The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-31

there for an hour She said it was
fer fresh air; tattle-tale said that
determined young man could reach /
the roof by climbing the big oak tree
growing so near the wall.
Miss Wells compressed her lips: she |
would see to it: she did see to it. !
Old Thomas was set to watch at
night but he snoozed the hours away
His old watch dog took his place. and
was found dead of old age the very
next morning.
All, she had it at last She would
go upon the roof herself and catch the
| criminals red-handed. She was lit
! tie old to be eating around on house
roofs at night. but the honor of the
Wells school was at stake.
The second night after tattletale
had given things away was beautiful
summers night. 1t was night for
cats and lovers to prowl. An ho"-
before midnight found Miss Wells
stealing up the scuttle ladder and out
on the roof She was there to watch
that tree. Yes, one of its limbs ac-
tually overhung the roof. 1t would be
no feat at all for determined young
man Miss Wells was scantily dressed.
Her scant hair was hanging down
around her neck, and she was bare
footed in her slippers.
The watcher had been at her post
nearly an hour when something hap
pened She thought she heard some
one in the tree, and in shifting her
| position she lost her grip and went
, rolling down the steep roof until a
chimney brought her up. She was
safe from further fall, but she must
/ get back to her place. cat could
} have done it. but, alas, she was not a
cat. She was only an old maid with
. shaky nerves She wouldn't have
I tried that climb for thousand dol.
p lars. If she called out who would
n hear her? If she waited until day
r light-heavens!
And then she looked up to see the
, figure of a man above her. Some
:. thing told her that it was the deter
o mined young man with the scar or
e his chin In addition, he told her Sc
/ himself. He was very cool about It
n After gazing down at her for three
d or four minutes he asked;
o How are you going to get u
n. again?"
Il. Young man, I'll have you arreste'
III for burglary"
You can't. There's no breakin
I and entering in climbing tree.
What are you here for?"
: "'ro get YOU out of a scrapc. if yo
"a are sensible. Ii not you'll be left fo
!" people to gaze at in the mornn'
, About COO hands in the shoe factor
y can overlook this roof, and you ar
not dressed for company.
L III scream for help
And have it in the papers that yo
were sncaking around on the rool
midnight, No, my dear Miss Wells
Your way is the quiet way Imagine
4 reporter sitting here in my place an
inter, iewing you! Imagine the hea
1 lines in the papers, Imagine him t
II king snap shot at you by ilashlight
\ Arc you tnt yoHnS ill'th hi''H NV
H wanted to marry?
H she wanted to, and she wants
\ vet. I'm here tonight to help her 40"
y the tree We are going to elope.
- have a rope here, and have pr
posal to make.
"YcS?"
\ Let her seemingly start for non
in the morning with her trunk. !
take care of the rest II You won
agree. down the tree We go, and "
are left right where YOU are
Z Miss Wells gaspcd ont never
p and added that she would perish mrs
! but when the young man started
slide the scuttl" ard signal to MI
hS Jean. things changed. She gay" II
solemn word and was pulled up
Ky keen it. She started her off on pl
ISIS tense of sickness at home, and as u
co. girl was ready to depart she whisp'
'' ed in her ear:
IN IF you never, never mover say an
=" thing about this I'll always say tn
''h il ever marry any man II VIII be
aN determined young man who know
l' what he wants