The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1914-06-05
TRESPASSERS.
BY LEsLIE REN

Remember, Dorothy, that | am
most particular about t~respassers on
the place." admonished Miss Pris-
ella Fem as she climbed into the
station bus.
81 leave the place in your care and
do hope that when | come home I
won't find a whole posse of fishermen
sitting by my trout stream. Good
by, dear, and send word at once il
you are i'll or anything happens
Martha will take care of you-and
yes, Mr.. Penny, Pm ready-gOod-by,
Dorothy, gOOd-byp
After Miss Priscilla Fem had
bought and paid for trout caught in
her own brook by willy fisher lads, she
established a system of patrol along
the banks that involved her house
hold in additional labor and kept the
three women keyed up to high nerv-
GUS tension all the time.
As for Dorothy, she did not much
care, for she loved the deep woods
and the brown brook was a favorite
retreat for her.
Nov, Miss Dorothy, you amt
ever going down to that nasty brook
this morning." protested Martha
with the familiarity of an old and
privileged servitor.
"Them trouts amt biting every
day-why, I've heard tell that Mr..
Whitaker himself has been known
to fish for three days without catch
ing a Bite even but he's a dreadful
crank at it. So faint likely them
boys will ketch anything if they do
hSh."
r. ." dare say you're right, Martha,
but l promised. Aunt Priscilla
would keep waSch and you know she
Is very particular about it. Suppose
you ring the big bell for me when
luncheon is ready-then / will b
sure to hear it."
Every well, Miss Dorothy, but
look here" Martha vent to a chin.
hey cupboard and took from it ar
ancient and rusted pistol Of enor.
nous size. al never go into the deer
woods without this weapon and you
take it in a 5 anybody scares you
Law, it amt loaded wouldn'
carry it if it wasl But you can SHOW
it and frighten 'em off. There, II
l put it in this little basket with som,
. pears and cpokies-run along now
20, Martha, you are the funnies
old dearl" laughed Dorothy. 81
> you hear a tremendous explosion yo1
will know thatvthis old cannon ha
gone off and frightened all the trou
/. to death. Ho, hum, if they onl
S would depart to other streams W
I wouldn't have to do sentry-go, Ell
{ Martha?"
Established under an oak who's
shining green leaves overhung tn,
. dancing stream, Dorothy tossed asidI
e her hat and allowed the vagran
! breeze to rufle her red-gold hair.
t After awhile she got up anc
S walked along the bank of the stream
q following a striped chipmunk dart
: ing through the underbrush. Tn
c%hipmunk disappeared in his hole
and a flock of chickadees performe,
antics On the branches of a dogwoOc
tree.
There was a splash-a sharp excla
nation and the whirring ola reel
+ Dorothy forgot everything save tina
a there was a trespasser near by.
Silently she went back to he
basket and was astonished to fine
q that she had wandered 50 far-why
she had even crossed the brook OIL
, the stepping-stones in her chase o
: the chipmunk who was a venture
BOme mite-and she hid the pisto
in the blouse Of her sailor suit anc
vert back across the stepping-stone
to that spot beyond the alders wher
, she had heard the sound of a fisher
mans reel spinning out.
At last she could see him-a sun
Drowned hatless youth clad in oil,
clothes, with a pipe between his teetl
= and his blue eyes bright with excite
ment as he played a splendid trou
in and out of the deeps and shallow
of the stream. AT last he whoope,
exultantly and landed the speckle,
beauty on the messy bank.
: what are you doing here?" aske,
% Dorothy sternly as she broke throngl