News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-03-05

should ever be In that neighborhood
again, and the family away, he could
spend the night in a comfortable bed
instead of under a hayrick. Besides
keys always came in handy. He didn't
+ look at Billy. He laughed and changed
his seat to the one between the two
| girls.
when I locked the front door,
! slipped the key out without thinking,
suppose" said he. Besides, keys are
handy. When you are stony broke,
you can rattle them and make the 9th.
er fellow think maybe they're the
mon"
'Now for breakfast" cried the gen.
eral gaily, never long forgetful Of his
meals.
Tell me-" begged Henrietta, what
would father say?"
Grace" said the Watermelon
The general, as he informed Henri.
eta at the first roadhouse they came
to and at which they stopped for
breakfast, was full of the old Nick.
He felt that there might be no limit to
his daring, he might go as far as to
rob an apple orchard and make no
attempt to repay the owner, that was,
if the apples were ripe. Henriettas
own spirits were rising. One never
realized what liberty was until one
threw aside conventionality- hon.
or, but conventionality, the silly, fool.
ish laws of senseless ages. Billy as
usual laughed at every remark, while
the general, the tramp and the finan.
cier grew fairly brilliant beneath the
spur of two pretty women's laughing
eyes.
The Watermelon, in his silk socks,
his soft panama and fine linen, was
too much in the habit of taking fate
as he found it, without wonder or pro.
test, to marvel now at his change of
fortune or to be disturbed or embar
raised at the unexpected society in
which he found himself. Between him
and Bartlett was only the difference
of few millions, both lived by their !
wits, and if one preferred to walk |
while the other rode, it was merely a !
ity between man and man.
They stopped that evening at a
small town in the north of Vermont |
as far from railway and telegraph
office as Bartlett could bring them. He
had watched Bachelor carefully for
man appeared absorbed in the pres.
ent, with no thought for anything but
the moment and Billy and Henrietta.
After supper, they loitered a while
on the porch. The night was dark
and warm. Across the road and over
the fields, the frogs in a distant pond
were croaking, and the air was thick
with fireflies.
isn't it dark and STILL" said Billy
her hands thrust into the pockets OF
her linen coat, her feet slightly parted
as a boy would stand her small head
thrown back.
The Watermelon watched her covert
the clear oval of her dainty profile.
her slender throat and well-shapeG
head with it's coronet of braids.
Dark as misery" said Henrietta
dreamily.
"In the day, one sees world"
quoted Bartlett, standing beside her
where she leaned, slender figure,
against the post of the porch. 'In the
night one sees a universe" and he
waved his lighted cigar vaguely to.
ward the myriads of stars above
them.
what good does that do" asked the
Seeing a universe? It's
miles away and can't help you any,"
'You have no beauty in your soul"
declared Henrietta. 81 think the idea
is beautiful, seeing a universe"
when you are down and out, you
don't take any pleasure in looking at a
said the Watermelon. "a
dollar, or even a quarter, will look a
1arned sight more beautiful"
81 wouldn't like to be poor" said
Billy. 1T must be so terrible to have
40 motor-car, for one thing"
at is,' agreed the Watermelon, who
would have agreed to anything Billy
said. "Its simply awful"
What did you mind most" asked
Billy, when you were newsboy?"
Let's go look at the universe" sug.
gested the Watermelon hastily. eve
can see it much better down the road
4 bit"
Billy consented, and they strolled
away in the dark. The general who
,hought he was talking politics, was
aging down the law to the hotel clerk,
and Henrietta and Bartlett were left
alone. They fingered a moment on
he porch and then quietly disappeared
Up the road in the opposite direction
rom that taken by Billy and the Wa.
.ermelon.
Bartlett's desire was to reach Maine
Is soon as possible and get lost over
but to avoid every city and
arger town on the way and to hurry
by the smaller places where there
night be telegraph or telephone con.
lections.
"Out of touch of the world for q
week." he was fond of repeating, mo
letters, no papers, no worries and no
nerves."
And his desire was the Watermel.