Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-31
Copyright 1908. By Thomas H. Mckee.

HE Chaperon tilted her charming chin,
and for an instant her eyelijs yeiled an
inscrutabls stare that had gone straight
through the young man opposite as IL he
had been a newly scrubbed pane of glass. He wrig-
gled little uncomfortably as the lids were raised
and the stare joined by tiny. hickering smile.
He felt--he knew--that all his past sins were on
parade mercilessly dragged forth into the light OF
day for minute inspection, and alas. condemnation.
So he squared his shoulders and smiled back
little sheepishy, but hopefully.
Honestly, l am in love this time" he said.
"You always are--for month"
shes awfully pretty he ventured,
"She always s---well, two months"
And adorable"
"Er-two and half
you'll like her." he declared.
IT always do. That's why feel so bad about 1t
when her month Is up,
"You don't stop to consider that get the nit
ten"
Naturally, when you ask for it,
.You're awfnlly hard me-
mot hard you are on them
won't you grant that fellow must cut his
teeth?"
"All those teeth!"
ment, serious"
"Realy?"
They understand that"
"When the month is up?'
He started afresh. Eyes of Heavens own blue
-" he raved
Lips like a red. red rose.' she laughed.
Hair where sunbeams, er-er-er-" hs
houndered hopelessly.
"Try again. It's usually sun-kissed hair OF rud-
dy gold"
That's it,
when did you meet this last adorable one?" she
asked.
'I've known her all my life"
do1I that
Of thing?"
He shook his head doubtfully.
"she slapped your face and you gave her horse
hair ring?'
81 wish l had thought of a horse-hair ring he
unused. "And she never slapped my face. She
was always nice little girl"
went to Sunday-schoo together, and perhaps
you rescued her dollie from a watery grave?" the
Chaperon went on.
81 never saw her dollie.' he denied.
The Chaperon puckered her pretty brows, thought
hard for moment, then gave it up.
What did happen?''
"Oh, nothing She lived in big house with a
big yard around It and lived next door in another
big house with another big yard around It"
And nothing happened?"
He couldn't think of anything.
Something must have" she insisted
well she used to swing in the hammock some
times and I'd climb tree in yard to see her..
ma to see US and gave her apple.
Ibid you kiss her? Did you pull her curs?" she
persisted.
He couldn't remember.
"oh, surely you didn't just let her swing in the
nammock?"
Once" he explained "once tied tin-can to
dogs TAIL"
And she said naughty naughty?"
NO." he smiled "She said. Shoot And you
mould have that dog run!'
The chaperon considered the matter seriously.
II like her, she declared
'T knew you would
so won't help you one little bit!"
"oh come nowi" he protested This is real
case Can't eat can't sleep. Get restless and ex-
cited over nothing--you know Think about her
all the time In fact. I'm done for this time
Awful"
"If 1 stay-in town she stays down country. II
60 down country she comes to town.
.eWise girl! She knows your reputation.
Nov that's not it. She's just out of the nur-
sery-ingenuous, innocent. and all that sort of
thing She simply looks by me. over e.sbeyond
me! I'm not the map for her."
"Ah ses" The Chaperon smiled and looked
distractingy wise.
~ knew YOU'D see" he said .Now,what do you
see?"
why, you're done for
He tried to figure it out.
"If she fell into your arms her time would be
up in month" explained the Chaperon.
mo, it's honestly this time"
..For the last time," she warned him,
'Honestly,'' he promised
The hand nestled for moment in his broad
palm.
..Well here's hoping, she said.
He kissed the hand and released 1t to its owner.
You're an angel" he declared.
The chaperon excitedy waved her handkerchief
at the rapidly approaching automobile while her
husband helped by violently chewing his cigar.
They were on the front steps of rambling little
snuggery thrust away in cump of trees with
grassy stretch reaching in every direction On
one side 1t bumped into bed OF rocks which led
tn a sandy beach; on the other 1t over two
tennis courts and the first hole Of golf course,
then trailed off into another and larger cump of
trees bringing up at little stream with real fish
in It,
The whole place fairly breathed romance 1t
fylo last in