The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-02-06
PLOT DIDN'T WORK
BY ANDREW PHELPS.


daughter, Mrs Wharton, SAT- on the
veranda in close and confidential chat
and Agathy Wharton, nineteen years
old and the daughter of Mrs. Wharton,
was swinging in the hammock under
an apple tree.
81 want to ask you" queried grand
ma, what's the matter with Agathy !?
Here she is nineteen years old and a
good-looking girl, and can't under
stand why she hasn't had an offer of
marriage yet? Doesn't she like men,
as a rule?
"Agathy is very hard girl in some
respects" the mother replied ''She
takes likes and dislikes at almost the
first glance"
SsDaughter. you know it's all arrang-
ed for Agathy to go down to Cuba with
me. / wanted to talk with you about
the question of love. Suppose she
should meet on the steamer a young
man who filed her ideal--a young man
whom j could recommend in every way.
Would you oppose it If she fell in
loveY
No." was the slow reply. "But
should want you to be sure that he
was all right"
"Then, viii tell you something
which have kept back. have a dis
tant relative whose name is Charles
Burton. In fact, he has made my
home his home for the last year, while
getting ready to graduate as a civil
engineer. He is model young man in
every respect, and about twenty-five
years of age. like him so well that
/ am going to leave him something In
my viii. You know am going to leave
sAgathy something, and. If they should
fall in love and be married, they would
have quite fortune to start life on. !"
.sThat would be nice. but how viii
they meetY
'sWhy, he's going over with me. You
know am going on business, and snail
not stay long. I don't want Agathy to
know anything about him until we
have sailed; and then viii introduce
them"
When the day of sailing came Grand
ma Nelson and Agathy Wharton were
almost the first persons TO go on board.
Grandma cast an eye around and she
discovered that Mr.. Burton was also
an early bird.
It was the second day out, and no In
PRODUCTION had taken place yet, when
Grandma Nelson got ready to spring
her trap. While Miss Agathy was
seated on her steamer chair on deck
the crafty old fox took from her steam
er trunk watch she had provided for
the occasion. 1t did not take her quite
half an hour to wind 1t up and see
that 1t started off In good fashion.
Then she made several experiments as
to how far away the ticking could be
heard When satisfied about. this she
went on deck and hunted up Miss
Agathy. It gave her quite shock to
find her talking rather Familiarity with
a good-looking young man whose age
was about twenty-five. Only three
chairs away sat Mr.. Burton. He was
looking very solemn. Grandma Nelson
gave the girl sign to follow her.
When they had reached the cabin, she
held up her finger and whispered:
Keep cool, Agathyl We are In very
great danger, but keep cool r.
sWeIl, am COOL" was the cool re-
ply. .Are we goin@to be blown up by
a submarineT
Gas bad as that, Agathy. Some one
has placed clockwork bomb in my
trunk and, at a, set moment. 1t viii
blow up and sink the ship and all of
JUS with 1t. How anyone got in here to
place the bomb is beyond me, but you
can hear the ticking OF the clock.
What shall we do7'
'sWhy, that trunk must go overheard
without delay calmly replied the girl
'sBut we dare not touch I'll You go
on deck again and go to the third
chair from where you are sitting and
speak to the young man in 1t. Tell
him to come down here at once, as
there is work here for brave man. 4
was looking at him the other day and
he is the stuff Of which heroes are
made"
Agathy turned without a word and
assembled to the deck Then she walked
straight to the young man whom she
had been sitting beside when called
and said to him:
'There is q clockwOrk bomb In
grandma's steamer trunk, and 1t may
explode In a minute. She wants the
trunk thrown overheard to avert a
great disaster"
Certainly. certainly" was the reply.
and he followed her to the stateroom.
Grandma opened her mouth to pro
test that It was the. wrong hero. but,
before she could utter word, the
trunk was picked up and carried on
deck, and a heave overheard sent IT
floating away on the green pillows.
Sand that trunk contained all my
wardrobe and what am to do without
1T, Heaven only knows. Why didn't
you bring the young man / told you
tot"