Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-01-12

outsider! she SAID.
kind of moldy; something like the
inside of a tomb"
Not at all like a tomb. It's a home
for living plants. The odor is their
breath"
She stepped up to some flowers that
were fading and inhaled their per
fume.
II love flowers. Don't you?" she
asked.
81 did once. but after attending a
succession of funerals l have come to
dislike them"
what a pity! They seem like be-
loved friends to me. They talk to
Nme."
i've heard girls say that before. I
wonder what it means. What do they
say to you?"
"All sorts of nice things"
He led the way to a bank of chrysan-
themums and said. addressing them:
"Hello. Sanity! How are you feel
ing todayY"
After pretending to listen to the re-
ply he asked Fife If she knew what 1t
was.
What was it," she asked.
"Santhy says that l have a very nice
girl with me, but I'm doing very wrong
in leading her to trespass on other
persons property"
This recalled Efie to the situation,
and she looked anxiously toward the
door.
Don't be frightened" said the
young man, then addressing the flower:
Sanity, just you tell whoever is in
charge of this place that 1 a throw
stones even If l do live in a glass
house."
He said this with a pretense of valor
that made Efle wonder all the more,
though she was a bit frightened at
the prospect of a battle with the but
Ter.
"Santhy's talking to me again." said
the poacher. "He says: Take all the
flowers you want and give them to the
little girl with you. She's just the
daintiest, prettiest creature that has
ever been In this conservatory. Don't
you see all the flowers bowling their
heads before her? Look at that aster
over there. He's dying of envy of
you"
This sounded very pleasant to Efie.
and she blushed a little.
(Which one of you flowers" con-
tinued the young man, could put on a
tint like that? The best any of you
could do would be like the paint on a
red wagon in comparison. All you're
fit for is to decorate her,
With this he began to gather such
flowers as were in bloom and turn
them over to Efie.
"Oh, don't!' she cried. "You
mustn't! That's robbery"
Il love robbery. l think l would
like to have been a burglar. By the
bye, suppose we break into the house."
He said this so seriously that Efie
was not sure but that he meant it. At
any rate, she caught her breath.
When he had loaded her with flowers
he said:
Come let's see what we can find
elsewhere. If l meet any one I'll
make him set up something to eat"
Urging Efie to go with him, he left
the conservatory and. ascending the
porch, rang the bell. The summons
was answered by a middle aged serv-
ing woman.
us there anything left in the larder?'
asked the burglar.
There's some crackers and cheese,
sir, and a part of a cake"
Bring them out and make a pitcher
of fruit punch"
Effie's mind was so imbued with the
belief that her companion was a tres
passer that it did not occur to her that
he had any right whatever to give
such an order. Her Imagination help
ed her to hear this order given in a
commanding tone. Instead of waiting
for the refreshment she took to fight.
Laughing, the young man a after
her.
Hold on" he said, land I'll explain.
I live here. My mother and sisters
have gone to town. I remained for
| some shooting. Forgive me for i'm
| posing upon you. You looked so visit
fully innocent when 1 saw you peer
! ing in at the gate that l couldn't help
it. Won't you take a bite with me on
the porch? The buffers wife will wait
on u.s."
Efie had no mind to accept such an
invitation, though she consented to
keep the flowers. Her entertainer of
fered to take her home in his car, but
she declined this offer too. Bidding
him good day, she set off to walk
home. Presently she heard the sound
of an auto behind her, and along came
the trespasser. He drove the car be-
side her and finally convinced her that
she might as well ride with a strange
man as walk while he rode beside her.
When a man determines to get a wo-
man for himself his superior dominant
power is a great advantage to him.