The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-10-11

erinned at them In the light OF a small
smoky lamp he held.
Where did you get the lamp ask
ed tIe general as the Watermelon led
the way In.
Found IT," said the Watermelon.
The place IL furnished. The family
IL probably only away for visit" He
set the lamp on the table and from
long habit wiped his dusty hand on
his trouser leg. Il fell over every
thing In the room before | got next
to the fact" se
He glanced about with some pride
and the others stood IA q semicircie
and stared around. The room was a
typical country kitchen. a huge stove
side by side with q large chintz-cov'
cred rocking-chair. A dresser for the
crockery and q haircloth lounge took
up one side. There was a center
table with a red checked cloth, Few
chairs and q sewing-machine near the
window. On the walls were q num-
Der of cheap prints and several huge
advertising calendars with gay Pic
lures OF young women In large mats
and low-cut dresses.
Bartlett glanced around and at
every unfamiliar object his heart sank
lower and lower and his first sicken-
ing suspicion became q painful fact.
He had never been In that room De
fore. The Higginses had never lived
there. Everything was strange, the
furniture, the rugs, the very shape OF
the room. Where were they? whose
house had they unceremoniously brok-
en- into? A clammy chill crept down
Bartlett's back and his forid face
grew still redder.
None OF the others was noticing
him. The general was proving
around to see that the enemy couid
not come upon them unawares. Thc
Watermelon had lifted the basket on
to the table and the girls wero pre-
pairing gaily TO set forth the repast,
all three rummaging in closets and
drawers for plates and knives ana
forks.
The general returned to the table.
"All serene along the Potomac said
he, thrusting his hands into his
pockets and peering into the basket
with renewed hope. Henrietta smiled
gaily. She had pushed aside her auto
veil. her cheeks we're flushed with
the Joy of the adventure and her eyes
bright.
Father" said she, "in all our lives,
we have never had an adventure be-
fore, because you persist IN using
those blue books"
The general laughed and helped
n 70 aonAUfRh
Billy opened the dresser and peered
gingerly In, her small nose wrinkled
for any unforeseen emergency. She
had taken OF her hat, and her soft
yellow hair, bound back by black
velvet snood. escaped around her
temples In tiny waves. Her eyes,
thought the watermelon, were bright.
er than the lamp upon the table and
her laughing. kissable mouth redder
than the crimson lips OF the fair
creatures in the gay calendars on the
wall. Her hand upon the latch Of the
door was so near his own, that he
was tempted to put his on 1t, but In.
stead slipped his into his pocket with
a delicacy he did not recognize In him
self She was girl, young and sweet
and attractive, and because she was
attractive, she had been flung into
the NAV Of the Street, victim Of the
ages insane desire for money and
more money. Each dainty curl. each
fash and disappearance Of her single
dimple had been reckoned as so much
in dollars and cents. So the Water
melon put his hand In his pocket and
only watched her with poorly yelled
admiration.