Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1911-01-28
CAUGHT IN HIS
OWN TRAP
BY ELIZEBETH BOND.
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.

where she was employed and having
to take them after everybody else in
the concern had been accommodated.
was obliged to wait till autumn for
her outing. Then she went into the
country, stopping at farmhouse not
for from a village.
Jennie's was one of those many
cases where a girl brought up in COM
fort finds herself obliged to get on as
best she can. SO long as her father
lived there was a-plenty. but. nothing
being laid up when he died. his in
come ceased; consequently Jennie. who
had the refinement of a lady, was
obliged to work like any other poor
person.
Jennie's chief recreation on her va
cation was taking long walks. There
was a 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 luXuries. This
place which attracted her attention APP
peared to be vacant except for
caretaker and his wife. who lived in
a cottage on the premises. How .Ien-
ME longed to enter and stroll about
over the pleasant grass and in among
the trees and the flower garden. Being
a timid little thing, she was Il long
time Screwing up her courage to do so
She satisfied herself that there was
no dog on the place and found that
there were some loose picketS in the
fence at a distance from the house
where she might enter unobScrvcd.
So one morning when the air was
fresh and crisp she pushed the pickets
aside and timdly advanced. keeping at
a safe distance from the house. But
there is always something to tempt a
lawbreaker. and Jennie saw in the gar
den certain flowers of a hardy nature
that had 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 rather too near the house for her
to safely poach. However, there was
not a person in sight, and. leaving Gov
err 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 1t, some
one was observing her. Tom Mary
weather, the son and heir of the owner
of the place. a graceless scamp, had
come down from town to get a gun he
had left there. and at the moment the
girl was advancing on the flower gar
den he was standing back ont of view
looking at her through Il window. He
had his gun in his hand. being about
to carry it downstairs. lie waited
while Jennie heSitatingly moved on
the garden, cast a final diStruStful look
at the house, then began to appropriate
the flowers. Tom. being of an artistic
turn of mind. was quite cnrapturcd
with the scene of a shy girl so fond of
flowers that she could not resist the
temptation to steal them on this beau
tiful autumn day. He was also dra
matically disposed and wondered what
kind of scene would result if he were
to adopt measures usual with poach-
ers. Presently. when Jennie stopped
to take another furtive glance at the
house, Tom, advancing to the window.
gun in hand. cried:
Stand, you robber!'
Jennie did stand. though it was all
she could do to keep her legs, while
one by one the flowers she had plucked
dropped from her hand. Tom was not
uear enough to discern the terror he
had inspired. so he proceeded further:
Don't you know" he cried in a stem
torian voice, that the wages of sin Is
death?"
There was no reply TO this.
Suddenly Tom discovered that he
was playing with firearms with
vengeance Jennie, taking the realistic
scene in earnest, collapsed. Tom saw
her stagger sidewise. then sink down
in heap.
Jumping out of the window, he land
ed on an extension roof, from there
dropped to the ground and ran like a
deer for the girl.
When Jennie recovered conscious
ness she found herself in the arms of
q man who was looking into her face
eager to know whether he had killed
her. Seeing her open her eyes and
look straight at him, a great relief
came into his eyes. He was about to
cover her face with kisses when he
remembered that he had not even been
introduced to her. But he did not con-
slider her sufficiently recovered to
stand alone. At any rate. he held on
to her till she of her voitiOn disengag-
ed herself,
The rest of this story is just like any
other love story. Tom, who, as | have
said, was artistically inclined. was cap
tivated by the picture he had seen
from his window. He is not the only
man who has been caught by girl
unconscious that she is making herself
attractive. But Toms fate was sealed
when the crisis came and he saw what
he had done. Long after Jennie had
forgiven him he kept up his protesta-
tions of regret, calling himself every
bad name in his vocabulary. He load
ed Jennie with flowers, begged her to
come and take all she wished and in
sisted on getting out horse and his
two wheeled cart and driving her
home. The house at which she was
boarding was q mile distant, but Tom
failed to get there in less than a dozen.
Instead Of going back to town and
thence to his shooting club. he re,
mained in the house as long as .IPnnle's
vacation lasted. The courtShip ended