The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-02-15
cHApTFsEAx KIM.
Only to DO Lost.

Only to Be Lost.
Bartlett grinned and removed his
hat to wipe his brow, The general
strove not to show.a guilty surprise,
Billy giggled and Henrietta began to
live again.
The Watermelon held out his hand.
"My key. please. Kindly remove that
piece of artillery from the road and
We will go on"
The man. covered with Precipitation
and embarrassment. handed back the
key. when the Browns come back.
shall we tell them you called?"
Certainly" said the general pomp-
ously. and in the exuberance of the re-
action, he drew half dollar from his
pocket and handed it to the fellow.
Kindly give that to Dick" said he
with the benevolence of grandfather.
Billy waved to the crestfallen two
and Henrietta gave them a gracious,
forgiving bow.
"Never again." said she, shall do
wrong. The possibilities of discovery
are too nerve.racking."
Father used to say" began the
Watermelon.
"Ill bet your mother didn't talk
much" laughed Bartlett.
But the general had passed through
an unhappy half hour and had no
heart for testing.
''If you knew the Browns, Mr.. Batch
elor," said he, "it was your duty to
have told us So"
eyes," said Henrietta. II have aged
ten years. and at my TINE of life that
Ia tragedy"
"And why" asked Billy, eff you had
the key, didn't we go in by the front
door last night?"
The Watermelon stared from one &C
cusing face to the other in frank sur
prise. Even Mike with his fat wits
would have grasped the situation. Il
didn't know Them he protested.
when can 60 in by door, l don't
choose the window
"But the key" objected Billy.
dick and Lizzie" added Henrietta.
Their very ages,"- climaxed. the gen.
era1. o..
ut was only a bluff" said the Wa
sermelon wearily.. Il remembered
their names and ages from books I
had seen around the room last night
and on the dresser, sort Of birthday
presents and things, you know. new
Or saw one of them"
The general roared and loved the
boy. Henrietta leaned forward and pat
led him on the shoulder. Wonderful,
wonderful. Holmes!" said she.
did you take the key on purpose?"'
asked Billy. all athrill with admiration.
The Watermelon flushed. He had
taken the key If by any chance he
should ever be in that neighborhood
again, and the family away, he could
spend the night In a comfortable bed
instead of under q 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. az -
when 1 locked the front door, I
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
pr fellow think maybe they're the
mon.", ...... ..."
Nov for breakfast cried the gen.
sral 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,
II the apples were ripe. Henrietta's
own spirits were rising. One never
realized what liberty was until one
threw aside conventionality-not hon.
Or, but conventionality, the silly, fool.
lsh 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 hts 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 q
matter OF choice-no sign of inferior.
lty between man and man.
They stopped that evening at q
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
signs of restlessness, but tho young
man appeared absorbed in the pres
ant with mn fhnuphf for npvttioo hit