The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-23
THE INEVITABLE MAN.
By IzoIa Forester.

shows up, ana see where your triehu-
 ship will be. Pouf! Bing! Up in
 smoke"
 There have been men-"began Irene.
 loftily.
 T said the inevitable man." protest
 ed Jolly. "The man, the right and on-
 ly one. know there have been; wasn't
 I one of them last year? But, honest
 1t will Go me a world of good to see
 the right one come along, and have both of you girls fall in love with him l--your tastes are so similar, you know"
 He lodged the cushion that whizzed from the hammock in his direction dex- terously. And then see the tumble in girl loyalty. You won't speak to each
 other, and every time the other one | goes by with the inevitable man. the
 one that's frozen out will say. Cat" | Jolly, there Is limit you know. even to your Imagination" Dorothy
 Arnold rose from the hammock. and
 stood q moment, her arms upraised as she fastened in some refractory hair
 pins. They were pretty arms, plump. tanned and bare to the elbows. So was
 their own pretty. the very prettiest girl at Northern Lights, except one. and
 that one her closest friend, Irene Meth
 ersby.
 Lights to spend their Summer vacation | It was nearly a month since the two girls had come to the Inn at Northern
 The Lights" was not a fashionable
 resort, strictly speaking, Its guests and
 their doings were not chronicied in the
 Sunday papers, but to those who knew and loved it, 1t had beauties far be- yond Newport or Atlantic City. Perch-
 ed high on the pine-cresttd blur over looking the sea was the Inn. Winding
 woodland paths led to it fr3m the shore and back in the hills were trout brooks and deep giens. Long before the Inn and its satellite cottages had been there, the lighthouse had held its own upon the rocks of the bluff, and it was the light from Its lamps which had
 given the north point of ShAter Island It's name. Northern Lights.
 It was an odd summer rowd that
 filled the Inn--students resting, stu dents studying, people in search of
 peace above all, and yet, sbout these
 steady guests who came var in and
 year out, there played perpAually the transient, merry Summer butterflies who came year in and year put. there
 played perpetually the transint, merry
 Summer butterflies who came and went
 with the weekly steamer
 Jolly Allan was permanent fixture
 As son of the owner of Northein Lights at large, he occupied a privil Eed po-
 sition. But even with DorothFs dark
 eyes gazing at him in hauEhtt disap- RNON0Af hC 0tu HOb ICNFACk Qu6 WOfQ.
 Dust walt" he. said. "aI.st year he
 didn't come, but he will this tfne."
 Arm In arm the two girls walled Iei- surely down one of the cliff pats that led to the boat landing. Bots were tall. both slender and golden hafed as sisters, but Dorothy's eyes wers dark and grave, and Irene's were blue as the bluebells that grew in the rock cram piles at her feet. They were ccusins, and college mates as we'll. livery year only drew them nearer toeether and made their friends more surd and with all their little love affairs here | had never been a shadow of rivaffy.
 Half way down the blum tho path | made turn, and a rustic seat had seen | built there. Kneeling on 1t, the Arls | leaned their elbows on the back, and | watched the White Queen strsam | smoothly to the dock, and disemlArk | her usual quota of city deserters.
 It was sunset. and the sea lay sIent | and rippleless. stained crimson and | purple from the suns rays. Most of the | passengers were taking the main road up to the Inn. Only one figure came toward them figure in gray flannel, | and as he came. he whistled. The girls watched him idly. dtsinterestedly, with out moving from their position { Men were common at the "Lights,"j even men In gray flannels who whistled But | as he came up the path, and faced them | at the turn. they realized that this man | was different It wasn't anything spe- ctal about him, he was merely alstrap- ping. healthy youngstsr, clean eyed, clean ,shaven, with lips ready to whis- tie or smile, and brown hair that way ed above his tanned forehead But it was the quick, frankly astonished look In his eyes that disarmed them, as he glanced From one face to the other, look that spoke volumes. but volumes with double dedication.
 'Is this the right way to the Inn?" he asked.
 Dorothy did not answer. After that first long look in the strangers eyes, Ihe had looked out at the crimson sea, rene flushed slowly. and pointed up he path.
 Tt is up there where the gray tow ITS are" she said, and he lifted his gray travelling cap and went on but he did lot whistle.
 For few minutes neither girl spoke. Then Irene sighed. half to herself, and Tipped her arm around her cousins waist.
 Dolly wouldn't it be odd if he were he one? You know what Jolly said he inevitable man" And Dorothy pushed back her hair 'tth quick, half impatient gesture. s she turned from the sea
 Tt is late,' she said. "Yes. 1t Tould be odd if he were--the one"
 As Jolly said a week later he was ,. all right. And gradually, JoIIy's mile deepened, and he went about with I is hands in his wbite duck pockets caring a mystical look of wisdom be- ond mortal ken, for his prophecy was fl oming true. b Dudley Graham was the strangers E anne Jolly exulted in It. II eauIdn'f h ave been better. And when, after a I of a nunlimited "wad" to U pot. and a disposition to scatter 1t, fi olly's admiration changed to respect, " nd he hoped Dudley's choice would U III on Dorothy, because for himself p 0 always had preferred blue eyes s, But Dudley apparently had no choice. ti he cousins were the prettiest girls at g le Lights" Therefore he made love 1 e both of them with absolute impar- ] d ality. And he was an artist at love si aking. No ordinary piazza incoming. lk ? woodland srolls but at daybreak = hen all the world lay in a bridal veil : pearl and shrdl he would take the ( rls out for a sail, or send them up reat clusters of forest flowers to say pod morning for him.
 which one? asked Jolly, and every le at the Lights" echoed the ques- on. Perhaps no one thought it often
 than the girls themselves. Gradually ley drew apart. There was no open iarrel nothing to gossip over, but all le old sweet comradeship was broken, Id except when Dudley was with them ley walked and lived alone.
 To Dorothy 1t was a wonderful thing, is strange new love. something not
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