The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-05-01

pose the girl should and some
one should grab him! The very
thought gave him the shivers. But he
was at an age when the greater the
risk the greater the temptation. He
fell, and great was the fall thereof.
He had often been through the tun-
mel and knew the approaches well.
Some ten minutes before the train
reached it he told his charge that he
would go into the smoking car for q
while II she didn't mind sitting alone.
She said she didn't. and Tom, having
noted that the seat was the third one
from the door on the right, left the
car. He didn't smoke, fearing that
the odor Of tobacco would give him
away. He sat looking out through q
window, q prey to numerous emotions.
When the train entered the tunnel,
summoning all his resolution. he hur-
ried into the car he had left and count
ed the seats on the right by putting a
hand on each till he came to the seat
required. Folding Lucy In his arms.
he took the desired kiss. There was a
smothered cry, followed in a few mo-
ments by the sound Of an opening and
closing door. then no other than the
rafting Of the train.
When daylight came again several
passengers who sat near Lucy looked
in her direction for an explanation Of
the cry they had heard. She gave no
indication Of anything unusual. She
was wiping the dust from her face
with her handkerchief. She would re-
move a portion Of it, look at the smudge
It had made on her handkerchief, then
rub OF some more. scrutinizing it also.
especially In one corner.
Some twenty minutes after the train
had left the tunnel Tom Arnold came
back and sat down beside his charge.
Had Lucy looked him in the face she
would surely have seen signs of guilt
which, despite his efforts. he was un-
able to conceal, but she was looking
out through the window and did not
give him a glance.
Tom was delighted with the success
Of his scheme. 1t was not the kiss
that pleased him, fer to have enjoyed
that he should have been intent upOn
1t rather than on committing q robbery.
It a the fact that he had carried out
his scheme without having been detect.
ed. He wondered that Lucy made nc
mention of the stolen kiss, but q very
young and delicate miss might feel
abashed ut communicating such q thing
to a young man.
When the journey was ended and
Tom left his charge at the door Of her
school he looked sc%rutinizingly into
her eyes to see if he could detect any
evidence of her suspecting him. She
returned his gaze with a childlike sim.
plicity that treasured him, and he left
her feeling very comfortable.
.
One June morning, when the trees.
the flowers and especially the roses
were in bloom, a young man who had
been invited to spend a week end at
the country place Of q friend sauntered
out on the veranda In negligee summer
costume, plucked a rose, shifted it, put
it in the butt0nhole of his flannel coat,
descended the steps and strolled about
the grounds. Having examined the
tennis court, the stables and other fea.
lures Of the place, he sauntered toward
q hedge, which was just the height to
enable him to look over 1t. In the ad.
Joining grounds was a pagoda. in the
pagoda a hammock and in the ham
mock . feminine figure. But whether
the lady was old, middle aged or young
be could not e e He thought he would
like to satisfy himself on this point
Walking back and forth along the
hedge, he looked for an opening. Al
length, finding a place where the hedge
was thinner than at others and stoop-
Ing, he wormed his way through, though
when he reached the other side his
costume was somewhat disarranged.
Brushing OF the dirt and straighten-
ing the hang Of his clothing. he saun-
tered toward the pagoda. There was
no movement Of the figure IN the ham
mock. and, tho morning being warm, be