The Holly chieftain., 1915-01-01
M CONES
~SMHWG
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termelon determined to follow the
brook. sure that In the end It would
lead him to the hotel. City people
had failing for brooks and NO hotel
management would miss the chance
OF having one gurglIng BY. close At
hand. The brook grew wider and
Wider. and through . break in the
trees the Watermelon saw q lake, dis
appearing In the leafy distance. He
, heard a splash and saw the shiny
white body Of man rise for one 10y.
ful moment from the green depths
ahead and then dive from sight with
another cool splash.
The Watermelon decided from habit
to get q better view Of the lonely
swimmer before he let his own pres
ence become known. He slipped into
the bushes and slowly wriggled his
way to the little glade. The lake was
bigger than at first appeared. 1t
turned and twisted through the woods
and was finally lost from view around
a small promontory. The trees grew
nearly to the waters edge, q dense
protecting wall to one who wished
to sport In natures solitude, garbed
In natures simple clothing. The lake
was too far from the hotel to have
been annexed as one Of the attrac-
tions Of that hostelry. All this the
Watermelon noticed at q glance. He
also noticed that the man swimming
IN the cool. brown depths. with long.
easy strokes. was alone and q strans.
er. The Watermelon looked for the
clothes and found them on q log, prac.
ticaliy at his feet
In everything but color they full.
filled his dream Of what raiment should
be like. Instead Of the pale gray he
rather favored. the suit was brown.
light brown, with tiny green stripe.
barely Visible, intertwined with .
faint suggestion Of red. forming har-
monious whole that was vastly pleas
Ing to the Watermelon's esthetic
sense. In the matter Of socks, he
realized that the stranger had not
taken the best advantage Of his oppor-
tunity. Instead Of being red or green
to lend character to the delicate sug-
gestion OF those colors found In the
suit, they were soft dun brown.
There was tie of the same shade
and silk negligee shirt Of white with
pale green stripes. The owner was
clearly a young man OF rare taste,
unhampered by a vexatious limitation
of his pocketbook.
He could be seen swimming slowly
and luxuriously in the little lake, per-
fectly contented, unconscious that
some one besides the woodpeckers and
the squirrels were watching him
When he disappeared. the Watermelon
quickly, carefully gathered up the
clothes and likewise disappeared.
The swimmer was a big man and
the clothes as good nt as one could
look for under the circumstances.
They set OF the Watermelon's long,
lean figure to perfection. and the hat,
soft and expensive panama. lent
added distinction. The Watermelon
removed the three dollars and ten
cents and the keys from his own
pockets, and making bundle of his
cast-on clothes. stuffed them out Of
sight in hollow log. where later he
could return and find them. 1t was
just as we'll to leave the stranger a
practical captive In natures depths
until the beauty show was pulled OF
After that event, he would return,
and II the stranger was amenable to
reason, he could have his good clothes
back, but II he acted put out at all,
for punishment he would have to ac.
cept the Watermelon's glorious attire,
Clean-shaven, we'll ll-clothed, there was
no longer any need for him to 10 to
| the hotel. unless he wished to dine
there. II the devotee Of nature, back
In the swimming pool. was a stranger
in these parts and not q guest at the
hotel. the Watermelon felt that he
could do this with pleasure and safety.
1t was after twelve. and his ever.pres.
ent desire to eat was becoming too
pronounced to be comfortable. It
would be fitting climax to a highly
delightful morning to have dinner,
surrounded by gentle folk again, for
the Watermelon came of gentle
family. He had no fear, for some
time at least Of the owner of the
borrowed clothes making himself un.
necessarily conspicuous. But. on the
other hand, II he were a guest at the
hotel. the clothes would probably be
recognized and murder be the sim.
plest solution Of their change of own.
ers. Still. reasoned the Watermelon,
with shrewd guess at the truth, II
he were a guest, It was hardly likely
that he would be swimming alone in