The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-07-11
THAT SWEETHEART OF NINE.

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couple, both approaching the mari
which the world unfeelingly call
middle age. Both were slightly in
clined TO embonpoint.
They were travelling between Lit
tie Rock and Fort Smith. She wa,
thinking busily of the number O
pounds of sugar necessary to a giver
number of baskets of cherries await
ing her house-wifely care, and he
well, his mind was concerned with
cherries, too, but they were cherries
in the blossom, the snowy boughs oi
the trees that had shaded a little vii.
lage lane.
Underneath the boughs stood a girl
and boy-how we'll he remembers
the face of the girl, the pink of her
cheeks, the blue in her eyes, the
brown of her hair, he could feel vet
the sting of that braid of hair as She
switched it roughly in his face when
he tried to steel kiss.
He stole side look at his wife's
plain, wholesome features, and sigh
ed. He even wondered why his
dream OF the cherry tree lane had
never come true-why he had lust
then the train slowed up at a little
side station and he became aware of
an unusual hustle on the platform
His wife said, with some little excite
ment in her voice:
John, l do believe theatrical
troupe is getting on here"
John dimly remembered that Flora
had always called him 'Jack" as he
answered 1azily:
"Well, my dear, what is it? There
is plenty of room, isn't there? I
don't see any immediate need for nv
being interested" and relapsed into
the region of past delights again
what a mischief Flora had BEEN"
He was rudely jolted back to the
present again by severe pinch from
Mrs. John.
everE erEQg sege gaseedanseSs gseedan e Sgsesake sT"h-d;d-----
"Eh-what did you say, Margaret? ?
Get up where?" and following the di-
rection of her. eyes he looked down
the aisle.
Ye gods, was he dreaming? 1t
was Flora, Flora in the flesh in fact,
more so than when they had last met
not quite the Flora of the cherry
tree, but Enthusiastically his early
sweetheart-thest star of barnstorm-
ing troupe.
She came up the aisle talking loud
ly to a detected looking individual
whom she addressed as Tommy"
Her dress was brown, and the feather
in her hat-a hat too large for travel
ling-was green as Brazilian par
rot's wing.
The pink was in her cheeks as in
the days of the cherry tree, but it
had a suggestion of premanency un-
like the fitting roses of fifteen years
ago, and her hair-surely Flora's was
brown, while the green parrots wing
shaded a volumious pompadour of
golden yellow.
John was not sure by this time
whether he was the most afraid she
wouldn't recognize him, or most hop
ed she wouldn' 't-but it mattered lit
tie, she did.
In moment she was bearing down
upon them like ship of Tarshish in
full sail and was shaking him warmly
by the hand and talking as only Flora
could do.
"Surely this is Jack Benton? /
couldn't be mistaken, though you
have grown a lot stouter since we
met. Don't you remember Flora
Marcy? If you don't, then man S
memory for an old sweetheart is a
pretty thin thing"
Poor John could feel Margaret stiff
fen at the last sentence, and groaning
in spirit he introduced his wife to
Miss Marcy whose volubility made
up for any awkwardness that Mrs.
Benton's manner might have caused.
''Jack and were old sweethearts
at Fort Smith. Lord, what larks we
used to have in the old days after
school and coming home from choir
practice. I never thought of going
on the stage in those days, but talent
will not be suppressed-and here ]
am. 1t looks like fate, Our meeting
like this, doesn't it?"
John shuffled nervously and cursed
fate inwardly and presently the chat
ter went on again.
"Where are you living? Still a
Fort Smith. Well, never our cir
cult closed fifteen miles from there
and I'm going to take holiday.
believe I'll just drop down on yol
folks for months change. If TIL
old place is as slow as it used to be, /
will make an elegant place to rest"
Benton looked beseechingly at hi
wife, but she appeared oblivious t
the fact that he was still on the fac
of the globe. He hesitated minut
and then, remembering the boy an
girl friendship he glanced at his wifi
and said defantly:
eve should be awfully pleased t
have you."
And Mrs. Benton astonished hir
by adding with suspicious friends
ness:
eyes, do come; we shall be pei
fectly delighted"
With more astuteness than her hu.
band would have given her credit fc
Mrs. B. had come to the conclusio
that a dose of an old sweetheart
when she is as impossible as Flora
is almost as good for a man as an o.
casional dose of rhubarb,