Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-01-16
An Effective
Trap
Upright, 1917, Western Newspaper Union. J
BY RICHARD MARLEY

One winter some years ago when
| had become tired of a long continual
ton of snowstorms and cold weather
| concluded to go to Florida to get the
chill out of my bones. | reached the |
land Of flowers when they were most
beautiful and most fragrant. The |
transition from winter to early sum-
mer filled me with a delicious languOr.
The morning after my arrival l /
baszed on the veranda Of my hotel till |
midday when I bethought myself to
pay my respect to an aunt of mine |
who had a cottage in the place.
left the hotel grounds by a side gate
and crossing a vacant space came to
q hedge in which found an opening /
and passed through to my aunt's |
grounds. Directly in my path to the /
house was 6 pagoda surrounded by |
magnolias and other trees and shrubs. /
It was a Very attractive looking place
and approaching it [ yielded to a de-
sire to go into the pagOda and see what I
it was like.
AS soon as [ reached a point where
I could look between the bOughs and |
flowers I caught a most bewitching
sight. A young girl lay asleep in
hammock. There was everything
about the picture to render it charm
ing. Even the colOrs of the ham
mock blended with those of the girls |
gauZy raiment, and the surrounding
flowers. AS to the girl herself, there
was about her the relaxation Of slum-
Der; faint color in her cheeks; her
lips were slightly parted; her breast
was rising and falling.
Now, consider a fellow in the first |
freshness of youth transported within
tWenty-four hours from a land Of ice
and snow to one Of tropical mildness, |
coming suddenly upon a girl, robed in
the sheer apparel Of the South, lying
asleep in hammock, with a pair Of
undefended coral lips, and tell me is
he to be blamed for yielding to a de-
sire to kiss them?
The only requisite is courage. had |
not the courage, but I was drawn to
the girl despite my want of it.
paused as soon as [ saw her, but pres
emily began a snail-like advance.
put foot on the lowest of the three /
steps leading up to the pagoda.
mounted it, and since the girl did not
open her eyes, stood on the second
step, and then on the third. There
was no great terror n me yet because
l had committed no overt act. I slipped
my feet along the pagoda floor till I
came within reaching distance. Sud
denly it occurred to me that if the girl
should awaken and see a strange man
standing over her it would be very
embarrassing to the man. Pekhaps she |
might give shrek. [ shuddered at
the thought.
But a glance at those lips banished
fear l bent over them, hesitating,
bending lower, till at last I touched
them, with mine. For q few seconds I
was in heavens flower garden.
AS 1 raised myself I looked for
her eyes to open and regard me with
indignation Or whitening contempt.
Marvelous-sh slept on.
I wondered if she would stand an
other kiss without awakening. I re-
solved to risk it. This time l pressed
her lips more firmly and longer than
before. Then I Strengthened myself
and tip-toed away. Looking back /
saw that she was still sleeping.
My aunt received me cordially and
asked me to dine with her the same
evening.
II have a young lady friend from
the North visiting me-" she said. 81
wish you to meet her. / have told
her you are in every respect a fine
fellow; SO put your best foot forward
and don't do anything to disappOint
her. She is at an age when girl eX-
poets man to be the quintescence of
! Difference. Don't fail to practice all
those little refnements expected of a
thoroughbred"
I promised my aunt that I would
mind my P.'s and Q.s and left her,
wondering if the girl I had kissed was
not the guest she had referred to.
That night, in evening dress, I went
again to my aunts. On the way
plucked the most delicate flower /
could find-if I remember rightly it
was a rose-for my button-hole.
IOu1O lily du1L anu IIIC yOunS ldOy 4
had kissed on the veranda, made my
most courtly bow on being introduced
to the latter, and when she remarked
the beauty of the rose l wore in my
button-hole, I handed it to her saying
that it was a pity to mar her other
wise perfect appearance with even a
rose. I considered this at the time
fine compliment; now consider it full
some and bOyish.
She cast her eyes down saying that
she had been dancing very late for
several nights in succession and was
sadly in need of sleep. She could not
look well under these circumstances.
This explained why she had not been
awakened by my kisses.
1t had been said that the nature Of
woman is especially adapted to in
/ trigue. I can vouch for the fact that
| she is remarkable at deception. l am