The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-10-10
The TRESPASSER
BY LOUISE OLIVER.


gripped the steering wheel of her road
ster preparatory to turning a sharp
curve in the road when around the
corner catapulted a small boy who
shed apples as he ran, blouse, pockets
and arms full to overlooking.
The look of terror in the fugitive's
eyes went to Priscilla's heart. Invol-
UNFAIRLY her foot went to the brake
and her hand TO the door. Hop in"'
she cried, and Dickie needed no Sec
ond invitation, but tumbled in, apples
and all, just as man came around
the corner brandishing hastily pro-
cured switch.
AS the little car whizzed past, he
caught q glimpse of his enemy riding
away to safety and peace beside the
pretty representative of a family he
had no reason whatever to love.
what was he after you for?" quer-
led Priscilla little sternly.
"Why," answered Dick, Il was going
along the road and l got kinda hungry
and | saw those trees in the orchard
all full of apples and q good many on
the ground. and l thought I'd eat one.
But there was so many and 1 didn't
know which one to take, so l thought
I'd take several. Say, you're awfully
nice to save me. Don't you want an
apple?"
NO, thank you. But I'm going to
take them all, little boy. You see, you
didn't mean to steal, but you did, and
after l take you home I'm going to
take the apples back to Mr.. Criswell."
Once In town, they sought the street
upon which the culprit lived and Pris-
ella delivered him to his mother, and
then with her cargo of stolen fruit she
turned back to the farm.
81 rather WISH" she said thought
fully, that it were anyone else but
that old Mr.. Criswell. He is likely to
be very unpleasant. 1 wonder if Bob's
ut home!" The name brought n soft
flush to her cheeks, but in the depths
of her blue eyes lay the shadow of
trouble. Her thoughts went back to
the time when her fathers farm Joined
the Criswells and when she and Bob
| had gone TO the district school to-
gether. They had been companions al
ways, then sweethearts. But coal had
been found on a strip of land between
the two farms, a strip which both
| families had claimed to own for years.
| The coal had made a bad situation
worse, and Bob and Priscilla were for
| hidden to speak to one another.
I've brought back the apples the
little boy took" said Priscilla to Mr..
Criswell when he came to the door to
answer her knock.
you folks aren't always so particu-
| lar about giving people what is justly
theirs" remarked the old man acidly.
Priscilla turned to so. Her silence
| merely Infatuated the old man. Il
just want to tell you" bawled he,
that if you ever write another letter
to Bob I'll burn it, so you might as
we'll save yourself the trouble. No
wonder you can sport around in an
automobile of your own, spending
money that justly belongs to other
people"
One day, a week later, Priscilla In
her car was passing the Criswell farm
when she picked up Il passenger, in
fact the same passenger who had been
fleeing from Mr. Criswell's wrath a
few days before. Going my way
Diclie? Where have you been to-
day?"
"Catchin' clubs down in Criswell's
creek"
"The old man will get after yor
again for trespassing! What have yor
got thcre?"
THAT! Oh, l guess it's coal. Say
the funniest thing. | almost forgo
about it. While | was sittin' there OF
the bank above the creek two mel
( came along and stopped. They didn'
see me, but | could hear what the.
were talking about. One of them says
It's coal all right An the other on,
says, Yes, the vein runs over this way
too. You were right, Bill. All on
| digging amt for nothin' now. Ok
Criswell mustn't know thing an
well buy his farm for a figure h,
can't refuse"
Priscilla turned her car. "Dickie,
saved you one day, now you do some
thing for me, will you? I'm going t
take you to Mr.. Criswell and l wan
you to tell him all you told me-"
So Priscilla and Dick drove back t
the Criswells and Dick told his won
derful tale.
"Humph! These men are In tn
Kitchen now" said the old man, 9TH
sneakin' thieves. SO, sonny, you sa
you can show me the place they'v
been diggin' and I've got really trul
coal on my Ian? Just wait! I'll tel
them l have to have week to thin
it over. Then I'll go with you to tn
spot Miss Priscilla, if you and Bo
: care to go along, maybe you'd like t
: hunt him up. He's somewhere aroun
| the barn."
Bob, oh, Bob, where are you?
: | called Priscilla blithely.