The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-09-18
you about a picnic they're getting up


next week"
This latter argument an inspiration
of the moment, not altogether founded
upon the fact, proved irresistible. and
so 1t fell out that. punctunlly at $50
on the following day Jlm's rat-a-tat
sounded upon the Thompsons front
| door. I
Now May and Lucy were quite acA
| customed to the sound of double
knocks on n Sunday morning. 1t wns
| the sound with which certain chums
of Bertie's, the boys from next door
but one, were wont to present them
selves Mt the Thompson doorstep every
Sabbath with unfailing regularity.
Thus it was that. when Harrison.
admitted by the nlmble BERTHE, entered
the Thompsonlan domiclle neither
May nor Lucy was prepared for his ar
rival.
The two girls, as BERTHE had taken
care to ascertain were engaged, each
In her own way, in killing the time be-
tween breakfast and dressing for
church.
Lucy, who invariably INDUCED in
tea and toast In her bedroom, had
just emerged from that sanctum In
semicivilized attire, and when Har-
rson, at Bertle's instlgatlon. entered
the drawing room, an unexpected Wis
Ion met his gaze. '.'.-..,... -. ...,.
Lucy was seated at the piano, bang
Ing the keys with one hand. and with
the other maintaining steady COM
municatlon between her mouth ana a
box of chocolates, placed within con-
venlent reach. She was garbcd in an
old satin skirt no longer In lts prime,
| and Il much-befrllled dressing jacket.
that must have been coqucttlsh In Its
youth. but was now slightly solled. A
pair of pink satin shoes, no longer ir.
repronchablc. completed the costume.
Her pretty fluffy hair, with It's dis
tracing little poufs and curls. that
Jim considered the most adorable part
of Lucy, had suffered total eclipse
under Il mass of hnlr-curlcrs.
Jim, having no sisters of his own.
was unaccustomed TO this last plie-
nomenon. Who that has ever expe-
rienced 1t will readily forget the shock
produced upon delicate nervous or
ganlzatlon at the first glimpse of n
young and beautiful woman under the
influence of hair-curlers?
In ten second Jim Harrison suffered
all the tortures of terrible disillu-
sionment. Lucy, the child of his
dreams, winsome. delicate Lucy. with
her feathcry, golden curls and her
Dresden china dalntiness, faded from
his vision, and there remained very
ordinary young person in soiled
satin skirt and questionable shoes-a
young person with tip-tllted nose,
who devoured chocolates wholesale,
and owed her chief attraction 10 ex-
traneous causes commonly called
curling-plns.
without Il word and before Lucy
had had time to become conscious of
his presence, Harlson turned and
fled from the room.
Come and see May" whispered
Bcrtie.
mo, for heavens sakew cried the
| miserable Jim. 81 can't stand ary
more of this"
Nevertheless, sort of fearful fasci-
nation, wild desire to know the
worst, led him to follow the relentless
BERTHE down the sairs into the regions
devoted to culinary pursuits.
They found May in the kitchen, maxi
| ing Il Yorkshire pudding. Attlred in
Il pink cotton overall, the long sleeves
| or which were rolled back well above
| the dlmpled elbow, she vigorously
stirred the batter, pauslng every now
ana then to brush away certain rebel
ilous tears that threatened to mingle
with the pudding. Her heavy black
| hair was coiled, as he had always
seen 1t, in neat bralds around the
| shapely head. Jim remembered that
he mad sometimes considered the style
trlfie severe, and had even compared
the simple coils unfavorably with
Lucy's picturesque locks. At this mo-
ment he could not understand how he
had ever made such n mistake. The
thought of the curling-pins dlspelled
| the charm of the curls.
May, making batter pudding and
in tears! The combination was ire.
siatible. To Harrison the girl had
never seemed so beautiful as now.
Il glanced round the kitchen. Bertie,
bright youth! had disappeared. Jim
was alone with May and her pudding
and her tears.
|
"Tell me. darling" asked jim, ten
minutes later, ''why you were crying
when came in just now?"
II was thinking you were in love
with Lucy, and. and"
The rest of the sentence was whis.
pered to the second button Of Jim's
waistcoat.
why, you dear little goose, what on
earth could have put such an idea into
your head?'
At this juncture Jim. the shameless,
would most certainly have placed his
arm around the dear little goose's
waist, only 1t already happened to &C.