The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1910-12-24
CAUGHT IN HIS
OWN TRAP
., ElIzEsETH BOND
Copyright. 1910. BY American Press
Association

where sne was employed ana hnvinR
to take them after everybody else 10
the concern had been Accommodated.
was obliged to wait TIL autumn for
her outing. Then she went into the
country. stopping at farmhouse not
for from village.
Jennie's was one of those many
cases where a girl brought up In com
fort nnds herself obliged TO get on an
best she can. So long ~ her father
lived there was a-plenty. but. nothing
being laid up when he died. bis In
come ceased: consequently Jennie. who
had the refinement OF lady. was
obliged to work like any other poor
person.
Jennie's chief recreation on her va
cation was taking long walks. There
was handsome place on one Of her
routes which reminded her OF one she
had lived In when she was little girl.
Her father had then been rich and
surrounded his family not only with
comforts. but with Injuries. This
place which attracted her attention ap.
peared to be vacant except for a
caretaker and bis wife, who lived in
a cottage on the premises. How Jen-
ME longed to enter aud stroll about
over the pleasant grass and In among
the trees and the flower garden. Being
timid little thing. she was long
time screwing up her courage to do 80
She satisfied herself that there was
no dog on the place and found that
there were some loose pfckets In the
fence at a distance from the house
where she might enter unobscrved.
So one morning when the air was
fresh and crisp she pushed the pickets
aside and timldiy advanced. keeping at
a safe distance from the house. But
there is always something to tempt Il
lawbreaker. and Jennie saw In the gar
den certain flowers of hardy nature
that Ind not yet succumbed to the
early autumn cold snaps. She dearly
loved flowers. and from the trees she
cast covetous eyes on these. which
were rnther too near the house for her
to safely poach. However. there was
not a person In sight. and. leaving coy
er. she started for the garden. but halt
ingly. stopping now and again to make
sure no one was observing her.
Though she did, not know It, some
one was observing her. Tom Mary
weather. the son and heir Of the owner
of the place. graceless scamp. Ind
come down from town to get gun be
had left there. and at the moment the
girl was advancing on the flower gar
den be was standing back ont Of view
looking ut her through window. He
had Ills gun In his hand. being about
to carry 1t downstairs. He waited
while Jennie hesitatingly moved on
the garden. cast final dIstrustful look
at the house. then began to appropriate
the flowers Tom. being of an artistic
turn Of mind. was quite enraptured
! With the scene OF a shy girl so fond Of
flowers that she could not resist the
temptation to steal them on this beau
tifui autumn day. He was also dra-
maticaIly disposed and wondered what
kind of scene would result II he were
to adopt measures usual with poach-
ers. Presently. when Jennie stopped
to take another furtive glance ut the
house. Tom. advancing to the window
gun In hnnd. cried:
stand. you robberr
Jennie did stand though It was oil
she could do to keep her legs. while
one by one the flowers she had plncked
dropped from her hand. Tom was not
near enough to discern the terror BIZ
had inspired. SO he proceeded further:
Don't you know" he cried In sten.
| torian voice. "that the wages Of sin ID
death?"
There was no reply to this.
Suddenly Tom discovered that ht
was playing with firearms with 8
vengeance. Jennie. taking the realistic
scene In earnest. collapsed. Tom saw
ner staggpr sidewise, then sink dowr
In heap.
Jumping out of the window. he land
ed on an extension roof. from there
dropped to the ground and ran like {
deer for the girl.
When Jennie recovered conscious
ness she found herself in the arms o.
a man who was looking into her face
eager to know whether he had killed
| her. Seeing her open her eyes ant
look straight at him, great relle
came into his eyes. He was about t.
cover her face with kisses when b.
remembered that he had not even beer
introduced to her. But he did not con
slider her sufficiently recovered Il
stand alone. AT my rate he held ol
to her till she Of her volition disengag
| ed herself.
The rest of this story is just like an.
other love story. Tom. who. us hav,
said. was artisticaIly inclined. was cap
tivated By the picture he bad seeI
from his window. He is not the onl.
man who has been caught by cir
unconscious that she Is making hersel
attractive. But Toms fate was scalet
when the crisis came and he saw wha
he had done. Long after Jennie ha,
forgiven him he Kept up his protesia
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