The San Francisco call., 1905-01-17
= WITH TOMMY'S !:
:: HELP :.
BY EPES w. SARGENT,

performed some simple parlor magic,
and the boy, satisfied, turned his at
tention to- the window.
Are you afraid of the question 1
want to ask, and which means so much
to me?" he urged.
Il have not tried to avoid you." she
said biushing prettily. I'm sure I've
given you lot Of my time this sea-
son."
Yes" he agreed, ''but for months 1
have tried to tell you something, and
you have evaded me just as you are
trying to do now"
Il don't think this is evading you,"
she laughed. glancing down at the
broad shoulder so close to her own.
But this is the first time," he per-
sisted, and you couldn't help yourself.
You must have seen that
We're going over a big river!"
shouted Tommy gleefully. Look at
the boats.'
Betty took advantage of the diver
SION, and it was several minutes be-
fore Sutton could lead the talk back
into the proper channel.
we nave been friends for so long,"
he said finally. Won't you tell me
whether there is any possibility of my
ever
Going to STOP" announced Tommy
as the train slowed down for a station
Take me for walk"
Please do" she pleaded. "The poor
little follew gets so tired and restless"
Dutifully Sutton led the lad up and
down the platform until he saw the
conductor coming away from the tele-
graph window. Ten minutes more
We're wasted by the young torment in
recounting his experience to Betty
AT last he subsided, and once more
Sutton sought toi learn his fate. Don't
you know he pleaded, that 1 have
loved you ever since I've known you?
Can't you say one little word to give
me hope that some day"
Lemme your watch, demanded
Tommy. Sutton passed over the hand
some timepiece without word. If
ii would keep the boy busy, he did not
care what happened.
That some day he went on. II
may win you for my wife? L have
thought sometimes that 1 have been
so fortunate as to find favor in your
eyes, and then again L have"
Wheels" demanded Tommy hand
ing back the watch. With sudden
memory of what the back case con-
tained, Sutton explained to the boy
that the case did not open in the
back. Betty's face clouded 1t might
hurt the works to open the case in all
this dust, but still
Tommy had discovered the way to
make the hands go around by depress-
ing the stem, and he was happy again.
There have been times" continued
Sutton, when l have feared that
your avoidance of me was intentional,
and that you wanted to save me the
pain of refusal. No matter what your
answer may be, / want to know my
fate; to know whether / have any
chance to win the sweetest woman in
the world. Won't you tell me that
you do care for me-that you will"
Wind it up, commanded Tommy.
With visions of dreadful fates, any
one of which was too merciful for the
boy Sutton took the watch and held
l. to his ear. The works had stop
ped.
In desperation he showed the boy
how to depress a boss on the side and
make the repeater strike the hour and
minute, and Tommy beaming, went
back to the other seat.
Won't you give me an answer"
Sutton pleaded. Her eyes grew misty.
She wanted to answer, but somehow
she dreaded telling him on the car.
The same feeling that had led her to
parry his proposal, now impelled her
to temporize. 1t was Tommy who
solved the situation. The watch flew
from his hands and clattered to the
floor.
1T just jumped out of my hands"
explained the frightened boy as he
sid from the seat to pick it up. THE
backs broken Off he added in dis
may.
Sutton sprang for it. but the boy
was too quick for him. It's got pic
ture Bettys picture" he cried as he
turned the cap over. DO all watches
have pictures in them"
NO said Sutton shortly. swapping
the cap back on the case.
"Betty's has" persisted the boy
Tommy, you mustn't fb, she
cried, turning rosy red.
Yes, it has, he insisted, snatching