Smyrna times., 1905-01-11
HE FORBIDDEN
PATH
Blu IZOLA FORESTER
Copyright. 1904. bu Izola Forester.

over it, | won't have 1t, Nell! I'll turn
tbe hose on those boys"
"Don't jabber over it, Kit. You'll
only get all red and warm and fussy,
ond some one may hear you"
Kit scowled defiantly at the broad
bov window of the house next door.
The shades were lowered and the
blinds half closed. On one window
sill a plump tortoise shell cat dozed
comfortably Peace evidently relgned
within. and it was the habitation of the
enemy.
81 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. "Thev
must know all about it anyway. How
would they like it if we trampled paths
all over their lawn day and night?"
"Thcre 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
whiSted 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 Norton?" he called
cheerily. Pretty hot today, isn't itT'
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 lillcs, and
thinh you could use your own lawn if
you want to make a 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
rap about it. 1t wasn't a lawn then.
She just hung up her wash here, and
she kept chickens too"
We'll, 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 gentle hint to
our neghbOrs"-
You mean us, don't your" Dick
smiled down on hel good naturedly.
Yes, do" granted Kit, because it
really was all the fault of you boys,
\ and you don't care. You even jump
I right over the hedge"
n Dick got over on his own side hasti-
". We'll, I'm sorry l jumped, Miss
4 Norton" he said contritely. And I'll
/ tell the other boys to keep of too.
\ Goodby.'
Kits curly head nodded an unwilling
\ response as she bent over the pansy
n bel again.
He heard every word" Nell sat
4 down on the top step and laughed.
n How do you know"
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
We'll, | 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"
y 1t was not an idle threat, though it
needed provOcation to carry it out.
Two days later, just at noon, happy,
leSurely procession passed over the
lawn. Even Dick, the traitor, was lead
ns and whistiing in sweet fOrgetful-
ness with a baseball bat over his
shoulder Kit said nothing. The point
mad arrived where mere wrath was fu-
ule. Early on Saturday morning she
superintendent the placing of her out
posts Of defense. and by the time the
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
II 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
MN. Even mother says he's eccentric,
and that means crank
j. lie doesn't look like One."
Well, he is, all the same. All writers
are cranks, and the more successful
tley get the crankier they are, so Mr.
Alrke Ross Mclean must be a terror
and he doesn't write books, either; moi
real books. He only travels and writes
uoesnt make up thing out Of his owl
head"
Nell did not answer. She was look
!ng over at the cool, darkened bay win
uow and thinking Of the figure beyond
lne tortoise shell cat, a figure that
s,'ung at the broad, fat top desk nea
'ne window, sometimes turned to gaz
OFer the hedge where the pansies grew
aud the croquet balls clicked.
Just you wait" said Kit, following
WI ucE HlanQa vii