The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-01-11
THE FORBIDDEN
PATH
...COpvrigh'. 1904, BY lola FORESTER.
Bu I2OLA FORESTER

the hose on those boys"
Don't jnhher over it. Kit You'll
only get all red and warm aud fussy.
and some one may hear YOU"
kit seowled dehantly ut the broad
bay window of the house next door
The shades We're lowered and the
blinds half closed. ON one window
sill plump tortoise shell cat dozed
comfortably Peace evidently relgned
within. and il WAS the habitntion of the
enemy.
Il don't care who hears me. Who
ever hears Kit raised her voice
ever SO little. Just enough to curry
over the tortoise shell cat "They
must know all about it anyway. How
would they like it il we trampled paths
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
ly. Now, don't be huffy. sis"
Kit sat immoyabc in the dandelion
starred grass and watched the coming
boy with disappearing, menacing eyes.
lie WAS rather II nice boy to look ut,
too. somewhere around fifteen, and he
whistled rs lie came along the side
walk III front of the Norton cottage
There WIS Il break In the low box
hedge, made by yandals, but this van
dal disdained II and added insult to
injury hy jumping over the hedge and
boldly starting across the path.
How do, Miss Norton" he called
cheerily. Pretty hot today, isn't it,
Say. Dick Mclean, we don't want
you three boys tramping over our
lawn" hit spoke with dianity and
severity 1t makes regular beaten
path all the way TO your liles. and |
think yen could use your own lawn II
you want To make II Checl,e'board ON
the grass.
Dick halted midway on ttc forbid
den My and looked ut its lcyiating
course Of harrenness with crest.
1t does look queer" he id. I'm
awfully sorry we did it. When old
Mrs Tlsdale lived here she didn't give
rap about ii. 1t wasn't Il | wn then.
She just hung up her wash here. aud
she kept chickens too"
We'll, we don't" retortcd kit most
ungraeiously Ever since we moved
here I've been trying to coax real
croquet lawn out of II Wi crness of
chckwecd and plantnin. We only had
the hedge put in as gentle hint 10
our neighbors'
You mem us, don't y0If" Dick
smiled down on her good naturedly.
Yes, | de-" granted Kit, because II
really WIS all the fault of you boys
and y1t don't care. You even jump
right over the hedge
Dick got over ON his own side hasti
IT, well. I'm sorry | jumped. Miss
Norton" he said cOntrltely 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 nnd laughed.
"Iiow do you know
'"fbe eat went indoors, AMI She never
does unless he is ut the de !.
There WIS pause, and +" panSie5
suffered from too vigorous tatment
well, don't care if he I'D" said
Kit finally, but her tone " Iwer. If
they don't stop 1t I'll T. up barb
wire.
1t was not an idle threat though II
needed pr0yocation to carry 1t out
TWO days later, just at noon, IL happy
lcisurely procession passed. over the
lawn. Even Dick. the traitor, was lead
Ing and whistlng 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 IL Irning she
superintendent the placing of her out
posts of defense, and by the time that
the boys appeared 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., hcLean'-
If he cant make his li,tle brothers
behave, then We will It's l. Il enough
on your summer vaca anyway,
without being on intimate terms with
him. Even mother says he's eccentric,
and that means crank"
lie doesn't look Ike one"
well, he is, all the same All writers
are cranks, and the more successful
they get the crankier they are, so Mr..
Klrke Ross Mclean must be II 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, figure that
sitting mt the broad. fiat top desk near
the window, sometimes turned to gaze
over the hedge where the pansies grew
and the croquct balls clicked.
Gust 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 matter
OF Individual yagary and caprice so far
US the Norton family was concerned.
Molly went home after dinner, Mrs.
Norton went upstairs for coy nap
about twilight. and the girls usually
took iced tea and salad sandwiches out
on the porch. where they c1nld lie In
the hanInocks, book In one hand and
Ii sandwich in the other, safely screen
ed from prylng eyes by the wlstarla
vines The Sunday following the put
ting up of the wire the hamIHOclls were
occupied, when some one came along
the sidewalk with quick, firm tread
and deliberately walked Tia ugh the
broken place In the hedge and across
the path.
Kit gave smothered exclamation
and sat up, but before she could speak
there was the sound of fall at the
barb wire guard, and the girls rose
with frightened, yet half laughing,
faces.