Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-06-23

perVerSe 10 knoW WHAT was best for
them. Johnnie suddenly slapped him.
self a whack on the thigh. A bril-.
liant idea had flashed into his Grant.
um. 1t proceeded to grow until he
was like to burst with it.
When Lindsay rose from breakfast
he was m~ysteriously beckoned into
another room. Johnnie outlined
sketchily and with a good deal of hes.
itation what he had in mind. Claws
eyes danced with that spark of mis-.
chief his friends had learned to recog.
nize as a danger signal.
you're some sure-enough wizard,
Johnnie" he admitted. 81 expect
you're right about girls not KNOWN
their own minds. You've had more
experience with women than l have.
If you say the proper thing to do is
TO abduct Miss Whitford and take her
with us, why"
"Onct in a while you got to play like
you're gonna treat 'em rough" said
Mr.. Green sagely, blushing a trife
nevertheless.
"AIl right. I'll let you engineer this
if l can make up my mind to 1t after
I've milled it over. 1 can see you
know what you're doin'."
The conspirators arranged details.
Johnnie was the brains of the kidnap-
ing. Clay bought the tickets and was
to take charge of the prisoner after
the train was reached. They decided
it would be best to get a stateroom for
the girl.
1--WE wantta make it as easy as we
can for her" said Johnnie. 90 course
it's all for her own good, but we don't
figure to treat her nOways but like the
princess she is"
"Yes," agreed Clay humbly.
According to program, carefully ar.
ranged by Johnnie, Beatrice rode down
TO the train with him and Kitty in
their taxicab. She went on board for
the final good-by and chatted with
them in their section.
The chief conspirator was as easy
as a toad in a hot skillet. Now that
it had come down to the actual bust
ness of taking this young woman with
them against her will, he began to
weaken. His heart acted very strange
ly, but he had to go through with 1t.
"C-can l see you a minute in the next
car, Miss Beatrice?" he asked, his
voice quavering.
Miss Whitford lifted her eyebrows,
but otherwise expressed no surprise.
Certainly, Johnnie"
He led the way down the aisle into
the next sleeper and stopped at one
of the staterooms. Shakily he opened
the door and stood aside for her to
pass first.
"You want me to go in here?" she
asked.
"Yes'm."
Beatrice stepped in. Johnnie fol.
lowed.
Clay rose from the lounge and said,
"Glad to see you, Miss Whitford."
"Did you bring me here to say good
by. Johnnie?" asked Beatrice.
The Runt's tongue stuck to the ROOT
of his mouth. His eyes appealed dumb
ly to Clay.
"Better explain to Miss Whitford,"
said Clay, passing the buck.
'It's for yore good, Miss Beatrice"
stammered the villain who had brought
her. "We-we-I-I done brought you
here to travel home with u.s."
"You-wnat?"
Before her slender, outraged dignity
Johnnie wilted. "Kitty, she-she can
chaperoon you. It's all right, ma'am.
I-we-I didn't go for to do nothin'
that wasn't proper. We thought"
"You mean that you brought me
here expecting me to go along with
you-without my consent-without a
trunk-without-"
Clay took charge of the kidnapping.
johnnie, if I were you I'd light a
shuck back to the other car. 1 see III
have to treat this lady rough as you
advised"
Johnnie wanted to expostulate, to
deny that he had ever given such
counsel, to advise an abandonment OF
the whole project. But his nerve IN
expectedly failed him. He glanced at
clay n neQ.
He was called upon the carpet i'm
mediately on joining Kitty.
what are you up to, Johnnie? I'm
not going to have you make a goose
Of yourself if I can help it. And
where's Mr.. Lindsay? You said heO
meet us here"
"Clay, he's in the next car"
"YOu took Miss Beatrice in there TO
say good-by to himT"
"No-she-she's goin' along with
u.s."
"Going along with us? What do you
mean, Johnnie Green?"
He told her his story, not at all
cheerfully. His bold plan looked very
different now from what it had Two
days before.
Kitty rose with decision. swell, OF
oil fhn foolichnacc 7 ouor baor6 IOhQs