Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1908-10-09

your father refuses to give his con-
sent, then we will elope."
Lucy shook her head In dismay.
81 couldn't do thatlr she cried. ut
would break fathers heart"
Better his heart than yours" sug-
gested Ryder selfshly. Then came
more caresses and pleading, and Sam
nay. tired of such talk, wriggled softly
through the brush and headed for home.
He had been wasting all his time on
a pair of silly lovers when he might
have been better occupied with his
books.
As he turned into the yard his IA
Their called to him from the porch,
did you read your chapter Of jose
phus?"
Sammy's face grew long with dis
may. Josephus was dull reading for a
~ten-year-old, but it was a duty, like
watering the stock and feeding the
chickens. In his eagerness to trail
Ryder he had forgotten all about 1t.
what were you doing?" continued
the old man.
II was down by the creek" explain
ed Sammy uncomfortably.
"And what were you doing down
thereT' came the prompt question.
Sammy was 10 George Washington,
but the habit of truth was strong with
In him.
~ wanted to see what Dave Ryder
was doing down to the creek" he ex-
planned.
"And what was he doing?" asked the
elder.
kissing Lucy" was the startling re-
spouse, and the old man sprang from
his chair in sudden anger.
Bit by bit he forced the frightened
lad to tell all he could remember of the
conversation. He found relief In the
statement that Dave wished to marry
Lucy, but his lips frightened angrily al
Sammy explained that they both feared
to breach the subject to him.
He nodded ~approvingly ver Dawes
reluctance to do his counting clandes-
timely and again at Lucy's refusal to
consider In elopement.
Sammy was startled when the inqui-
sition was concluded at being released
with only a mild reproof for not having
read his Josephus. He scampered
around the corner of the house In n
spirit of thanksgiving at getting off so
lightly.
When he had gone Josiah Temple re-
sumed his seat and the contemplation
of the dusty road that ran, a river of
white, between the fields of grain.
1t was Mrs. Temples favorite obser-
walton hat "you couldn't count on Jo-
siah's moves no more'n you could on a
hens" and now this c%outrariness was
working in Lucy's favor. Had Ryder
boldly demanded Lucy's hand In mar
riage the refusal would have been
prompt and emphatic.
1t was because Ryder anticipated a
refusal that Josiah called to him as the
young man was Flooding along the
road, having made his appearance
through a bit of woodland half q mile
beyond the place of the tryst.
Ryder turned In at the Temple gate.
wondering If perhaps, after all, Lucy
had spoken in spite of their decision
to let matters restawhils. He stood at
the foot of the steps and doffed his hat
In respect to the others age.
when l was a lad" said Josiah, with
a twinkle in his eyes, 'it was proper to
call on a young lady at her folks an
not go s~neaking off into the woods.
You en- come over tonight If you want
to. I'll tell her to expect ye."
Josiah watched Dave leave the yard
after an unintelligible tumble of apollo
gy, thanks and explanation.
81 fooled yer be cried exultingly
after the %retreating figure.
And he laughed as though the joke
was on Ryder and Lucy.