The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-21

tramps or burglars around the shack.
but was thinking that you ought not
to leave that watch of yours around"
and put It in a safe place for you"
Jill looked up with a little surprise,
and then: "I was thinking exactly
the same thing myself-about your
watch. You left it in the bedroom
the other day when you went fishing.
And, anyway, now thai we are away
from civilization, why should we keep
track of timer
Yes, why should we?" echoed Jack,
delighted that Jill had fallen in so
readily with his scheme Lets both
/ put our watches away"
I'll take them both right now"
suggested Jill easily. ct can roll
| them up in cotton and put them I'M
der that trap in the kitchen cupboard.
We can get ali the ideas we want
about meal times from the clock
Jack handed his watch to his wife.
tho he Redeemed a little at the refer
ence she made to the living room
clock.
Promise. if you take my watch,
that you won't look at them any more,
dearie," he conditioned. Wen just
forget about time. won't we, honey?"
And Jill smiled her perfect accord
So at the outset of the ramble the
watches were rolled into JilPs hand
kerchief and slipped into the cartridge
pocket on her khaki suit And Jacks
thoughts rambled back to the faithful
loudticlling clock in the living room
that would bring dinner an hour
ahead of time.
Funny how time flies in the
woods" he remarked by 5. II can tell
by the shadows that 1t is about e.
almost time for dinner.
"Oh, you silly man." squealed Jill.
I'm sure we haven't been gone an
hour. I'm sure 1 can't tell anything
from the shadows. and don't believe
you can, either. You're just trying
to bluff the new wife and make her
think you are a regular Indian"
They both smiled, and with one &C
cord started to retrace their steps to-
ward the cabin. Jack stopped to
gather some wild strawberries at Jills
request He was quite sure that Jill
would keep her promise not to look
at the watches, so he did not hesitate
to permit her to return alone. He
+ wondered whether she would be sur
prised when she saw the clock point
ing an hour nearer supper time than
she supposed.
OF course there was this difficulty
that had occurred to Jack when he
first formulated his scheme for max
ing time fly. By leaving the clock an
| hour faster it would mean an hour
earlier rising time, and in order to
hasten meals any more the next day
abridgement of the time which
would, of course, be rather difficult
| in the long run. That was why he
made an excuse about going to see
the possum traps that night after
dinner. The lights were out in the
cooking and the walk in the woods,
was peacefully tucked into bed.
| 1t would be an easy matter, he
thought. to turn the hands back an
hour and thus bring the rising time
around to normal again. To be sure,
| it would make an hour more between
dinner and breakfast than usual, but
| the sound sleep that had come with
the mountain air and the good appe-
| tite would render him dead to the
ravages of hunger thru the night.
| So Jack, without the slightest in
tention of setting possum traps, for
there were no possums and no traps
| to be had, walked around the cabin
three times in the starlight and then
/ noiselessIy went toward the living
room with designs on the clock. But
| as he was about to turn the knob he
saw through the window figure IN
white-Jill, to oe sure. She heard
him and stopped and then lighted
candle on the table.
Hello, you up?" he asked, casting
a guilty look toward the clock. Jill
also looked at the clock. He had no
ticed it when he went out 1t was y
o clock then, and now it said TO-.
He started in alarm. Then he heard
| Jill's nervous laugh. He looked at
| her and to his surprise she laughed
again nervously and whispered, II m
! sorry Ja-k. I'll have to confess. L
thought it would take longer for you
to fix those traps. That's why you
caught me. You see-you see, I got
| so tired of cooking, so II set the
| clock an hour back when you were
gathering berries, so I'd have more
time to get supper. 1t didn'- really
seem to help at all, tho. l had to
hurry just as fast. Anyway, 1 had to
| set it forward again 50 we could get
I'D a. the right time in the morning.
You thought it was only 8, but 1t is
really TO-" Then there was another
nervous little laugh. Can you for
| give me?''
/ Jack was pulling. mo, it isn't 10,
it. 11-that is, l thought it was. But
but, why, by George. it is really 10,
| Just as the clock said it was. You see
ward this afternoon. So we had sup
did seem as if l was just as hungry as
ever before it was ready
They stood and looked at each other
in tie candlelight. I'll tell you what
Wen do sail Jack. Wen cook the
meals together-like good camp
mates. Then you'll have time enough
in the woods and you'll have less
cooking to do. And we won't fib to
I each other any more, will WEI"
And, of course, Jill promises no
most emphatically.- Copyright, 1917,
by the Mcclure Newspaper Syndi-
cateO