The Forrest City times., 1906-01-12
THAT SOAP
 ORDEAL
By JEAN COURTENAY


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 He gave her no time to demur. The | tall, soidierTy figure disappeared into the refreshment tent. and quickly emerged again, carrying two plates of strawberries and cream.
 The girl waiting under the grateful | shade of an acacia watched him cross with reckless rapidity the smoothly shaven lawn, now tnlchly dotted with small tables, bearing discarded ice plates and coffee cups. while rain- bowhGed crowd sadntered about in twos and threes, eriticisins with mer- | clless frankness the hostess, her gar | den party and her guests.
 Tt was really awfuily nice of you to want second help, said the man. confdentially, for was longing for one myself. and unless you led the way couldn't follow
 He flashed a palr Of keen. merry blue eyes beneath the giris wide brimmed hat. and received q sympa. thetic smile.
 "Yoa don't often follow, should say, remarked she be5ween# two deli- cious Esouthfels.
 That depends on circumstances. ?. said he. You must be a born leader of men" he added. frankly.
 well. honor bright. l Was a born leader of boys" she said Al home when l was long-hairea, short frocked harum -searum girl running wild with five brothe7s.n
 ''Tba accounts for il" he remarked. enigmatically.
 There was a short silence
 Please, I've lost the scent" mur- mured the girl plaintiyeiy. at last May l ask if you refer To the wild ness as the thing that accounts 9 7"
 Not entirely" he replied, laughing but il was the five brothers that were the making of you
 Tn what way?7 efled sae. in evident surprise.
 They kept you from-oh. the usual girls nonsense he explained, lamely You have the makings of good fel- low in you. and precious few girls have that" he added, bluntly.
 The girl turned a pair of lovely in eredulous eyes upon him
 Well, all I can say Is, Ii those boys kept me. free from anything q all, they did 1t in blissful unconscious ness,' she said Whereas I worked like Trojan to drag them into all the mischief they ought to have rushed into of tbeir. own acoordfa
 T can fancy you doing it," Ee mur- mured wiekedly.
 T did my best till they went to school and trusted there would be some one there who would carry on the good work" she said. without taking any notice of his remark
 And was theTe?' he inquired with dancing eyes.
 There was. There was a splendid fellow there, chap who hated milk sops as much as l did. and did his best to make their lives miserable. He was descended from a long line of fighters; his brain was teeming With tales Gf heroism and warlike courage. He was only waiting till the time came when he could seize the first chance that might offer to go out and do or die for his country. Meanwhile. he trained his muscles and drilled boys.
 Did you ever see him?' asked the man.
 'No, never. But wormed everything about him out of the boys, and made him my own special hero
 Did you know his name?" Ee asked hesitatingly.
 No. The boys said his name was a jawbreaker. so they always called him Mac, which was shortened form of his Christian name, and that's all | know"
 "I fancy l knew him. too, said the man, slowly. But if so. he was no hero. Was he. big. eoarse-Iooking chap. with sandy hair and tfeckles O.
 He was tall and well-made," she replied Certainly not coarse-look- ing. He had fair hair, fancy, from what the boys said
 The chap 1 mean used 10 practice sword play with an iron lath from his bedstead. and"
 He did!" cried the girl. eagerly. "An iron lath and a cake of soap. He must have been grand!"
 He was an ignorant bulIy." said the man. savagely.
 He was nothing of the sort re- piled the girl, indignantly. "A bully is always coward, and no coward would have dared to slice that soap in two with one swift blow from the iron lath, when it rested on a boys head. Her look was triumphant.
 And supposing he had mlssed?o he said, sternly.
 He never did''
 But he might. He was bulIy.9
 You are quite welcome to keep your opinion" remarked the girl, loftIlv- but you cannot alter mine"
 And what was your brothers ?p
 'Weil-of course at the time. they were pgejudieed. suppose. with their unfortunate temperament. it was in- evitable." She sighed One Of them