Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-04-23
II ouble

was worried. indeed, II was SO CFi-
dent that Loretta could not well liz.
more the fact. So after few com.
monplaces she asked him what was
the matter.
st isn't often that my friends are
so evidently thinking Of something
else when | try my best to be enter
tanning" she said You have some.
thing on your mind and 1t might be a
good idea 10 tell me about it."
Il don't see how you guessed it."
returned the young man. But the
truth is that I am just about as wor-
ried as anybody can be. / don't see
how the thing can come out right
1T may not be as bad as it seems"
Loretta told him, comfortingly. Girls
overlook good deal Besides, a girl
who takes the trouble to get angry
at you is not often perfectly indiffer.
ent."
You're right again--it is a girl"
the young man said, sheepishly. If
you had told me few weeks ago that
I'd ever be so silly as to worry over
such O thing I'd have said you were
away off the track
"One never can tell" declared Lo-
retta sagely. go on"
You See" the young man began,
I'VE live in neighborhood that Is half
city and half country and not quite Sc
lect enough to be fashionable. It's
just as nice as 1t can be and we Ger.
tainly enjoy our garden and our porch
to beat the band My mother almost
lives out Of doors. Well, there was a
house built next door with fine
chicken yard and by and by the peo-
pie moved in"
Its way people have Of doing"
murmured Loretta.
"There was O man and his wife and
after while girl came home from
college, having been graduated with
honors. Gee, she's as smart as whip!
And, honest, It doesn't keep her from
being pretty, either"
Il am really surprised said Loret.
ia.
We'll. somehow we got to be good
friends, the young man went on. dole
fully. TOO good friends for my COM
fort, it seems Anyhow, | got inter-
ested in her chickens-which are real
ly fine ones. you know, not the COM
mon kind at all. | could understand
how proud she was of them. She was
fond Of any kind Of pets and she had
a cat that was dream. 1t had
long, piurned tail aud had taken
prize at every cat show for several
years. She positively worshipped that
cat.
After a while mothers vegetables
came up and lot oil flowers, for she's
master hand at growing things.
Then, just as i'll luck would have 1t,
ing things. 1t certainly was the limit
Mother got SO discouraged that she al
most cried. | declared that Id kill
the creature that did il on sight, what.
ever il was.
."Recklessv"
We'll. never thought Of the chick
ems" he proceeded It'll l found Ida
Flanders kind Of chilly toward me. l
asked her over the fence one morning
what the trouble was and she
said very pointedly that her most
valuable chickens were disappear
ing at the rate Of one night"
"Why didn't you tell her that you
didn't know anything about her chick
enS?"
Tell herr" repeated the young man.
LAS if ! didn't tell her! II | said it
once said it thousand times. But
do you think she would believe me
with that chickens head lying at my
feet? Not much! And you wouldn't
have either, not after my silly threat
to kill watever 1t was that tore up
mothers garden
What did you do about 1t after
that?"
cat first I didn't think there was
thing could do" he sighed. Ida
wouldn't let me come near enough 10
speak to her. 1t made me wild to see
her smiling at everybody else
81 wouldn't have given her Sec
ond thought since she was so unjust
"Oh, yes, you would" the young man
assured her. 1T would have been all
very we'll TO talk like that i'll the
spring. but it was too late for me to
quit thinking of her then. Why. l lay
awake nights trying 10 fix it up and
it WAS not until last week that had
an idea.
1T was the very day she bowed TO
ME as she was going out with young
Saunders. You know. he sQuints or
something. Well, bowling 10 me was
more than she had done for so long
that sort of took heart and sharpened
my wits. ! had been so 6ownhearted
that l hadn't really tried before.
AS a result OF that inspiration I
made the finest trap you ever saw
neat, TOO, by Joye! It was sort CT