The Cairo bulletin., 1906-05-23
LITTLE VANS LUCK.
HE PROTECTED TALL MISS
>C0URLISS.
BY KENNETH HARRIS.

Van Spoden met her al Gurley's Sat.
urday-to Monday resort, as Gurley
friends called 1t. She was a magnlfi
cent young woman and she was stay
Ing for the summer with Mrs. Gurley
whose husband declared his intention
of giving every eligible bachelor of his
acquaintance chance.
Van Spoden was quite eligible and
he was a good fellow besides. Every
body admitted that Van was good
fellow. But late in the evening of his
arrival. when Mrs. Gurley asked the
tall Miss Courlss what she thought OF
him, that stately young peson laughed
and said: "Oh isn't he cunnlng!"
Van happened to hear that and he
was not pleased. He had rather adj
mired the young woman, but that set.
tied her with him. He knew he was
understood and not at all muscular.
but he did not care to be reminded
of 1t as general thing. He deter
mined to devote himself 10 the other
girls in The party, TO the entire ex-
clusion of Miss Courlss He did
try to.
He went away thinking about her
quite a little Not seriously, of course,
and for that matter he never expected
TO see her again. She came from
Columbus and would return to Column
bus, which interesting city Van had
no anticipation of yisting--and his
plans were made for the summer.
But when Gurley telephoned 10 him
at the Office and asked him 10 make
another visit he was conscious of an
unusual agitation of mind as he &C.
cepted Mrs. Gurley and Miss Cour'
liss were at the station awaiting
them. Miss Courliss wore a short
skirt and the sleeves of her blouse
were rolled up on her well-rounded
arms, so she was looking particular
ly athletic and handsome. Vans
heart failed him as he gaZed at her
She must have topped him by five
mics at least and her shoes, If the
soles were thick were not high heeled.
They rode together in the dickey
OF the cart. Van hesitated at first
on account of the small size OF the
seat. "Come on" she said. She had
already mounted nimbly to the dizzy
perch. calmly ignoring his proffered
assistance. Come on you're small"
Poor old Van!
There was another fellow at the
in particular He was
big, strapping. broadshouldered man |
and to see the two together--Miss .
C0urliss and him--was gall and worm.
wood to Van. They played tennis,
Van didn't; he wasn't much on out I
door sports, fishing excepted, so he
Just watched. What superb energy
she had! And what gracel
Van was rather unhappy ON that
visit. She was friendly enough, but
that other fellow took her out for n
row on the little lake in the evening
and they were much together the next
lay, too Still, the fellow was more
N less of chump and there was con.
ISOLATION in the way Miss Courliss
aughed at him.
III was on the thlrd VlSit that mat
ers came to a climax. That was a
more prolonged affair. and there were
10 other visitors. Van was not con
.eited in the least, but he did imagine
hat the young woman liked him.
is great thing and there
vas lots OF 1t that time. They walked
ogether and drove together, and she
aught him tennis and took him row.
ng They sat out on the veranda to-
ether and talked quite confidential.
Y. Van committed himself to a prom.
Sc to visit Columbus even. But
through 1t all the girl was so frank
nd direct, so free from anything
Ike feminine tinsdity-and so-oh
uch a magnificent creature. that Van
new It was utterly absurd to think