Bridgeton pioneer., 1906-08-23
.Gerald's
"&~ By....
" e IZOLA
FORESTER
Copyright, 1905, by Ruby Douglas

RrOQPTlCh oN uLS OAl tuC f.OO CA
nress. walked quickly up the steps
leading from the railroad platform and
took his first look at Pineville. Those
who lived in Pineville proper were con-
font to call it Pineville. Gerald had
written that they did not live in Pine
vile proper, but in Pineville-by-the-S Sea,
otherwise Pineville improper.
All that Brederick saw were pines,
plenty of them, fiat white ribbon Of
roadway and bit of postoff1ce,
roughly shingled, in the midst Of the
nearest clump Of pines. He stepped
into the postoffice as the central spot
of civilization. Some one was stamp
ing letters behind the glass inclosure,
girl with smooth dark hair. Beatrice
had smooth dark hair.
He watched the girl stamping letters
with interest and wondered why some
one did not tell her to wear her smooth
dark hair in two soft braids around her
head, crown fashion, as Beatrice did.
"Where do the Vaughans live,
please?' he asked finally, when the
stamping ceased.
"The Vaughans? Oh, Mr.. Gerald
Vaughan and his wife? It's q brown
house down near the shore, with
wide veranda and funny roof. About
mile straight down the road"
A wide veranda and a funny roof.
That sounded like Gerald. He won
dered how Gerald's wife liked it. Bea-
trice was artistic, but not artistically
eccentric She had horror of things
odd, bizarre, so called bohemian, and
yet she had married Gerald. And Ger.
AIDS brother knew that Gerald was
utterly odd, bizarre and bohemian, so
called.
ribboned roadway and wondered
whether he would find her like the
girls Gerald had always admired. A
lithesome, limp, blessed damozel type,
with close silky gowns and loose floppy
hair. Last summer she had not been
that type. He thought of the trim girl
figure holding the rudder of the Water
Lily that last day. She had been more
than the sort of girl to fall in love
with. She had been a good fellow,
stanch friend. And as he watched her
he had stopped rowing, and they had
drifted slowly in the sunset glow that
flooded the lake while he told her.
There had been no actual engage
ment. He had nothing to reproach her
with. He had not been in position to
ask her to be his wife then, but he had
thought girl like Beatrice had meant
more by kiss, a hand clasp, few
vague words of understanding, than
other girls. He had thought she might
wait until next summer. And now, in
April, he had returned to New York
to learn that Gerald was in disgrace,
had married on nothing, eloped to Pine
ville-by-the N. c., and his wife
was Beatrice Stafford.
Geralds mother had said they were
penniless. Gerald's father had remark
ed that he didn't give a rap. They
could exist upon love and art.
More or less for Beatrice's sake and
a little for Gerald's, Gerald's brother
had taken it upon himself to visit the
bridal couple and help Gerald. Smoth-
ering his own love, he had made up his
mind that as long as Beatrice had
married a Vaughan she should not suf-
fer from it.
There was no bell at the door Of the
little brown house with the funny roof.
1t was merely a bungalow in weather.
ed shingles, and he pounded on the
door Justify until it opened and Bea-
trice stood before him.
She was not the blessed damozel
type yet. Her smooth dark hair was
wound about her head in just the same
crown fashion, and she wore a short
dark blue linen skirt and white shirt
waist. The sleeves were rolled to her
elbows, and from her finger tips to ell
bow dimples there was -four sprinkled.
He had not expected to see her face
to face so soon or alone. Neither had
he expected her to act as she did. The
color rose in her cheeks, tipping even
her ears with pink. 1t was an old hab-
it. He remembered it.
Il thought you were in London" she
said.
"YOu don't give fellow very de-
cent welcome after he's Travelled from
London to this wilderness to say con-
gratulations."
He stepped into the hall after her.
She hesitated and laughed, looking at
her Toured hands.
Il can't shake hands with you, and.
and the biscuits are in the oven. 1
shall have to watch them. Do you
mind coming out to the kitchen?"
He didn't mind. There appeared to
be only three rooms-the studio-sitting
room. the dining room and the kitchen.
Collapsible ready-in-a-m minute studio di-
vans were in the sitting room and din
Ing room in lieu of bedrooms. 1t was
all charmingly, most uncomfortably
odd, bizarre and bohemian.
Where's Gerald?" he asked when he
had found chair in the kitchen.
Beatrice knelt beside the stove to
look at the biscuit. He could not see
her face
He went to the postoffice for the
A