The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-03-29
AN UNUSUAL
THING
By VIRGINIA LEILA VENT

dlAAis Want 70 marry Nun YET ffet-
dom spelled ''rinv-rayel. admirers
oh, IN short. everything nice ANA ex.
citingi She simply couldn't bear the
thought of settling down"
And Jack WINS 50 ardent 70 boylshly
impetuous, thar She must pdrforce keep.
him at arms length or al NebM be-
over. Therefore her pi9iAsst % giv.
him strulght n,isws when Ne dId
some unusaai thing vas merely u sub
terfuge TO gam time. which Sue had EN-.
ployed at the beginning OF the summer.
And now the summer and the last
rose Of Il had flown. II was October.
And Jack hadn't done anything un.
usual yetNnothlng but be his nice.
dear wholesome self The October
days were fun 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
TENDER frosts to mellow autumn
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. II
was Jacks custom, since he had been
obliged TO return 10 town, to run down
on Saturdays and spend Sunday with
them,
This particular Sunday morning Dor
Is and he We're crossing the sloping
meadows, plowlng through the tangle
of withered sedge and brown grass.
when, Jack suddenly broke out bitterly:
II don't believe you care for me al
all-or ever haves"
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
checks and multitude of little curls
blowing In her eyes.
why are you SO provoking. dear?
You've all but given your promise. aud
lyct you, keep putting me of and lead:
ing me along as Il Irwere a pet animal
with no viii of It's own. Well. I'm "a
a fooim he repeated. Hereby suppress
ing the .eSptetite.
Goodness. no, Jack" drawled the
mischieyous. Doris: Mot so bad as
tlfat.' =
Jack cooled a bit and renewed his
| pleadings.
| But do be reasonable, Doris. II you
don't intend TO throw me over, tell me
when your give me positive answer,
and
When you do some unusual thing,
you know" interjected she sweetly,
blowing the curIs out OF her eyes
Jack. who had been carrying his hat,
shipped 1t on his head with an excla-
nation OF disgust He was certainly
vexed and took very long strides.
Hello. jack called Doris daintily
after him as lie far outdistanced her.
That's not the way I'm going. I'm
going down by the bridge. Want to
Gomez II CHANGED that he did.
Now, the path to the bridge was
rather pretty path, running through
small wood. which In summer time
was full Of shade and woodbine and
foxgloves and ferns. These had van
ished, but the glory OF the wood, the
stream, remained.
Spanning the stream was the bridge
| It was tiny aud not particularly serv-
iceable. with gingefbready treiliswors
at the side for the tickling OF unartis.
tic tastes. -a.t sf
Lets rest here suggested. Doris,
sitting down onifortably on the fiirnsy
side rail of the bridge With one hand
she held a bunch OF rutiy skirts. and
with her other. she balanced herself on
the handle Of her sunshade.
Isn't the pArnly hazeson those hills
beautiful? reniarked she POLITICALLY.
1t was only some belated cricket for.
gotten by July. that chirped an appreci.
alive reply 10 this poetic observation.
As TO Jack, he was silent for few mo-
ments; then with coarse, masculine di.
rectness lie went straight to the spot:
But what in thunder can a chan like
me do, Doris, that would be unusual =
I'm a decent enough sort, l 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!" lie broke OF lrasclbly.
Doris hummed an air from Little
Johnnie Jones" and gathered her skirt
frtils bit closer. Apparently she
wasn't giving his recital the closest at
tention.
Jack fiicked beetle from the railing
and changed his tactics.
isn't 1t enough for your purpose. lit
tie girl. to be sure that l love your he
asked.
Doris shot lightning glance at her
big lover from under her dark lashes.
Still she said musingly, Il should
like you to do some unusual thing"
Jack passed one hand over his swarthy
brow and took a hurried review of his
resources.
Possibly" observed, he oddly at
length, Il might write a book,
Doris giggled. Eyes. and dedicate II
to me- suggested she.
an what form-'To my wiferr ask.
ed Jack boldly.
...T.ookf' said she quickly. noddIng her
head toward the opposite bank Of the
stream.
Jack looked. He saw slight, sinuous
movement among the high grasses OF
the margin, and then something slid
suddenly into the water