Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-05-26

Aoh oNAOSS W nnlu avenue ana
climbed into a bus going uptown. At
the Seventy-second street entrance
Johnnie left the bus and plunged into
the park. The impish gods who de-
light In turning upside down the best
aid plans of mice and men were work.
ing overtime tonight. They arranged
it that a girl covering among the wet
bushes bordering an unfrequented
path heard the "Hi-yi-yi" of Arizo-
ma and gave a faint cry for help. That
call reached Johnnie and brought him
on the run.
A man beside the girl jumped up
with a snarl, gun in hand.
But the Runt had caught a sight of
Kitty. A file Of fixed bayonets could
not have kept him from trying to res
u her. He dived through the brush
like a football tackler.
A gun barked. The little man did
not even know 1t. He and the thug
went down together, rolled over,
clawed furiously at each other, and
got to their feet simultaneously. But
the cowpuncher held the gun now.
The crook glared at him for a moment,
and bolted for the safety of the
bushes in wild flight.
Johnnie fred once, then forgot all
about the private little war he had
started. For his arms were full Of a
sobbing Kitty, who chung to him while
she wept and talked and exclaimed all
in a breath.
II knew you'd come, Johnnie. l
knew you would-you or Clay. They
left me here with him while they got
away from the police. Oh, I've
been so scared. I didn't know-I
thought"
as all right. s all right, LII girl.
Don't you cry, Kitty. Me N Clay
won't let EN- hurt you none. We sure
won't"
She nestled closer, and Johnnie's
heart lost a beat. He had become
aware of a dull pain in the shoulder
and of something wet trickling down
his shoulder. But what is one little
bullet in your geography when the
sweetest girl in the world is in your
arms?
II amt nothin' but a hammered
down LII haysed of a cowpuncher," he
told her, his voice trembling, "an'
you're awful pretty an'-an'@'
A flag of color futtered to her soft
cheeks. The silken lashes fell shyly.
81 think you're fine and dandy, the
bravest man that ever was"
"Do you-fgure you could? IL
I don't reckon you could ever"
He stopped, abashed. To him this
sent charm. All the beauty and vital
ity Of her youth called to him. 1t
seemed to Johnnie that God spoke
through her. Which is another way
of saying that ne was in love with her.
She made a rustling little stir in his
arms and lifted a flushed face very
tender and appealing. In the darkness
her lips slowly turned to his.
Johnnie chose that inOpportune mo-
ment to get sick al the stomach.
"T-I'm goin' to faint" he an
nounced, and did.
When he returned to his %love-story
.Iohnnie's head was in Kitty'S lap and
a mounted policeman was In the fore
ground of the scene. His ace was
vet from the mist Of fine rain falling.
Don't move. Some one vent for d
car h whispered, bending oyer him
so that flying tendrils of her n.ti,
brushed his cheek. Are you-badiy
hurt?'
He snorted. "Tm a false alarm.
Nothin' a-tall. he jes' creased me-"
you're so brave" she cried, ad.
miringly.
He had never been told this before.
He suspected 1t was not true, but to
hear her say 1t was mamma to his hun
CRY soul.
The cab stopped at the house of a
doctor and the shoulder was dressed
The doctor made one ~pardonable mis-
take.
Get your wife to give you this
sleeping powder if you find you can't
Sleep" he said.
"Y'betcha." answered Johnnie cheer
fully.
Kitty looked at him reproachfully
and blushed. She scolded him about 1t
after they reached the apartment
where they lived.
Her new fiance defended himself.
Hes only a day or two prema-ehure,
honey. 1t wasn't hardly worth while
explainin'," he claimed.
"a day or two. Oh, Johnnie"
"Sure. / amt gonna wait. What's
the matter with tomorrow"
II haven't any clothes made" she
evaded, and added by way of diver
sion. 81 always liked that kinda gold
en- down on your cheeks"
"The stores are full of 'em. An we
amt talkin' about my whiskers-not
right now"
you're a nice old thing" she whis-
pered, flashing into unexpected dim
pies, and she rewarded him for his
~nicenesS In q Way he thought alto