The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1914-05-08

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his scheme without having been detect
ed. He wondered that Lucy made no
mention of the stolen kiss, but very
young and delicate miss might feel
abashed at communicating such thing
to u young man.
When the journey was ended and
Tom left his charge at the door of her
school he looked scrutinizingly into
her eyes to see If he could detect any
evidence of her suspecting him. She
returned his gaze with childlike sim
plicity that reassured him, and he left
her feeling very comfortable.
One June morning, when the trees,
the flowers and especially the roses
were in bloom, young man who had
been invited to spend week end at
the country place of friend sauntered
out on the veranda In negligee summer
costume, plucked rose, shifted it, put
1t in the buttonhole 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
hedge, which was just the height to
enable him to look over it. In the adj
joining grounds was q pagoda, in the
pagoda hammock and In the ham,
mock a feminine figure. But whether
the lady was old, middle aged or young
he could not see, He thought he would
like to satisfy himself on this point.
Walking back and forth along the
hedge, he looked for an opening. At
length, finding 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 Off 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, the morning being warm, he
fancied the occupant might be asleep.
He had no business In the grounds,
but he was venturesome fellow, with
no end of resource and assurance, and
had an excuse ready in case he met
any one Drawing gradually nearer to
the pagoda, he finally reached point
near enough for him to see a lady
asleep in the hammock.
She was young-about twenty-and
fair to look upon. She seemed to be
sleeping so soundly that the young
n
the pagoda. There was something In
the face of the sleeper that seemed
familiar to him. He thought that he
had seen her before, then that he had
not, vibrating between these two opin-
ions, at last deciding that he had not.
One feature especially charmed him
the lady had very kissable mouth.
For a young man to stand looking at
a young lady asleep with kissable
mouth is dangerous-not so dangerous
to the young lady as the young man,
for there is certainly no harm In one
being kissed who doesn't know of the
fact. But the young man taking that
which does not belong to him is liable
to the consequences of his rash act.
Then suppose the lady is awakened by
the process! Such contingency would
naturally strike terror into any sensi-
| tive man.
The watcher drew nearer and nearer
on dptoe till he reached the hammock.
| then, bending over the sleeper, in one
of the alternate risings and bendings
finally lightly touched the lips with his.
The sleeper slumbered on. Not mus
Gle twitched. The young man was
tempted to take another, but suddenly
the abyss on which he stood occurred
to him, and. turning, he tiptoed away
to the opening Of the hedge and passed
through. Then he began to wonder at
the recklessness, the folly, the awful
ness of what he had done.
| When he united his scarf at dressing
for dinner that same evening he missed
stickpin surmounted with horse
shoe that he had worn during the day.
He wondered how and where he had
lost it. Then he remembered working
his way through the hedge. He must
have dropped 1t there. He was tempt
ed to go out and look for it, but he had
barely time to dress for dinner, so he
must needs put off the search till morn
ing.
When he went down to dinner whom
should he see but the girl he had kissed
in the hammock. He was seized with
terrible fright, but on being present
ed to her she gave no evidence what
ever of ever having seen. met or heard
of him before. He was assigned to her
/ for dinner companion, and by the
time they were seated at table he had
regained enough of his equanimity to
remark that 1t had been a very hot
day, that he hoped 1t would be cooler
tomorrow and that he feared the sum-
mer would be an oppressive one.
However, the lady made 1t easy for
him by being agreeable, and he gradu,
ally forgot that If she knew how he
had robbed her she would despise him
After dinner the company strolled out
on to the veranda and spent the even
ing under the moonlight amid the fra
GRANGE Of roses. The thief Of the kiss
quite recovered from any qualms Of
conscience and was glad he had done
1t, especially since the girl had moi
awakened.
On Monday the young man took ar