The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-25

a feat as that-Winnie weighed 100
pounds. or rather more with her winter
clothes on.
That was a good deal to see in few
folds and wrinkles OF n curtain. But
there wis even more coming.
The first scene in the shallow drama
seemed 10 draw other scenes after it.
cannot explain how the girl contrived to
see a head Of hair that most people
called red in the folds of a green chintz
curtain, but she did-she has since told
me all about the circumstances. The
red head belonged to Rob Curtis. TO
II and its redness Winnie attributed
their disagreement.
After that FIRST scene Of the rescue on
the ice. she saw another sconc In hor
own mothers parlor. There was Rob.
with his big shoulders ami Iis rcu heau.
como to see her while she was stiu SUI
fering from that terribly sprained an
kle. She was sitting I'm the long chair.
interestingly posed to receive visitors. as
an interesting girl with an Interesting
sprained ankle should be. was all
quite plain in the shadows OF the cur
tain The fire nickered and made Robs
red head push in through the door, and
with he red head came all the memory
Of Rob's rudeness.
Rob was a bo0r-that was what he
was, II he was strong and able 10 skate
a hundred yards with a full-grown girl
in his arms.
He pushed in and said. "Huh. Glad
to see It isn't serious"
Then she began. "Oh. yes. but II Is
serious. I want 10 thank YOU
Then he interrupted, you can thank
your lucky stars you didn't break your
neck. l told you not TO so skating with
those fool skates that wouldn't lock tight
10 your foot. and ! suppose you hal on
some Of your hnicking shoes made OF
thin kid. Huh"
An Of which turned her gratitude and
her admiration TO gall. She had never
seen such boor as this red-headed Rob
Curtis.
well. Mr. Curtis" she said. 81 meant
to thank you for carrying me OF the
ice. But il you're going to talk that
way. Ia better thank you in writing"
Then that clown simply said, "An
right Good bye. then" and took his red
head out OF the room.
When the pantomime OF the shadows
got to this point Winnies eyes grew dim
She couldn't see for some minutes and
yet she was not sleepy. She sat with q
lump in her hroat, thinking Of the iet-
ter or rather the very curt note she
had written and sent TO Rob that very
evening: "Mr Robert Curtis:-Dear
Sir-f have to thank you for carrying me
off the ice when I had fallen and could
not move. Everybody said IT was
very fine exploit. Yours truly, Winnie
Parker"
When the mist IN her eyes let her see
once more what the shadows were do
ing. they were representing a street
scene in early summer. The green on
the shade trees was fresh. unfaded by
tho sun. uHdlmmed BY the dust She
saw herself I'm her first summer fr0ck
Of the season, with her summer sun
shade and her fiowery summer hat. and
she saw that she made n pretty Orna-
ment for summer. Then came along a
pair OF broad shoulders and a grin. and
raised a straw hat to her. unc0verng a
red head The person belonging 10 the
shoulders. the grin. the hat and the
red head instead of going cody by
as she had expected. and as she thought
she wished. got right i'm her way. Then
the shadows showed herself bowling
with much dignity and steering her
course aside 20 avoid the braod should
ers-which she succeeded I'm doing.
As she watched the shadows go |
through this scene. she fancied she !
could hear some one grunt. "Huhr and |
then laugh very rudefv Which made !;
her angry, and more dimness came to |
her eyes TO drop a curtain on the shadow |
paniomine.
In this "entr'acte" she shut her eyes |
and did quite Il great deal OF refectipC /
She came very near blaming herself for .
being SO unforgivine. ard IT was then ;
that she recalled something her mother /
had said to her about that dead cut
on the sidewalk: Winnie considering /
how nice Mr. Curtis was to you last win [
ter | think you might have spared his
feelings a little. even II his manner Is
abrupt" To which she had answered. (
Il don't know that Mr.. Curtis possesses
any feelings. DO YOU tink he does?"
Sitting there. all by herself In the
freight. with only forty minutes Of the
Old Year left to her. she began to feel
4 little ashamed Of that smart answer
anyhow. she wished she had made some
different reply.
Certainly. she 1vas quickly coming 10
the conclusion thai She had made mis-
takes in the past year For one thing 7
{ had been a mistake to give so much /
Il her society OF two or three young
men on the condition. as she had made a
point OF telling them, that they kept |
That horrid Rob Curtis away from I
ler." In the New Years eve freight II
seemed so absurd TO call those dapper |
I,tle sparrows her "bodyguard." II Rob !
lad wanted to break through her |
'b0dyguard" he could easily have held |
wo Of them under hH two arms ana
brown the third away ike a cigarette
,utt. She felt vexed with herself al
most as much as with the boorish Curtis |
Perhaps. she thought. she might as
veil write him little polite New Years
tote.
She thought this over staring at the |
urtains, and the shadows moved again. |
wind was rising outside. and the win |
ow must have been imperfectly wealth
r-stripped. She could see That the cur
aims we're swaving gently AT The same !
lme. the fire flickered more and more.
he shadows danced.
The shadows. In fact. were dancing the
wo-step. OF course. II was the two-step
I the Fourth Of July picnic. She could |
ee her body guard" She could see
erseif dancing with one Of them. There
-. Il