Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-07-26
AN UNUSUAL
THING
BY VIRGINIA LEILA WENTz
Copyright, 1905. BY Ruby Douglas

x
The truth about the whole matter
was that while Doris loved Jack she
didn't want to marry him yet Free
dom spelled stun" travel, admirers
oh, in short, everything nice and ex-
citing! She simply couldn't bear the
thought of settling down.
And Jack was so ardent, so boyishly
impetuous, that she must perforce keep
him at arms length OF all would be
over Therefore her promise to give
him straight answer when be did
some unusual thing" was merely sub
terfuge to gain time, which she had en-
Bloyed at the beginning of the summer.
And now the summer and the last
rose of it had flown. 1t was October.
And Jack hadn't done anything I'M
usual yet-nothing but be his nice,
dear, wholesome self! The October
days were full of elixir, and the tread
of beauty was on the hills and the
fields of grass and fodder, ripened by
August suns and tanned by early Sep
t6luDtL lIOSlS w q ACAON etuSuAAAA-
bronze.
With the passing Of summer almost
all the boarders had left the pretty lit
tie Berkshire resort except Doris Dud-
ley and her invalid mother, who were
to remain there some weeks longer. 1t
was Jacks custom, since he had been
obliged to return to town, to run down
on Saturdays and spend Sunday with
them
This particular Sunday morning Dor
is and he were crossing the sloping
meadows, blowing through the tangle
Of withered sedge and brown grass,
when Jack suddenly broke out bitterly:
Il don't believe you care for me at
all-or ever havev'
Really" said Doris indifferently
She rested her white sunshade far back
over her shoulder and looked dreamily
across the meadows to the purple hills
beyond, but there were dimples In her
cheeks and multitude Of little curls
blowing in her eyes,
sWhy are you so provoking dearI
You've all but given your promise, ana
yet you keep putting me off and lead
ing me along as If were pet animal
with no will of its own. Well, I'm a.
a foolr' he repeated, fiercely suppress
ing the expletive.
Goodness, no, Jackv' drawled the
mischievous Doris. mot SO bad as
thatr'
Jack cooled bit and renewed his
pleadings.
'sBut do be reasonable. Doris. If you
don't intend to throw me over, tell me
when you'll give me positive answer,
and
when you do some unusual thing,
you know, interjected she sweetly,
blowing the curls out Of her eyes.
Jack, who had been carrying his hat,
slapped it on his head with an excla-
nation of disgust. He was certainly
vexed and took very long strides.
Hello, Jackr' called Doris daintily
after him as he far outdistanced her.
'That's not the way I'm going. I'm
going down by the bridge. Want to
comeY' 1t CHANGED that he did.
Now, the path to the bridge was
rather a pretty path, running through
a small wood, which in summer time
was full of shade and woodbine and
foxgIoyes and ferns. These had van
ished, but the glory Of the wood, the
stream, rem8ina3.
Spanning tke sream was the bridge
It was tiny and not particularly serv-
iceable, with gingerbready trelliswork
at the side for the tickling Of unartis-
tic tastes.
Lets rest here" suggested Doris,
sitting down comfortably on the flimsy
side rail of the bridge. With one hand
she held bunch of ruf1y skirts, and
with her other she balanced herself on
the handle of her sunshade.
isn't the purpIy haze on those hills
beautiful" remarked she POLITICALLY.
It was only some belated cricket; for
gotten by July, that chirped an appreci-
alive reply to this poetic observation.
AS to Jack, he was silent for few mo-
ments; then with coarse, masculine d.
rectness he went straight to the spot:
"But what in thunder can chap like
me do Doris, that would be .unusual?'
I'm a decent enough sort, reckon
good family, wholesome instincts and
all that, with enough money to live on
and a reasonable amount of industry
but as for doing anything unusual
pshaw!'' he broke of irascibly.
Doris hummed an air from Little
Johnnie JONES' and gathered her skirt
frills bit closer. Apparently she
wasn't giving his recital the closest at
tention.
Jack hicked beetle from the railing
and changed bis tactics.
isn't it enough for your purpose, lit
tie girl, to be sure that /. love your" he
asked
Doris shot a lightning glance at her
big lover from under her dark lashes
sStill,s she said musingly, 4 should
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