Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-11-27
A FORBIDDEN
:. PATHWAY.
TIT
Its Name Was Changed After a
Certain Event Happened.
BY lzoLA FORESTER.

~ .-.
tits a perfect shsmei Look at Tat
lawn! Cut right straight across from
the lilacs to the sidewalk, as II we
kept a little chain gang Of elephants
trotting over 1t. I won't have 1t, Nell!
I'll turn the hose on those boyse'
Don't jabber over it. Kit You'll
only get all red and warm and fusey.
and some one may hear you."
Kit scowled defantly ct the broad
bay 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 reigned
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 "They
must know all about it anyway. How
would they like it II we trampled
paths all over their lawn day and
nightT"
paused In her sweeping on the little
vine covered porch and waited anx-
iously. "Now, don't be huffye Sis"
Kit sat 3mmovable 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
whistled as be 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 IT."
"Say, Dick Mclean, we don't want
you three boys tramping over our
lawn" Kit spoke with dignity and
severity. ut makes a regular beaten
path all the way to your iiiacs. and
think you could use your own lawn II
you want to make q checkerboard on
the grass"
Dick halted midway on the forbid
den way and looked at its undertaking
course of barrenness with interest.
ut does look queer he said. I'm
awfully sorry we did II. When old
Mrs. Tisdale lived here she didn't give
q rap about it. 1t wasn't lawn then.
She just hung up her wash here, and
she kept chickens too"
well. -=e don't" retorted Kit most
ungraciousIy Ever since we moved
here I've been trying to coax real
croquet lawn ont OF wilderness OF
chickweed and plantain- We only had
the hedge put in as gentle hint to
our neighb0rs"-
You mean us, don't you" Dick
smiled down on her good naturedly.
"Yes, do" granted Kit, because 1t
really was all the fault OF you boys,
and you don't care. You even jump
right over the hedge"
Dick got over on his own side hasti-
". well, I'm sorry jumped, Miss
Norton" he said contritely. "And I'll
tell the other boys to keep on too.
Goodby."
Kits curly head nodded an unwilling
response as she bent over the pansy
bed again.
He heard every word" Nell sat
dowp on the top step and laughed
How do you know"
The cat went indoors. and she never
does unless he is at his desk"
There was pause. aud the pspsies
suffered from too vigorous treatment
well. / don't care II he did," said
Kit finally. but her tone was lower.
IF they don't stop 1t I'll put up barbed
wire
1t was not an idle threat. though It
needed provocation to carry II out.
Tive days later. just at noon. happy.
Ieisurely procession passed over the
lawn. Even Dick. the traitor. was lead
ing and wbistling in sweet forgetful-
mesa. with a baseball bat over his
shoulder. Kit said nothing. The point
had arrived where mere wrath was
futile. Early ON Saturday morning
she superintended the placing Of her
outposts Of defense. and by the time
that the boSe appeared a neat array
OF barbed wire strands was stretched
aIoag beside the hedge
ITS all right for the boys" said
Ncil critically. But what IL Mr. NC
Lean
RI be can't make bis little brothers
behave then we will It's bad enough
living next door to a perfect old crank.
or your summer vacation anyway.
yvfteor,t being on intimate terms with
him Even mother says be's eccenuic.
ana that means crank
lie doesn't look like one
We'll. be is, al the same All writ
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