The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-04-01

OF roses.
into that den of Serpents and leaving
me down here to burn tobacco while
they were killing you? Now, don't
venture to stir until l come back"
There's no danger if you're careful"
said she, and then when 1 was among
the roses: 81 knew you'd do just like
that-thrashing around in the bushes
and trying to get bitten. Anybody
could have seen how reckless you
were"
1 was indeed in no mood to exhibit
the virtue of prudence. BE tranquil
said I. There isn't a snake in the
world that can catch me, though an
other animal might by running at the
same rate"
81 don't understand" said she.
ST can run three times as fast from
a snake as from anything else that
lives I explained. "That's simple,
isn't it? There! Now we have enough"
I returned to the boat with my har-
vest of roses and added them to hers.
''You don't look as if you'd had good
time,' said she.
l wiped some frozen perspiration
Lucy Ann said l, without meaning
to be familiar, but merely fervent, 1.-The
honest fact is that l am so afraid of
snakes that can scarcely sit down on
the ground up there in the field, though
have been assured by everybody from
Jimmy Lamoine to the most truthful
person L could get hold of that there are
no snakes on the place"
That's So" said she. '"There aren't.
They're all up there"
And she pointed to the hill.
I rowed slowly back to the landing
while my pilot arranged the roses in
manner to display their beauties to the
best advantage. 1t was really pretty
gift for the girl, and l felt under obli-
cations to Miss Witherspoon which there
seemed to be no immediate way of dis
charging. l tried to speak very kindly
to her and to say the things that she
would like.
AS we passed the orchard l observed
that the girl had deserted her easel and
umbrella, which were where we had
previously seen them, she herself hav-
ing gone up to the lodge. This sug-
gested to me the idea that if 1 could
make sufficient haste l might learn
what reception was accorded my gift
1 made the little boat go SO fast that
Miss Witherspoon cried out that the
water would come in over the stern,
but / observed that her eyes were very
bright with the excitement and that she
seemed to like it quite as well as the
pretty speeches which l had been labo-
riously devising Women are naturally
so deceitful that lying to them is like
playing the piano to Paderewski. Lucy
Ann, though the most truthful of her
sex, could have beaten me out of sight
at saying the thing that isn't meant,
and so she took small pleasure in my
inferior performance. but she really did
like to see me row boat
We found Jimmy Lamoine at the
landing, and I was very glad to see
him, for 1 disliked the idea of asking
Miss Witherspoon to take the roses. AS
for Jimmy, L rejoice to speak well of
him in any way, and it Is the solid
truth that he delighted to be service
able. l wrote a hasty note on my card
to this effect:
ITO the keeper of the harbor light,
from the poor sailor who struck the
outer reef
Jimmy took the bouquet, and we
watched him till he squeezed his slen-
der body through the hedge fence into
the orchard.
LAS for the pilots fee said Miss
Witherspoon. But that doesn't mat
ter"