Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1905-04-22
FROSTBURG Md. SATURDAY. APRIL % 1905.
THE FORBIDDEN
PATH
..CoputOht. 1908. BY Izola Fouestcr...
By lZOLA FORESTER

over II. won nave IL, Nell. II turn
the hose on those boys
"Don't jabhcr over it. Kit You'll
only get all red and warm and fussy,
and some one may hear you"
Kit SCowlcd dchantly mt the broad
bay window OF the house next door
The shades were lowered and the
blinds half closed. ON one window
sill a plump tortoise shell cnt dozcd
comfortably. Peace evidently reIgncd
within, and ii was the habitation of the
enemy.
Il don't care who hears me Who
ever hears Kit raised her voice
ever so little just enough to carry
over the tortoise shell cnt. They
must knew all about 1t anyway. How
would they like it II we tramnled paths
all over their lawn day and night
There comes one OF them" Nell
paused in her sweeping Oh the little
vine covered porch and waited anxious
ly. Now, don't be huffy, sis"
Kit sat immovahle in the dnndcllon
starred grass and watched the coming
boy with disappearing. menaCing eyes
He was rather n nice boy to look at
too, somewhere around fifteen, and he
whStlcd ns he came along the side
walk in front of the Norton cottage
There was break In the low box
hedge made by vandalS, but this van
dal diSdained ii and added insult to
injury by jumping over the hedge and
boldly starting across the path.
How do, Miss Norton?" he called
chccrily. 'Pretty hot today. isn't it?"
Say. Dick Mclean, we don't want
you three boys tramping over our
lawn Kit spoke with dignity and
severity. 1T makes a regular beaten
path all the way to your lilacr, and |
thinl, You could use your own lawn il
you want to make cheCkerboard on
the grass"
Dick halted midway on the forbid
den way and looked Mt its undertaking
course of barrcnneSs with interest.
1T does look queer he said. I'm
aWfully sorry we did 1t. When old
Mrs. Tisdalc lived here she didn't give
"A rap about it. 1t wasn't lawn then.
She just hung up her wash here, and
she kept chickens too"
''Wcll. we don't" retorted Kit most
unEra%iouSly. Ever since We moved
here I've been trying to coax real
croQu,r lawn out of wilderness of
chick weed and plantAEn. We only had
the heGGe Yut in as II gentle hint to
our ur.ghborS'-
You meAn us, don't you" Dick
smiled down on her good naturcdly.
Yes, do" granted Kit, because it
really was all the fault of you boys,
and You don't care. You even jump
rigtt over the hedge"
Dick got over on his own side hasti
ly. "W"ll, I'm sorry | jumped, Miss
Norton," he said contritely. And I'll
tell the other boys to keep off too.
GOodhy."
Kits curly head nodded an unwilling
response as she bent over the panSy
bel again.
"iIc heard every word" Nell sat
down on the top step and laughed.
"tiow do you know
The cat went in loors, and she never
does unless he is ut the desk"
There was Il pause, and the pansies
suffered from too vigorous treatment
well, | don't care If he did" said
Fit finally, but her tone was lower. IF
they don't stop it I'll put up barb
vine"
1t was not an idle threat, though it
needed provocation to carry it out
Two days later, Just at noon a happy,
lcisurcly procession passed over the
lawn. Even Dick. the traitor, was lead
ing ana WhiStling in sweet forgetful-
ness, with baseball bat over his
shoulder, Kit said nothing The point
had arrived where mere wrath was fu-
tile. Early on Saturday morning she
Snp"rint"ndcl the placing of her out
the boys appeared a neat array OF
barb wire strands were stretched along
beside the hedge
ITS all right for the boys" said Nell
critically. but what if Mr. McLean"-
IF he cant make his little brothers
living next door to a perfect old crank,
on your summer vacation anyway,
without being on intimate terms with
him. Even mother says he's eccentric,
and that means crank"
lie doesn't look like one"
well, he is, all the same All writers
are CrankS, and the more successful
they get the Crankicr they are, so Mr..
kirltc Ross Mclean must be terror.
And he doesn't write books, either; not
real books. He only travels and writes;
doesn't make up thing out of his own
head"
Nell did not answer She was look
ing over at the cool, darkcned bay win
dow and thinking Of the figure beyond
the tortoise shell eat, n figure that,
sitting at the broad, fiat top desk near
the window, sometimes turned to gaze
over the hedge where the pansics grew
Rnd the CrOIuct balls clicked
Just you wait" said Kit, following
,cr glance Some day those boys will
lOrgct ana take 4 run over that path
and tumble in the wire and wen see
a double twister turned"
Sunday evening supper was a matter
Of individual vagury ana caprice so far
as the Norton family was concerned.
Molly went home after dinner, Mrs.
Norton went upstairs for Il coZy nap
Obout twilight, and the girls usually
took iced tea and salad sandwiches out
oh the porch, where they could lie IN