The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1905-03-22
THE FORBIDDEN
PATH
Blu IZoLA FORESTER
Copyright. 1905. BY lola Forester.

Copyright 1905 BY lola Forester.
Its a pe%sect shame Look at tina
lawn: Cut right straight across from
the lilacs to the sidewalk. as If we KEEP
little chain gang of elephants trottins
over it. / won't have it, Nelll I'll turf
the hose ON those boysr'
Don't jabber over it, Kit You'll
only get all red and warm and fussy
and some one may hear you"
Kit scowled defiantly at the broad
bay window of the house next door
The shades were lowered and the
blinds half closed. On one window
sill q plump tortoise shell cat dozed
comfortably. Peace evidently reigned
within. and 1t was the habitation of the
enemy.
II don't care who hears me. Who
ever hears Kit raised her voice
ever so little. just enough to carry
over the tortoise shell cat They
must know all about it anyway. How
| all over their lawn day and night?"
There comes one of them" Nell
paused in her sweeping on the little
vine covered porch and waited anxious
~. Now, don't be huffy, SIS"
Kit sat immovable in the dandelion
starred grass and watched the coming
boy with disappearing, menacing eyes.
He was rather a nice boy to look at,
too, somewhere around fifteen, and he
whistled as he came along the side
walk in front of the Norton cottage.
There was a break in the low box
hedge, made by vandals. but this van
dal disdained it and added insult to
injury by jumping over the hedge and
boldly starting across the path.
How do, Miss NortonF he called
cheerily. 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. at makes regular beaten
path all the way to your lilacs. and
think you could use your own lawn If
you want to make checkerboard on
the grass
Dick halted midway on the forbid
den way and looked at its undertaking
course of barrenness with interest.
1T does look queer" he said. I'm
awfully sorry we did it. When old
Mrs. Tisdale 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"
well, we don't" retorted Kit most
ungraciously. Ever since we moved
here I've been trying to coax a real
croquet lawn out of a wilderness of
chickweed and plantain. We only had
the hedge put in as a gentle hint to
our neighbors"-
you mean us, don't your Dick
smiled down on her good naturally.
Yes, do" granted Kit, because it
really was all the fault of you boys,
and you don't care. You even jump
right over the hedge"
Dick got over on his own side hasti
ly. well. I'm sorry jumped, Miss
Norton" he said contritely. And I'll
tell the other boys to keep off too.
Goodby."
Kits curly head nodded an unwilling
response as she bent over the pansy
bed again.
HE heard every word" Nell sat
down on the top step and laughed.
How do you known
1.-The cat went indoors. and she never
does unless he is at the desk"
There was a pause, and the pansies
suffered from too vigorous treatment.
"Well. / don't care if he did, said
Kit finally, but her tone was lower. IF
they don't stop it I'll put up barb
wire
1t was not an idle threat. though it
needed provocation to carry it out.
Two days later, just at noon, happy.
leisurely procession passed over the
lawn. Even Dick. the traitor, was lead
ing and whistling in sweet forgetful
ness, with a baseball bat over his
shoulder. Kit said nothing. The point
had arrived where mere wrath was fu-
tile. Early on Saturday morning she
superintendent the placing of her out
posts of defense. and by the time that
the boys appeared a neat array of
barb wire strands were stretched along
beside the hedge.
''It's all right for the boys" said Nell
critically. But what if Mr.. Mclean
IF he can't make his little brothers
behave. then we will It's bad enough
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"
HE doesn't look like one"
well. he is. all the same All writers
are cranks, and the more successful |
they get the crankier they are, so Mr.. |
Kirke Ross Mclean must be a 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, darkened bay win |
dow and thinking Of the figure beyond |
the tortoise shell cat, a figure that. |
sitting at the broad. fat top desk near
the window. sometimes turned to gaze
over the hedge where the pansies grew
and the croquet balls clicked.
"Just you wait" said Kit, following |
her glance. Some day those boys will
forget and take run over that path |
and tumble in the wire. and we'll see
a double twister turned
Sunday evening supper was a matter |
Of individual vagary and. caprice so far
as the Norton family was concerned. |
Molly went home after dinner. Mrs /
Norton went upstairs for a coy nap
q b0nf TWILIGHT and fba r;rIS ,e,,olJ,, Il