The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-03-29
Girls and
Rabbits
(copyrieht. 1919. by Associated Literary Pressl


ty-three years old. and was thinking
about the law. medicine, insurance.
banking and girls.
l II was his brother who was master
at The Birches. and it was his cousin
Clara who welcomed him with sort
Of Indian warwhoop. danced a Jig.
and then exclaimed:
Never since Columbus discovered
America"
What"
"Have there been so many rabbits.
Down at the edge of the woods yes.
terday l counted over million"
You don't say"
"And there were millions more l
didn't see. We shall shoot and ship
enough to the city to buy a new au-
to-"
THAT will be so nice!"
"And you are to meet Mollie Parker
She lives just half a mile away. She
is the sweetest. incest girl you ever
saw. She doesn't believe in killing
rabbits. because they are so innocent,
but oh. my she is fierce on chicken
thieves, When she talks about them
her eyes fairly glare. She's had
chickens stolen three times, and she
says If she could catch the thief in
the act she'd show him no mercy.
She's got a shotgun all ready for
him."
There was rabbit hunting, and
there was an introduction to Miss
Molie Parker. Both events were
quite satisfactory TO young Donald.
All the rabbits escaped, and he mt
once fell in love with the girl.
. At the end Of fortnight Miss
Clara began to giggle. She giggled
all one day and wouldn't explain
why.
Next day she chuchlcd. She
wasn't going to explain that, either,
but Clarence took her ont to n snow.
drift, five feet deep and threatened
her death by sulIocaton, and she
agreed TO hc good
ven. YOU kHDN, l Mtll W Iias -
Joke on Mollie." she said
Well why don't YOU" was asked.
Il want your help. It's chicken
Joke"
rs ii something TO make the hens
laugh"
at surely is. You and will steal
four or five of her chickens and bring
them home here Why. when she's
mad she's the lovcliest thing ever"
$50 that's what you've been chuc'
king and gigglng over! Well, ! won't
60 into IT,"
"Why, Clarence Donald! You won't
pretend to steal chickens to please
me-"
81 didn't say wouldn't 20. l was
Just making a few inquiries, you
know. You don't think Mollle will be
mad at me If We take the chickens?'
mad? Why, she'll just love you
for It. She'll see at once that you
are not Scotch and can take Joke.
Why. It will surely bring about q
marriage DelWeeH YOU
III you think that way"
"Of course ! do"
Yes. Miss Mollic Parker had chick
ems. A mile away lived a hard-Mork-
Ing. honest colorcd man, who had
been helping himself to rotpie at in
tcivals and escaping suspicion. Miss
Mollie also had shotgun, and knew
J how to use il. She strung wire from
! her chamber window to the hcnncry
and attached a bell. Then, with the
shotgun within reach, and waiting TO
take the law into its own hands, she
jumped into bed.
In at The Birches at midnights
solemn hour-s-s-s-sh.
A door is cautiously opened-two
doors. Two mufiled figures steal
down stairs. One of them giggles.
Out OF the front door and down the
road. No moon. An ideal night.
Two muffied figures climb fence.
} They wade through snow up to their
knees They peek-they peer-they
crouch!
The hennery is reached at last. Its
guardian sleeps. The hens within
are unconscious OF peril. They think
the hired man has come to give them
an extra feed for being good. One
muffled figure carefully opens the
door. Two hundred feet away a bell
rings and a girl hops out of bed,
seizes the shotgun and raises the sash.
The alarm reaches the hennery.
There is gasp and an "Oh, my and
one Of the figures fees. The other
seems to be confused. and 1t is while
he is humping against a pear tree
and getting up again that he hears
the renort OF gun and feels forty bird
shot enter his anatomy. He utters a
longdrawn yell. and there is blood on
the snow.
Two households arc aroused. In one
girl exclaims:
"Father-rnother-I shot that
chicken thief"
In the other it is:
. "Father-mother-c ook-everybody,
I'D