The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-07-19
Trapped by
Girls
By OSCAR cox


flowers. and while composing was no
to be interrupted.
One morning he was writing a stor,
ON a theme with which he was yer,
much pleased. His hero was woman
hater, but so fascinating that he wal
besieged by girls who were bent OF
marrying him. The body of the story
consisted OF ingenious devices of ths
maidens to get at him and his ingeniou,
methods for preventing them from do
ing so.
This hero lady killer shut himself uT
in tower, living at the top. What
ever he required was drawn up by
him In a basket attached to a rope,
II man called on him he would throw
out key to a door below. A girl
hidden in a box Of provisions on one
occasion got into the basket and was
drawn up to the top, but before being
taken In the lady killer saw her. He
let go the rope. and she was killed by
the fall.
Higgins mother had gone away on a
visit and left him alone In the house.
About II o'clock. when he was en-
crossed with his story, there came a
ring at the doorbell. When Mrs. Hig-
gins was not at home he usually an
swered such summonses and now rose
from his desk to reply to this one.
Descending the stairs, he saw through
the glass Of the front door several girls
without.
They're after subscriptions to some
war loan," said the author to himself.
sT'll not admit them"
Turning, he went back to his desk
by the window and continued his story
about the lady killer in the tower. He
had scarcely written line when there
was another ring at the doorbell He
ignored it. Another ring. He ignored
that too The bell kept on ringing, and
the author kept on writing
'-Those girls are mighty persistent"
he said to himself IF / should let
them in they'd stick me for a big Red
Cross or war subscription Of some kind.
But they don't get in; not If l know
myself"
The ringing was succeeded by a
knocking. Higgins smiled. Just you
continue your efforts, my dears," he
said to the girls separated from him by
walls and doors. Maybe some one
will hear you by and by"
The ringing and the knocking con-
tinued Higgins laid down his pen.
II wonder why they keep up this eff |
fort to get in when it must be evident |
to them that there is no one In the
house." he said. Usually persons who
have rung several times at a doorbell
and get no response go away. These
girls cannot have seen me. If they
had l would not be surprised at their
persistence | think III do bit of
accommodating.
He went to the landing, from which
he looked down upon the front door
The glass was covered by lace shade,
but through it he could see the girls
They were dressed in the height of ,
and so far as he could judge
none of them was Ill favored.
"They are either after subscription
to the liberty loan," he said to himself,
"or the widows and orphans fund or
some other matter involving money.
What would | do to protect myself
against three girls, quite likely from c
among the elite of the town, If should n
face them alone and unprotected? b
wish mother was here. They've got o
me penned in." v
He had no confidence in being able to d
stand off lot of girls who were de- a
.ermined to get at him. Ii was all b
very well to write a story about n
hating lady killer who prevent a.
ID women from reaching him. That !,
was fiction. This was the real thing.
He could invent no end of contrivances
by which his hero might effect an es-
ape, but here he was corralled and not
/ single plan for avoiding these girls
1t his own door occurred to him. He
determined to return to his study. pay
10 attention to the rings and knocks T
md go on with his story.
He was writing glibly about his he z
o's escape from woman, his inven-
i've faculties being in excellent condi-
ion, when he heard from out the win -
ow beside which he sat these words, =
poken in melodious feminine voice: 80
I'VE are taking the census. Are -
here any men in this house between u
be ages Of twenty-one and thirty al
neY' tn
Higgins looked aside. and there In pr
be branches of tree growing not
wenty feet from him was a girl look m
lg straight at him. he
The hypothesis of a subscription pl
1mbled before the certainty OF the tie
raft. He had forgotten that the gov
rnment was intending to capture Il,
Dung men to enter the great war. II -
e had remembered it he certainly had
ever dreamed that a bevy of pretty
iris would be employed to take the
ansus of eligibles.
IT am a resident OF this house. and |
N twenty eight years old" said Hig-
ms. with a sigh.
your name. please" 7
Elijah Higgins" an
Thank you. Help me down. girls" az nA
Higgins sat meditating. "Tt's mean ha
rough" he said, ito send men to a LOT LOT
reign country to die In the trenches, az,
it TO trap him with girls is contempt ss'
le." y
The story Of the woman hater lady eni
Her was never finished. The manu- -,
ript so far as written went into the she
e Higgins was drafted and went to ne ne