Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-03-13
XIII.

- - - EA@R AZ 8AaA0f 80
he kneeled to release her, and she was
grateful that his tone was unmixed
with amusement. She bit her lips, as
by sheer strength Of elbow and knee
he snapped the offending bole short
of-one of those quick exhibitions
of reserved strength that every wom-
an likes.
81 don't know how I could have
been SO silly-thank you so much"
said Shirley, painting slightly from
her exertions. Pm not the least bit
hurt-only my dress-and you know
very we'll that l wasn't afraid of that
ridiculous dog A richer glow stole
to her cheeks as she spoke. a burn
ing recollection of a rose, which from
her horse that morning at Damory
Court, she ha~ glimpsed in its glass on
the porch. \
Both laughed a little. He imagined
that he could smell that wonderful
hair, a subtle fragrance like that of
sun-dried seaweed or the elusive scent
that clings to a tuft of long-plucked
Spanish moss. "Chum stands abb
solved, them" he said, bending to
sweep together the scattered jessa-
mine. DO you-do you run like that
when you're not frightened?"
when I'm caught red-handed.
Don't your
He looked puzzled.
She pointed to the flowers. "I had
stolen them, and | was trying to
Escape off wild EN- as the negroes
say. Shocking, isn't 1t? But you see,
nobody has lived here since long be-
fore | vas born. and | suppose the
iower-thieving habit has become in
grown"
But" he interrupted, there's acres
of them going to waste. Why on earth
shouldn't you have them?"
"Of course l know better today. but
there was "a special reason. We
have zone and this Is the nearest
place where they grow. My mother
wanted some for this particular day"
Good heavensi" he cried. "You
don't think you can't go right on TAX
ing them? Why. you can Escape Off
with the whole garden any time!"
A droll little CLEAN of azure mis-
chief darted at him suddenly put OF
her eyes and then lodged back again,
aren't you just a little rash with
other peoples property"
"other people's?"
What will the owner say?''
He bent back one of the long jessa
mine stems and wound it around the
-41o~c at nor .--x0w a1~ hfvn Do
sides, I owe you something. you know
l robbed you this morning-of your
brush"
She looked at him, abruptly serious
why did you do THAR"
Sanctuary. His two beady eyes
GUS hounds they said, and a dozen
galloping horses. And look what 9
poor shivering little red-brown NOR
sci | ami"
For just an instant the bronze-gold
head gave a quick imperious toss, like
a high-mettled pony under the f1icl
of the whip. But as suddenly the
shadow of resentment passed; the
mobile face under the bent hat-brim
turned thoughtful. She looked again
at him. do you think it's wrong tc
kill things?" she asked gravely.
"Oh, dear, no." he smiled. q
haven't a single ism. I'm not even
vegetarian"
But you would be If you had to kill
your own meat?"
Perhaps. So many of us would
AS a matter of fact, l don't hunt my
self, but I'm no reformer."
why don't you hunt?"
81 don't enjoy it." He flushed
slightly. 81 hate firearms" he said,
trife difficulty. 81 always have.
don't know why. -Idiosyncrasy, I sup
pose. But / shouldn't care for hunt
ing, even with bows and arrows.
would kill a tiger or a poisonous rep
tile, or anything else, in case of neces
sity. But even then 1 should hardly
enjoy 1t. I know some animals are
pestD and have to be killed. Some
men do, too. But I don't like to do II
myself"
wouldn't that theory lead to {
wholesale evasion Of responsibility
Perhaps. I'm MO philosopher. But
a blackbird or a red fox is SO pretty
even when he is thieving. that I'd lei
him have the corn. I'm like the
Lord High Executioner in The Mi
kado' who was 30 tender-hearted thai
he couldn't execute anybody ant
planned to begin with guinea-pigs anG
work up. Only I'm afraid l couldn'
even manage the ~guinea-pigs."
She laughed. you wouldn't FIND
many to practice on here. Do vol
raise ~guinea-pigs up North"
"Ah," he said ruefully, "you tag me
too. Have l by chance a large Letter
N tattooed upon my manly brown But
1 suppose it's the accent. Uncle JEFF
ferson catalogued me in five minutes
He said he didn't know why / wai