News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-03-12
BY
CHARLES
SHERMAN
Illustrated by Ray Walters
Copyright lOl2 by Dobbs.Merrlll Co.


paired by Alphonse, hurried to the
four sitting on the stone wall.
Come on" said he. at is time We
were going. We have no blue book
you know"
81 shouldn't wonder" said Henri
eta, of there were not a rare chance
for some one to confess a heinous
crime"
She looked at Bartlett as he held
out his hand to help her down anG
her eyes laughed deep into his.
an self-defense-" he pleaded in a
whisper.
So in the freshness of the early
morning they dipped down the hill
into the valley passed farm-houses
and corn lands. They stopped about
nine at a farmhouse and partook of a
breakfast of coffee, bacon and eggs.
Alphonse filled the cars at a village
store and they went on. The glory
of the day, the close proximity of Hen
rietta, who sat beside him, dainty,
merry, feminine, the success so far
of his plan, which in his saner mo-
ments he still cherished, raised Bart
let's spirits higher and higher and
they went faster and faster. Farm
houses appeared and disappeared in a
cloud of dust. Lakes were seen one
moment and gone the next. They
swept around a bend in the road and
into a man trap, pile of wood across
the road and three farmers waiting
grimly with loaded guns.
The Watermelon in the tonneau of
the generals car, with Billy. straight
ened up with sickening fear of be-
ing arrested in her presence. The fun
and excitement of the adventure had
disappeared. In their stead stalked
the grim reality of the fear of ex-
posture, of the surprise, scorn, per-
haps anger maybe pity, he would see
in Billy's eyes.
The general for a moment consid-
cred 1t merely another means taken
by the conspiracy to rob him of his
car and contemplated stern defiance
of the laws command to stop.
It's not highway robbery, Charlie"
laughed Bartlett We've been going
a bit fast and have to pay up, that's
ALL"
Hailed before the justice of the
peace in the village store, Bartlett
paid his fine with casual Indifference,
the general with the naughty disap-
prevail of judge presiding at the bar
OF justice, while Henrietta, with gentle
bought some highly
scented soap, ito help them out" she
explained, meaning the owners of the
store, and the Watermelon, to all out
ward appearances, frankly bored by
the proceedings, presented Billy with
q choice assortment of gaily tinted,
dusty candy.
They put up for the night at small |
town in Maine. 1t consisted of four |
Or five scattered houses, school, a
store, and a barrel factory. They
found rooms in one of the houses and |
after supper, Henrietta, Bartlett and
he general sat on the stoop, while
he men smoked and the stars came
out one by one, the frogs croaked dis
nally and the whippoorwills called
md called.
The Watermelon asked Billy to take
walk with him and she consented.
She must never know, thought the
with boyish self-loathing,
hat he had dared to insult her by
linking of love, but it would not hurt
~ " hut Il 80 IL |
There was only a day or two more
It the most before they parted, she
o go to Newport and Bar Harbor, and
lie to drift out on the tide again, with
lanes and Mike.
They walked up the road in the
loft beauty of the summer night. The
rolled a cigarette and
,uffed moodily too busy himself with
thoughts to talk, and the Watermelon
lid not like to think. He was not
Ised to it.
Darn it," he unused, what did the
ord give us bodies for to want and
want and then add minds to Think"
They came to New England grave.
ard, perched on a rise of ground,
where the road cut through a HILL a
onely, neglected place, overgrown
With weeds and tall, rank grasses, the
ravestones fiat or falling. Hardly
ware of what they did, they turned in
nd picked their way among the sunk.
n graves.
Billy sat down on the bank by the
riveway, and the Watermelon sat be.
ide her, not too near. There was at
east foot between them.
1--WE are all Alone" said the Water
lelon, thinking aloud half of his
thoughts. "All alone, but for the
ead."
Alone, and the seven seas could not
ave parted them further.
"And Cod" added Billy piously.
'If there is one" admitted the Wa
ermelon.
Billy looked at him quickly, ear
estly. "Oh, Jerry, of course there is
God. Don't you know it?"
NO." said the Watermelon. when
person is happy, they know there
q God; when they are wretched