The San Francisco call., 1904-12-08


advised.
wish she'd worry a bit about me,
remarked Herbert gloomily. But she
won't. She doesn't care a snap for me,
or she'd have given me a chance to ex-
plain
Jimmie gave a summoning howl from
the hail.
Say, Mrs. Brentley'll drive off an
leave You folks if you don't get move
on you"
The laggards, with fusillade Of good
advice directed toward Herbert, took
their hurried departure. but that young
gentleman had already pulled time
table from his pocket and was studying
1t in much despondency of spirit. A
whoop from his -effervescent nephew
startled him.
Look, Uncle Bert, what 1 found!" A
battered horseshoe was held triumph
antly aloft in a grimy little hand.
That's for good luck, every time. Nail
II uo over the door, will you? Mann
mail be awful glad to have 1t there.
She had one nailed up in our house
In town. Here's the hammer"
Herbert Barrows, the friend of chill
dren in general and of this small
nephew in particular, rose obediently.
Look out for those pictures!' eau
toned Jimmy.
They were ranged along the wall
preparatory TO hanging etchings,
passepartoNs, aquarellas and one long
Venetian mirror.
Jimmy" sighed the uncle of that
estimable small boy. IF your advice
were only as valuable as it is frequent
what an admirable young person
you'd be 10 have for a constant COM
panion. Halo. Great Scott Look
out there.
Too late! Leaning forward from
the stepladder to fasten the horse
shoe in the direct center of the cas-
ing over the door, the fiutter of blue
gown on the porch had caught his
eye. And as the wearer stepped
lightly over the threshold the nerv-
BUSINESS engendered by his sudden rec
ognition caused the bit of battered
iron to fly from his fingers. For one
horrlf1ed instant he hardly dared
look. Then he saw it had only grazed
the arm of the girl entering and, de-
tecting, had crashed into the gleam-
ing recesses of the Venetian mirror.
oh, what bad luck!" she cried, re-
garding the shattered fragments.
But my horseshoe would have
Wrought good luck Aunt Viva, if he
hadn't let it fall, protested Jimmy in
dignanly.
I'm so sorry" apologized Herbert
in low voice. Il was unpardonably
awkward.
The girl. exquisiteIy attired, young
apd graceful, glanced from one to the
other, then at the broken looking
glass. She sank down on a rattan d.
van and burst into helpless laughter.
It's too absurd. The idea of break
ing mirror with a horseshoe. What
a combination of good and bad luck"
For the time being she had forgot
ten the popularity of her present re-
lations with the cuIprit
It's all his fault sturdily insisted
Jimmy, picking up his treasured pos
session. My, won't mamma give it
t0 you, Uncle Bert, when she finds out
you've broken Miss Sibley's mirror"
Some of the pink bloom went out
of Miss Grants face.
Did Laura Sibley give Minna-
give your mother-that, jimmy
Her voice sounded so cold Jimmy
looked quickly up in intuitive interro-
Yes-7last Christmas, Why, Aunt
Viva ~
oh = nothing!" returned Viva
Grant
A strange, swift suspicion shot
through the mind of Herbert Bar
rows. He leaned forward eagerly
Thoughts, recollectionS were crowd
ing UP in bewildering succession.
''Vivia-tell mel" he half pleaded
half commanded. WAS it because of
my-my attention to Miss Sibley at
the commencement dance that you
sent me back my ring? Frank Len
nard was away that night and he
feared Laura would feel lonely. So,
as we both had belonged to the same
fraternity-'
Frank Lennard." Viva exclaimed.
You don't mean to say
why, of course! 1 suppose you
knew they are to be married In Oc-
tcber, dearest. What's that-you're
hurt ?"
A thin red line showed through the
pale, transparent stuff of her sleeve.
He had pushed the material up in an
instant and was binding the slight
wound by his handkerchief.
It's only scratch, Bert" She was
laughing tri6e Historically. We've
we've both been-at least I've
been-awfully foolish,''
Jimmy" said Barrows. I'll give
you SO cents If you'll take that broken
glass out and throw it in the ditch
"Betcher life!' responded Jimmy.
He loaded basket and started off.
ITO think that a broken mirror
should bring" the girl was saying.
Hello. Jimmy! Back so soon?
Here's your half" Herbert dipped the
one hand at liberty into his pocket.
He brought out dollar. Say he
| bargained 'I'll give you all of this if
you stay out and watch-sentry fash
ion-like soldier, you know, that no
one takes that glass out Of the ditch"
will II" replied Jimmy. Put it
here. l knew my horseshoe would
bring me lucki'
The face against Herbert's shoul-
der was lifted mischievously.
1T is good luck, Bert?" she ques-
tened quizzically.
The best in the world he de-
dared emphatically. He concluded
his sentence with a~fover's period.
"Gee" said Jimmy softly looking
back over his shoulder. Gee!
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