The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-11-06

Poor SWIM she said to herself. 81 |
believe that l love you best. but Jerry
Is stronger than you"
Jerry looked very strong at that mo-
ment and even a tribe sullen. Miss
Sherbrooke began to wish he would
smile. She wanted TO see the adorable
change that smile always brought TO
his face.
Tickets. ple-e-easer'
The conductor was swinging down
along the footboard. and Miss Sher-
brooke discovered, with shock OF dis
may. that the twenty-five cent piece she
held ready was plugged. She had moth
| Ing else but her lucky penny and a five
dollar bill She knew there was moth
| ing else. though she felt again with
| quiet desperation.
The lucky penny was an ordinary five
cent piece with a small gold on one
side. A boy had thrown IL to her on a
SNOWFALL one dark night long ago as
/ she was crying at her nursery window.
| She had never forgotten his CHEEKY
shout:
Keep it till you want something aw-
fully bad"
She might give the S.. For an in
slant she thought she would and risk
a loud toned parley. And then Jerry
moved a little.
Miss Sherbrooke seized her penny and
| thrust IL into the box in an agony of
trepidation.
She saw her penny disappear without
compunction and was only glad that
the man did not see the gold letter. She
was blankly unconscious that the keen
eyes beside her had seen IL with quick
recognition.
"St. Catherinel Change cars cas- an
wes'r'
There were movement and hustle on
the front seat, and an enormously fat
old woman stood up and dislodged two
sleeping children. Clutching the youn-
ger by the arm. she signaled the re-
treating conductor and in doing so
lurched down upon Jerry.
And then Miss Sherbrooke saw a
change come over Jerry's face with a
vengeance and heard four electrifying
swear words. Her face and her heart
hardened fiercely. She had fine taste
in swear words. and this outrageous
travesty was objectionable.
"And to a woman she said to her.
self. Jerry Danberry. that is enough"
But more was to come very soon. A
wave Of people swept forward and up
on the footboard. A humpback dress
maker girl jammed fast against Jerry
at the entrance and strove to pass with
her parcel. There was room, and to
spare, on the inside. but the poor little
soul never reached ii.
The deliberate resistance of Jerry's
legs and the threat of his half closed
eyes were too much for her. and she
dropped back among the crowd and
made room for stronger climbers.
The car ran down into the town and
soon reached the low Craig street cross
ing Some people crowded out Of the
front seat, and a man climbed slowly
into their place.
Miss Sherbrooke's face barely hid q
: passion OF welcome and relief. What a
fool she had been 10 compare them.
Fancy Swim speaking so to woman!
And she laughed in her heart as she
watched him drop solidly In front OF
his rival.
her. with the old deprecatory droop oi
the mouth and the brown eyes that hid
z half their challenge. and Miss Sher
|. brooke surrendered at discretion.
But there was no challenge hiding
! there now. Ii was plain that he did
not see her or even notice Jerry there
before him. and Jerry's face was coolly
contemptuous.
How white Swim looked and how
] tired. He had been playing too long In
! the sun again. As she watched him h'
leaned slowly outward to the shallow
support OF the side rail and restet
against 1t inertly. The conducto
swung up his box and waited, but h,
did not move.
Tickets, pleasew the man said agaiI
shortly. The brown eyes stared at hin
with an odd, helpless look. and Mis-
Sherbrooke grew seriously frightened
4 He had surely had a. sunstroke o
] something. and Jerry was not stirrinl
to help him. Indeed. ii was only to
plain that Jerry was rejoicing at hi
condition.
The conductor grew importunate an,
spoke loudly, and at last Swim sal,
something inaudible.
Cant find one:" the man exclaimed
smiling. IAN right. I'll come bacl
again then"
The car stopped, and In the hot 81
lence a woman's voice sounded clearly
Il thought they were always quarrel
some or noisy"
And a mans laughing undertone an
swered:
"He is too far gone to be either"
Miss Sherbrooke gave one despairin
look at the faces about her. and he
1 own turned as white as her ribbon Tn
truth had come on her like a thunder
bolt. Swim was drunk She did nc
move. nor did she faint. as the ma
n beside her half expected, but set he
re teeth and sat watching the pitiful sigh
before her. The conductor came bac
er and shook him. and at last Swim turne
b. his head slowly.
nj "Put I'm cents" said the man
d. A puzzled frown went over tn
m smooth forehead. but the right han
ne went mechanically to its pocket.
Five cents or a ticket" The han
IT, reappeared with a miscellaneous hans
ie full and among II a bit of blue pape
fir Slowly and painfully. as though
he were moving in a dream. Swim single
n this out from the rest and held II ou
he Miss Sherbrooke recognized II at
D. glance, and she knew that Jerry d
he the same. 1t was an amateur blue priI
I'M of herself. The conductor put it baC
In with grin and selected cents apol
We getically. And then Miss Sherbrool