The Press., 1915-01-06

i a hedge, which was just the height t( 1 enable him to look over it. In the ad 1 joining grounds was pagoda, in the pagoda hammock and in the ham i mock feminine figure. But whether 1 the lady was old, middle aged or young l he could not see. He thought he would l 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- l 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 a point
 
 asleep in the hammock.
 She was young-about twenty-and
 fair to look upon. She seemed to be sleeping so soundly that the young man drew nearer, even to the steps of 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 tiptoe till be reached the hammock, then. bending over the sleeper. ill one of the alternate risings and hendings finally lightly touched the lips with his. The sleeper slumberod on. Not mus cle twitched. The young man was tempted to take another but suddenly 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 a stickpin surmounted with horse shoe that he had worn during the day He wondered how and where he had lost 1t. Then he remembered working his way through the hedge. He must have dropped it 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 a dinner companion, and by the time they were seated at table he had regained enough of his equanimity to remark that it had been a very hot dn hot 1,o I0 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 despisc him. After dinner the company strolled out on to the veranda and spent the even ing under the moonlight amid the fra grance of roses. The thief of the kiss quite recovered from any qualms of conscience and was glad he had done it. especially since the girl had not awakened.
 On Monday the young man took an early train to the city. When the post man arrived during the afternoon he brought small package addressed to Thomas Arnold, Esq. Opening it, the recipient took out handkerchief, in one corner of which were his initials and stickpin with horseshoe mount ing.
 Arnold sank down in a chair, with a moan.
 He saw it all. When he had kissed the girl in the tunnel she had snatched his handkerchief from his pocket. She had since grown to be young lady, and after he had kissed her second time she had found his stickpin under the hedge.