The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-11-14
SUMNER SCHOOL :.

Tommy Darling-it was IhomaE
Hendrix Darling on the hotel register
was In love. Now, in waJ. this
was nothing unusual, for Thomas was
50 frequently, so variously aud 50 OBJ
viously in love that no one at the Sea
View House took him at all seriously.
In other words, Thomas was whole
sale tiFt who conducted his campaigns
so openly that had he sat in solitude
for an hour the ed Re summer con-
tingent upon the island would have
remarked upon the strangeness Of the
proceeding; not that such an event
was probable when there were twenty
seven attractive and tractable young
women at hand-that is, all were tract
able except one. Tommy frankly adj
mltted that he had been rejected by
tyrnty-six out Of tie twenty-seven, but
when urged to 80 ahead and make his
volume Of reflections complete he
turned strangely rctlcent.
No one would have believed the
truth-that the twcnty-seventh was the
real object of his ndoration-and that.
despite his vast experience IN this in
stance, he became oddly incapable of
utterlng the words that would put his
fate to test. With twenty-six Of the
"Sea Viewers" as he dubbed them, he
was brave to the point OF audacity.
and not one of the girls felt her heart
touched by the turn OF so much as
feathers weight; but with Janet Mars
den! All, that was different! She
might not take him seriously either.
Tommy really loved this quiet, self
contained girl. and his tongue STAN
mered and grew slow when he tried to
tell in all seriousness what he had
Outlines spoken in jest. In spite OF
his mercurial temperament Darling
was not n nirt in the common accepta-
ton of the word. beneath his Sayety
was hidden n strong, manly nature
that seldom manifested itself. Perhaps
all unconsciously he had shown this
better side to Janet, for he felt in
stinctlvely that hippancy in her pres
ence was a Dissertation of the love he
nurtured far below the surface.
The weeks sped by. Pretty girls
cameand pretty girls went. Moonlight
sails and rides gave way to hops ana
amateur theatricals on dark nights.
There were grabbing on the lake, clam
bukrs beyond the Point and picnics in
the woods across the inlet, and of all
these Tommy was tie life, the bright
and guiding star. But tomorrow it
would all end. Janet was going home.
Tommy gazed modify toward the
point Of rock around which she had
disappeared. Seven wasted weeks! lie
was an IDIOT, a.
Tommy kicked over a camp chair
that stood in his way and strobe down
the steps toward the beach. lie found
Janet with her new magazines perched
in shady. sandy corner
Your mother tells me you leave Tor
the mountains tomorrow. I'm tremen-
dously sorry you are going"
Tommy was digging holes with the
point of her parasol.
His voice was genuinely tender and
earnest The smile died on her lips,
and her eyes softened; but, after all.
his record was against him.
"Are you clever Mt hgures?" she In
quired.
She had the parasol now. and Tom
my followed what she wrote in the
sand: ,.y,>.. :, -aru
"27-2G=?
Like flash he reached for what had
now become Cupids weapon. Under
the question he wrote clearly "27-26=
everything"
"Thc others don't count. you know"
he added. looking out at the dancing
waves
VERY clever of YOU What time
you must have thinking up all these
pretty speeches. When do you have
time to sleep:" Her raIllery brought
flush to his checks, and he clasped
his hands resolutely about his knees.
ITO be honest, haven't slept much
lately I've had something on my
mind I've been trying TO find a way
to tell Il girl that | love her, but
can't make it. She's not u summer
girl YOU see, but the sort of girl one
would want winter and summer-ror
I'LL time His tiippancy had quite dis
appeared now. ANA Janet suddenly
shielded her face with her hand,
though the sun had not yet crept
round the rocky barrier behind them
''You see, no onr believes I've heart,
for I've let the girls play football with
1t till everybody thinks it's worn out,
but that was just counterfeit, don't
YOU see, ana | want this, girl TO un-
dcrstand that the real thing is all hers,
and | think II has been waiting for