The daily Alaskan., 1913-09-16
A Flower Thief By ESTHER VANDEVEER

walking along a road past a gentle i mans country pI8co Between her and a flower garden was low fence Climbing tho fence she entered the garden.
 Somehow or other the flowers seem ed to be more beautiful the farther she | advanced Sho was not the first girl to be led to her doom by their scduc ! uvc beauty At any rate, she was drawn farther and farther from thg ] fence What made the advance Into tho cnemys territory more dangerous was Che prisoners sho took In case Of a rcTcat they would be burden some Her prisoners, by the way, were . tle flowers she had plucEed l Finding herself among some belated roses, she made more captiyes and ! while bending to her work failed to see Che enemy at a window in One house Hc ran downstairs, out the front door and, sIdrtng the fence.
 gained a position in the girls rcar be. ! fore she saw him at 0Il, Then when ] he bad cut or her retreat hc walked l toward hcr Having her back toward ! him. she was not aware of his pres. once until be coughcd to attract her at' tcudon
 ! Had this young man been bent on punIshiug a poacher be would proba' ! bly have been too angry at her depro, dnfI0ns to be moved by her discOm, dmre. As it was. he thought it the prettlost sight of his IIfe She stood with the flowers iu her skirt loopcd ! to hold them. some of them failing to ! the ground, hanging her head. a piu ful but a beautiful sight The young man who had trapped her had done SO for amusement and, though bis 1 heart melted toward her, be dctermin ed to play his game.
 "If you had called 0t the house. be said "uud asked 1T you might gather some Bowers you would have been ! given permission" ] She looked down at the flowers she ! held In her skirt, to avoid the gaze of ! the young man who had rcproachcd her. Presently she found her tongue,
 "You might take them" she said and put them in vase and use them to decorate thc drawing room or the 1 dining table"
 'No: lhat would not do ot an. The sentiment would be spoiled How would you lIkc to have flowers about you that would remind you that you ! had not been permitted to pluck them 1 yourselfT
 The girl hung her head lower. 'Thc flowers ln these beds arc spoil ed" continued the young man "You may as well Wke tbo rest of them" And. whipping out bis p0cEetnife be began to slay them by the dozens . Roses. vlolcts, lilies. fell and as fast as he cut their stems be tossed them ! In with the others. She looked ot him with an expression more troubled than ever
 'T'm very sorry" she faltcrcd, "that ] | have spoiled all these flowers for l you l don't see why. haven't | touched them
 "you have spoiled the whole gar. den." hc replied. Come over here. These are our ravorite beds, since they contain the choicest varieties And ! be began cutting them ruthlessy. "pIease don't" shc faItercd Surely ! ! cannot have contaminated these"
 "AU blIghlcd." he persisted And as they feII be tossed them at the re- ce0mcle, which was now full to over, flowing
 "You'd better slt down on that . bench" be added. And for a pun. l ishmcnt I'u bury you alive with bios. soms"
 The flowers were falling about her . in such nrofusIon that she was glad to be seated 80 thot she could hold them ln her lap He continued to pelt her with them for a time, when, seeing by her 0ulycrlng lip that she would not long be able to restrain her pcntup feel. ! lngs. he dcsistcd
 "I think l should have something iu exchange for an this waste" he said.
 Indeed, | should be glad to pay"
 'In what colnT
 'I have some silver with me-
 The young man smiled What inno ceuce!
 There's just one little thing which. If you would give it me, would amply repay me for the loss have sus l talned."
 The girl looked up hopefully, What could 1t be2
 "A kiss"
 ! Again the eyes dropped to the flow CTS in her lap. She was silent for some time; then there came in weak 1 little voice:
 'T shouldn't think you'd care to kiss a-thlct"
 She looked up. He was squared be. fore her. smiling at her. Her eyes fell and were raised several times, and ot ! Inst she seemed to understand that hc had been guyDg her. she should have seen through It an before, but she was | barely sixteen years old. He gathered up the flowers for her. remltdng the penalty, and Insisted on carrying them home for her. And that was the beginning Of it