The Washington herald., 1912-09-15

| Il would hate to be a clerk at bar
gain sale said the Watermelon, pill
held.
Yes agreed Bartlett. Think Of
the microbes"
"Microbess' asked Billy, who had
/ not been following the conversation.
Where ?"
In kisses. Billy said the general
i should think you would have found
4. out by this time Everybody YOU
Il never kiss anybody" protested
Billy, blushing DELIGHTFULLY."-.
Father used to Say" began the
Watermelon.
Look here" interrupted Bartlett,
that father of yours was a minister,
you say. vow he could know moth
ing about this subject" 49,
He married more people than YOU
have" said the Watermelon.
Yes" said Henrietta, kindly: he
must have known all about it. Do tell
US what he said"
He used TO say that kissing was
just the reverse of poker
"Pokerp cried Bartlett. mo won-
der your father left the ministry
1T says in the papers thar your
father was a policeman declared the
"A policeman of souls" said Henri
eta. softly. -
The general waved the sentiment
aside as irnmaterial. How could he
have been policeman and a minis
ter" ~. ...E
Il can't say answered the Water
melon, and turned to help Billy with a
saIdine can as the best way out OF a
tight place,
How is kissing the reverse of
poker" asked Henrietta. always
amused by the Reverend Mr.. Batch
elors remarks,
"A pair would beat royal Aush,"
replied the Watermelon.
Surely" persisted the general, ii
your father were a nfinister-' -
The Watermelon looked up from the
key OF the tin he was labofiously turn
ing and glanced gently at the general,
his woman's eyes amused and plying,
the expression they always wore for
the general
Why. you see, that is just what I
always fancied. He used to preach and
have church; but if the papers say he
was cop he probably was"
It's wise child that knows his own
father said Henrietta. Come to sup
per everybody" ~
Bartlett spread the filmy paper nap
kin on his knees. and, taking the plate
Henrietta handed him, balanced it on
his lap with great nicely. He was so
sure that the Watermelon was William
Hargrave Bachelor that it never oc-
cured to him to doubt il. There were
The cards, the monogram on the auto
mobile, and the general to vouch for it.
he papers were bit wrong.
Supper over, the general conceived
The sudden inspiration OF tinkering a
while with the cars Alphonse stood
oy to assist, and the others wandered
off down the road before turning in for
he night
Billy and the Watermelon soon drift
ID away by themselves up a tiny COW
ane, fragrant with sweetbrier They
wandered up it side by side. like two
neither saying thing. content
o be together. AT the end OF the lane
hey leaned for while on the pasture
'arS. The sultriness OF the earlier
,art of the evening had passed The
thunder was less ominouS and only
heet lightning. low on the horizon, was
'isible A breeze. cool and sweet.
whispered by The frefiies danced in
!ay little flashes of light among the
hadoYs.
The two stood side by side. their el-
'ows on the top rail. their hands be-
ore them They said nothing. There
vas nothing to say. just the night and
hey two. alone, among the sweetbriers
nd the fireflies.
Now and then Billy sighed. uncon-
ciously and Happily. 4 great silence
ad enwrapped Billy for the last t,vo
ays-a silence IN which she was con-
ent 10. dream, and in which words
eemed superfluous and uncslled for.
'he wondered that Henrietta could
ak so much. What was there to saw
billy had never been in love. She
vaguely If the enfolding con-
mt, the longing for solitude, and her
wn thoughts were forerunners of ap-
reaching death. The good die Young,
nd Billy felt that she was content to
o, to drift away into the eternal peace
{ the after life She was not OF an
nalytical disposition. and she only
new that she was happy. carelessIy
appy. and did not ask the reason. The
stood so closely beside her
lat once when he turned she could
rell the tobacco on his breath. She
anted to rub her head on his shoulder
ke a kitten, and wondered if she we're
rowing weak-fninded.
Without warning the bushes at her
de parted. and a cow. with great gen.
E eyes, peered out at them, so near
at Billy could feel the breath. warm
I'd sweet. upon her cheek. With a
tie cry, she shrank close to the Wat
melon
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT SUNDAY.
ON Judge