The Holly chieftain., 1915-02-19

all that, what we're they doing In -
| empty house!
I'VE can arrest EN- and get q hne
| anyw said the taller Of the two.
and the other agreed.
The Watermelon leaned forward
with languid interest. his hat on the
back of his head. How dye do?" he
drawled What are you doing with
the popguns?"
Hunting" grinned the spokesman
pleasantly.
ANY luck?" asked the Watermelon.
Bet cher life!" said the man. Got
what we were after"
"Bear?" asked the Watermelon inno-
Gently.
Autos" said the man.
Sir" began the general. He felt
pressure on his shoulder SO nrm,
that. irritated. he turned to remOn-
strate with Henrietta. One could not
explain the situation with any degree
of pride in the first place. still less SO.
II some one behind were apparently
endeavoring to suppress one.
The Watermelon frowned I'VE
weren't breaking any speed limit. un.
less the snail is the standard you reg
ulate your speed laws by" The men
no longer believed that they had
caught the thief. but IL they insisted
on taking the party before a magis-
trate. each would have to give his
name. With the general present. fic-
titious names would only be SO much
waste of breath. and the Watermelon
had no desire to give his assumed
law
Nav" sneered the man. splitting
with gusto. "There're other things to
break besides speed laws"
Yes" agreed the Watermelon,
your empty head"
Now, don't get sassy" warned the
man. growing angry. I'm an officer
any of your sass
AN officer of the law can't arrest
a law-abiding citizen" snapped the
| Watermelon with righteous indigna,
ton.
"Law-abiding? jeered the man.
What have we done?'
TRY to guess" suggested the man
pleasantly and the other laughed.
Il can't guess" said the Water.
melon. "Is 1t for riding through the
COW lane! We didn't hurt the lane
any. l rode through this same lane
last summer and the Browns didn't
kick up any row over It In fact, they
were with me. that is. Dick and Lizzie
were"
The man stared and the Watermelon
frowned coldly.
do you know the Browns?" de-
manded the fellow.
Not very WE'LL" admitted the Wa
termelon. Il was through here last
summer and stopped over night at
their place. They were fine people,
all right. They told me If ever came
this way again to drop in and said
| would 1t was sort OF joke. They
gave me latch key" He drew key
from his pocket and held 1t out as
proof of his integrity.
Huh said the man DULY, gazing
from the key to the Watermelon.
The second man took 1t. Which
door does 1t fit?" he asked.
"The front door," said the Water
melon promptly. go try it II you
want proof"
| Not SO fast" said the second man,
who had taken the affair into his own
hands. 'If you know the Browns, tell
me something about them? No. you
chuffer feller, hold on. back there.
Don't try to slip by, for you can't.
You automobilists think that the Lord
created heaven and earth for your
benefit and then rested on the seventh
day and has been resting ever since.
That's better. Now. then" turning
again to the Watermelon-"how many
In the family?"
How many!" queried the Water
melon. II don't know. only saw ma
and pa and the three kids, Dick and
Lizzie and Sarah. Sarah was young
lady about twenty. II remember
rightly; Lizzie was eight and Dick was
bit older, ten or twelve-twelve.
think he said. l remember his birth
day came in January, anyway
Well. goldarn it," laughed the first
man. thoroughly convinced. well,
say, amt we the easy marks?"
Don't blame yourselves" said the
Watermelon gently. Father used to
say that anything colossal, even stu
pidity, was worthy of admiration"
|