wreath for her shade-hat, while Bounce lay looking on with lazy interest. Tad, hugging his knees, which were drawn nearly up to his chin, sat a little distance off, thinking how singular it was that, in a big world, he should again have met the owner of the fur cloak, and wondering what she would say if she knew the part she had played in helping him along on his way to Bixport. It was one of those delightful summer afternoons when one feels disinclined to do any thing but dream away the idle hours. The clear. unruffled surface of Bjikport pond reflected the drifting white clouds overhead, and the tall, whisperinpines which bent over its margin, as faithfully as some great mirror. Far off, at the other end, a solitary loon sent out his quivering cry from time to time, while now and then the shrill note of the locust cut through the warmth and stillness of the air with monotonous persistency. The murmer of Mr. Forrest's voice, as that gentleman, unmindful of Joe's warning, reclined gracefully at Miss Baker's feet, reached Tad's ears. "Yes, Miss Baker," he was saying, "I am passionately fond of art, and, a3 what's-his-name says, the study of the beautiful is a - o-w-w-w-w! oh! oh!" The wild whoop with whioh Mr. Forrest unexpectedly ended his a-sthetic remarks startled the young lady so much that she dropped her palette, paint side down, full upon Mr. Forrest's upturned face, while he, springing wildij to his feet, began thrashing his person with both hands, shouting "Shoo! shoo!" as he madly danced about the green sward! "I beg your pardon, ladies," he hastily exclaimed, as both the Misses Baker stared at him aghast, " but I fear there s a bee's nest in the vieinity; I have just been severely stung by one" But his explanation was brought to an abrupt close by a singular noise, which - a seeming combination of stifled scream, repressed gasp and smothered laughter - proceeded froni Joe Whitney, who, with a very red face and a long alder stick, in the end of which was a pin, had suddenly and süently rejoined Tad and Polly. " Yon - you young villain!" wrathfully ejaculated Mr. Forrest, as the truth suddenly flashed across his mind, and, with this exclamation, he made a sudden dive in Joe's dircction; but the wary youth, evading his grasp, dodged under his outstretched arm with a hilarious war-whoop, and disappeared among the trees. Mr. Forrest was very angry, particularly when he discovered that a Rutear of pea-green paint extended from his forehead downward aoroM liis nose to his cheek, thoagh he made a pretenso of laughing it off as a joke. "Just dip my handkerchief in the pond-water, Tad, and wipe this paint offmy face, will J'ou," he said, throwing it to Tad, who, taking t in silence, scrubbed clown Mr. Forrest's face till it was tolerably olear. But with the paint was a ehalky substance froni over Mr. Forrest's right eyebrow, anti, too late, that gentleman clapped his hand to his forehead, with a slight exclamation. Tad's sharp eyesdeteotedasmall bluish scar on Mr. Forrest'a temple, that liad been skillfully bidden by a touch of Freneh chalk. "Huw are vou, Jones,'1'' thotipht Tad, with a little twinge of exeitement, whieh he carefully concealed, handing back the handkerchief with apparent nnoonsciousnesa of the shai flanee giren him ly the eity-bred gentleman, who clapped on his hat with eoiiider:ible haste. Tad tlien rejoined l'olly, who hád risen to lier feet, and, after talking a little with the amxued Mr. Maeon, the two made tlieir way slowly honiewanl by the shady wood-road that followed the poiiil -hore for quite adistance. "Why, whtre is Bounce?" eried Polly, wondering what made Tad so anusually silent. "Here. Bounce! Bounce!" Bounce had grown into quite a sturdy, good-natured pup, with! a gruff yoiec, and a propensity for . picking up and carrying off any stray article that he fonnd lying about. Sometimos it was Polly'.s slipper, or perhaps oneof Mrs. Flagg'sdish-towels;i but, curiously enougli, ln ncver tore or. destroyed any tliing of the kind. So, as, in answer to Polly's cali, I Bounce presently came rushing toward them through the bushes, Poïly was not snrprised at seeing something in his mouth. " Naughty Bounce!" said Polly, with make-believe si-verity; " brtng it hl ra this moment) sir." Bounce obeyed at once. "Why, it'a a folded, nowspaper, with Mr. Forreat's name on the edge," she cxclaimed, as she took it froni between Bounce's white teeth. "Ho must have dropped it out of his pocket when he jumped up so quiek," added Polly, with a merry lauffh, in which Tad, roused from his abstraction by the little incident, at once joined. " You'll see Mr. Forrest before I do, Tad," Polly continued, as she extended the newspaper; "Iwishyou'd give it to him - somehow, I don't like him one bit." "All right," replied Tad, taking the paper, 'Til hand it to him when I see him; though don't fancy him much myself. But I wonder where on earth Joe is!" he added, suddenly noticing the prolonged absence of his friend and crony. "Joseph is here, son of the pale-face!" suddenly responded a guttural voice from the roadside, "but his f eet no longer tread the paths of peace, for they are set upon the war-path, and before another moon the scalp of the Forrest chieftain shall dangle in his wigwam!" With this terrible announcement, a figure attired in a blanket shawl, with disheveled hair hanging about his face, which was adorned with altérnate stripes of crimson, blue and yellow, burst forth from the bushes, uttering a fiendish and blood-curdling yell. He shook wildly alof t a white linen umbrella with one hand, while in the other was an article held in the manner of au Indian spear, which Tad and Polly simultaneously recognized as the younger Miss Baker's patent folding easel. After allowing Mr. Forrest's anger a sufficient time to cool, Joe had wandered back to the shore, where he was at once chartered by Miss Baker to carry her shawl and sketching utensils back to her boarding-place, while Mr. rest took the lïttle party for a row on the pond. The possession of such available material was too great a temptation for Joe, who had at once utilized them, with the effect I have just described. "Ha! Ha!" cried the Indian brave, executing a fantustic war-danoe in the middle of the road, wfaile Bounce barked, and Iris two friendg regarded his paint-smeared face with astonishment, "does the daughter of the Lenni Lenape shrink back? Let her have no fear - the flowe? of his tribe wars not upon helpless women, nor does he fear even though the dread avenger be at his heels!" Perhaps the red man's utterance would have been loss boastful had he known that the avenger, in the unexpected peraon of Deaoon Wlritney, was so close at hand. The deacon, having been hunting up a stray steer along the pond shore, had suddenly turned a bend in the wood-road in time to recognize his erratic son's voice. ["TO BE CONTINUED.]