The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-06-30

ability to help him II he needed help;
he would tell me nothing What an
unmitigated fool 1 had been l had
missed chance to learn all about her
and might never get another.
AT least, tell me her name" l
said finally in desperation.
"Miss Norwood-Ethel Norwood.
Whydo you want to know her name?"
'Oh, nothing" said Indifferent
ly. IT suppose she goes down town
to meet somebody, doesn't she?''
eyes
Her brother, l suppose?"
Hasn't any brother"
had gone too far to back out.
"Who does she go to meet then ~
"She goes to walk home with her
sister, who studies at the Art Insti-
tute. And now I should like verv
much to know if Miss Norwood has
aroused your interest merely through
her being All acquaintance of mine.
That conclusion is fattering, but
doubtful"
To walk home with her sister In
a sudden burst of joyful confidence l
told Jim what had been going on in
side of me for the last month. used
extravagant language to describe my
state of mind l colored every trivial
incident to produce the rose-co1ored
effect Of romance.
We had reached goth street, and
stopped on the corner where Our ways
divided. looked at Baxter, and saw
that he was as amazed as I had been
a few moments before.
"That's why 1 wanted to hear your
story, and also why l didn't hear If
because I've lost the little head 1
ever had over your Miss Norwood, =
And so it's you p exclaimed Jim.
''Well, 1 never -
You seem to enjoy being mysteri-
ous," replied, annoyed at another
such remark from him. rs that
90 siI1I walk along with you. | sup
node YOU ought to know" We turn,
"a Grto 2oth street. "What tal2|
you before wss slsA1ssy sl1is Ethel
Norwood is the most ungrateful girl
in the world. We've always known
each other, went to school together in
the beginning, and all that. l never
cared for any other girl. Well, last
summer she told me that she was en-
gagged to Tom Camp. Know him?
Ea 1;xyac -, POcfo,, o%d x,;e;+ad e,,,,,x,
people here last spring. If there ever
was william in these common place
times, he is one. l told Ethel so, and
she dared me to prove it. l was in
college with him, and I proved some
thing about him even to her satisfac-
ton. She broke her engagement,
and told me she never could be CRATE
full enough to me. She continued to
treat me as though I were the one
thing necessary to her happiness, un-
til I became convinced that I had
only to declare myself to receive my
reward for saving her from that fell
low. spoke last night, and she
turned me down without asking for
time to consider, even. Said she 1ik-
ed me, though, and thought we were
just good friends"
I tried TO feel sorry for Jim and
say something appropriate, but I
couldn't think of anything.
"But the worst of it was that when
I asked her if there was any one else,
she said, We'll, no not exactly, aud
then she went on and told me that
she was very much ashamed of her
self, but she believed she was half in
love with some one she didn't even
know. Saw him every day and look
ed forward to meeting him in the
avenue, and thought about him, and
lot of that sort of stuff l was dis
gusted and told her so, and that the
fellow was probably some one not
worthy of tying her shoes. She said
she wasn't afraid as long as she had
me to rescue her. Then 1 left, feel
ing pretty sore. And now it turns
out to be you, and you tell me the
same thing"
My feelings were indescribable.
There's only one thing for you to
do-be good fellow, Jim," I said.
"Well, 1 won't do it," said Jim,
emphatically.
Every well just as you feel about
it. We probably have other mutual
acquaintances," / replied, noncha-
lantly. "You, being an old family
friend, could so easily take me to call,
but of course you don't wont to-"
"Oh, l suppose I'll have to,
groaned Baxter. "She'd make me
anyway, on some pretext or other,
and after seeing us together"
With this ungracious consent / was
satisfied. Inside of week had met
her. If 1 had thought her charming
on the street, 1 found her, in her own
home, utterly bewitching. l am
waiting for a decent and reasonable
length of time to elapse before telling
her what she can see if she isn't
blind. I am not blind, either, and
| yet l try to remember how mistaken
| Jim was about her feeling for him,
and not let myself be too sure.
am sure, though, that she never
looked at Baxter the way she looks at
me, sometimes, when l meet her on
the avenue and turn to walk back
with her.
THE WORST that can happen to us