Tom Slade

ver's

et past Westy's house--g-o-o-d-night! Just inside the garage door there you'll see a sw

o with the mysterious "dot flares" and with his own mean act. These excited nocturnal activities had a cert

r covered--hand me that too, and come up your

to about the middle and lai

it. I know it by heart but I'm going to let you read them to me so as to be sure. Better b

swer?" ven

te out, in the morning. They've got a dandy team there, though. Cracky, I'd rather have a pair of horse

must be. Well, here we go--take the lantern and read off the ones I ask for and get them

y's phrases had a way of poppi

ch stood on a grocery box on the tower plat

tion' and then we're off. Guess you must

wondered w

's where yo

o the darkness, bisecting the heavens. Far over to the west it swung, then far to the east, while Tom watche

Tom had ever been charged with a real r

ith Machelsa, the Indian spirit? She smiles a smile at me once in a while, and if you want her to see you throu

Mr. Ellsworth's stunts; he got us all started

him,"

go, let's have S-call them dots and lines; some say '

ots," s

ot up into the sky, qui

ow

," sa

ong misty column rose again,

ow

" said Tom, g

e careful--it

ore enthusiastic as he became more su

wn in Barrel Alley two of the O'Connor boys sitting on the ri

clad boy, with rolled-up sleeves, whose brown hand held the little porcelain switch

operator sauntered out in his shirtsleeves and smili

young folks back to Bennett

r. "If they haven't passed Westy's yet, we win. Shake, Tom," he added, gayly, "You did

uld

see the bunch co'me back--if they do

?" sa

f him? Up the hill and down again. We'll brin

back where it come fr

you're

out's pace?

t's

lking. Try it and you'l

ve always wanted," sa

of subst

te of the Bennett place. (The house stood well back from the road.) The car was crowded with young people of both sexe

g, while still another thought it would be wiser not to. Some one said something about 'phoning in the morning; a girl remarked that the last time she saw Connover he had a h

ly had it gone out of sight when a patch of light flickered across the lawn, the shade

silently rolled upon the Hillside Turnpike, on

the sea

k," said

lumn was swinging

fellows, as Tom's utterance of "Dot," sent a sudden

ou suppose?" asked

anything?" a

or two farther along the dark road there hung a lantern on an upright stick,

wing cold) and a large-brimmed brown felt hat. One of his arms was braced akim

u come from Bennet

," said a mu

nd go back; there's a mes

Bennett's

u," said the boy in

down in front of one of the a

ks back to Bennett's, sure." (He did not

fe know anything so perfectl

p there," said Westy. He was

oys standing in the shadow across the way, saw the party go up the drive and d

d on the subject of the sign

and "Button, button, who's got the button?" and wore tissue-paper caps which came out of

ipped softly in to say good-night to him and to see that he had

building bonfires, and getting your clothing all filled with smoke from smudge signals, or whatever they call them, and catching your death of cold playing with searchl