Smyrna times., 1901-01-23

heading toward the orange walk. which
had long since learned was knoNr N
the fa:Gily as the lovers walk" s,Ee
did not look in my direction. cd nct
turn toward me at all, but like many
another fool l was puffed up in my
folly. WHAT harm is there in It,"
mused, "if { take my lesson in Dutch
In the shade of the orange trees?"
Tossing my cigar away, l sauntered |
after the flying figure out of the flower
garden, over the field, into the shady |
walk. l meandered like a he goat |
through a gap in a hedge, l walked |
about so yards and saw no one, heard |
no one. Then all at once l found my |
self looking right into the face of a big |
hairy savage who wore a tweed coat |
and bandolier full of cartridges. III
his hands he carried q handy little
Mauser carbine.
'Well, Mr.. Spy," said the hairy indi-
vidual, you are my prisoner"
1 tried to smile, but somehow the
springs in my face had got out of order
and would not work.
"What did you want sneaking after
me for, you beastly Englishman?"
snarled the man with the gun. 81 could
have shot you last night and the night
before that if l had liked, but did not
want to bring trouble on this farm.
What do you want to hunt me for?"
l found my tongue for a moment
then.
"Iunt you? didn't know such
chap existed"
He lowered his carbine an inch or
two. "Then what the devil are you
doing in the lovers walk?"
"What are you doing here?" l blurt-
ed.
We stared at each other like two
grass fed calves in the starlight, and
edged a foot or two away from the
gun. Just then l heard the patter of
girlish feet on the gravel behind me
and, turning my head, saw one of the
, plain sisters hurrying toward us, and
+ almost at the same second the reddish
, gold head of the beauty" the head of
, the girl who had been teaching me
Dutch, passed from patch of shad-
, Ow into the streak of starlight where
F the hairy young giant was standing
: fOndling his gun. | saw her clasp his
I arm, heard her hurriedly whisper some
, thing in Dutch which caused the giant
, to grin as if half his head ached tc
. part company with the other half. The
y beauty pointed toward me and the
p plain sister. who had come to hal
n beside me. The plain girl put Eer han(
9 kindly on my shoulder and whispered
q Don't you think it's too chilly on
II hereY'
% Chilly was no name for it. | was a
. cold as Klondke. The sight of tha
% carbine in the starlight had taken al
= the warmth out of the atmosphere a
! far as | was concerned. | turned I
20 go, when a little hand touched mine
h The girl who had been teaching m
n Dutch was at my side. Before yo
gentlemen leave" she said. Il wan
!. YOU both to make a promise. IO
n are enemies now. Some day when tn
O. war is over you may be friends. Bu
PC promise not to hurt each other by tall
n Ing of this meeting. Otto had no bus
Il ness to come. Father had forbidde
n him until the trouble ended with I'll
o. British
n. 81 came out of love for yOu," grunte
10 the man with the gun.
,rt "And you came out of fondness Il
ON me-" murmured the plain girl, IN
of voice shaking with laughter that W;
wv almost choking her. l muttered u
a. biggest lie had ever parted with.
os The hairy Individual rested his gr
th against a tree, stepped forward al
w. lifted his slOuch hat to the plain gl
no "For your sake promise"
no / lifted my helmet to the "beaut.
"a and said something similar. A fe
og minu,es later as | was buckling II
rr girths heard him gallOping off sout
or. ward to join Olivier's commando. !
mo I swung into my saddle the plain sist
,ra slipped away, and the beauty lift
,Iv her hand in farewell. AS our han
mn met she said, why did you come
lqh lovers walkY
not ITO get a lesson in Dutch" l sa
,ist with a sheepish grin.
, "WeI," she answered, Il hope you
bot remember your lesson" And hea
leo the two of them laughing as | gallop
,,s+ ont on the veldt.-ArgOnaut.
it