The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-08-09
Trapped by
Girls
By OSCAR cox

Higgins was his name, but his pseu
donym was Courtney Sinclair. He
lived with his mother In a small subur-
ban house, had his study on the second
floor, overlooking trees, shrubs and
flowers, and while composing was not
to be interrupted.
One morning he was writing a story
on q theme with which he was very
much pleased. His hero was a woman
hater, but so fascinating that he was
besieged by girls who were bent on
marrying him. The body Of the story
consisted of ingenious devices of the
maidens TO get at him and bis ingenious
methods for preventing them from do
ing so.
This hero lady killer shut himself up
In a tower. living at the top. What
ever he required was drawn up by
him In q basket attached TO a rope
II a man called on him he would throw
out q 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 IL 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
'1'n 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 big Red
Cross or war subscription Of some kind
But they don't get in; not If 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
viii hear you by and by"
The ringing and the knocking con-
tinued Higgins laid down his pen.
"I 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 q doorbell
and get no response go away. These
girls cannot have seen me. If they
had would not be surprised at their
persistence. / think I'll do bit of
accommodating
He went to the landing, from which
he looked down upon the front door.
The glass was covered by a lace shade,
but through it he could see the girls.
They were dressed In the height of
fashion, and SC far as he could Judge
none of them was Ill favored.
''They are either after a subscription
to the liberty loan," he said to himself,
cor the widows and orphans fund or
some other matter involving money.
What would do to protect myself
against three girls, quite likely from
among the elite of the town, If should
face them alone and unprotected?
wish mother was here. They've got
me penned in."
He had no confidence in being able to
stand Off lot Of girls who were de
termined to get at him. 1t was all
very well to write story about a
woman hating lady killer who prevent
ed women from reaching him. That
was fiction. This was the real thing
He could invent no end OF contrtvances
by which his hero might effect an es
cape, but here he was corralled and not
| q single plan for avoiding these girls
| at his own door occurred to him. He
determined to return TO his study, pay
no attention to the rings and knocks
and go on with his story.
He was writing glibly about his he
| ro's escape from woman, his inven
live faculties being In excellent condi
| tion, when he heard from out the win
/ dow beside which he sat these words
spoken in a melodious feminine voice:
I'VE are taking the census. Arr
J there any men in this house between
the ages of twenty,one and thirty
oneT
Higgins looked aside, and there IL
! the branches of a tree growing no
| twenty feet from him was girl look
ing straight at him.
The hypothesis of a subscription
tumbled before the certainty OF TIT
draft He had forgotten that the gov
eminent was intending 70 captur'
young men to enter the great war. /
he had remembered it he certainly hat
never dreamed that a bevy OF prett!
girls would be employed to take TIT
census OF eligib1es.
II am a resident Of this house, and
am twenty-eight years DID," said Hig
| gins, with sigh.
"Your name, please"
Elijah Higgins"
Thank you. Help me down, girls"
Higgins sat meditating Its meal
enough" he said, ito send men to
foreign country to die in the trenches
but to trap him with girls is contempt
ible."
killer was never finished. The manu-