The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1906-05-26
THE BLUE EYES
OF ETHEL.
! =.t
BY FRANK X. MELooN.


man, trust l can tolerate, and
even indulge in, moderate levity
at times. Ethel says | can and
she, if anyone does, shouldknoW.
For months before | met her at
the graduating reception Of my
class in college, / had heard Of her
as being "a mighty pretty girl"
Now if there was one thing which
| l then held in utter scorn, it was
a pretty girl. | carried Franklin's
saying Of handsome is that hand
some does" to the extreme-and
beyond, if | may be permitted the
expression, held that feminine
| plainness and virtue walked hand
in hand, and that no girl who was
pretty could also be fitted for the
pedestal on which my ideal was
raised. So you see Ethel Elweu
won no anti-acquaintance homage
from me on account of her being
acknowledged pretty.
At the reception, however, we
were forced into each others com
pany. Most of the fellows except
me happened to be either engaged
or head over heels in love and
there was prevalent opinion,
afterward learned, that the man
who had won the highest honors
in the class of 'O2 ought to have
some claim upon the belle of the
reception, which Ethel undoubted
ly was.
.Imade frank acknowledgment
to her at the outset.
GAS we are to be neighbors at
our summer houses up in the Old
Granite state this year, we ought
to be acquainted, but l promise
not to keep you from your con-
quest of hearts. You must on the
other hand, count me as an i'm
mune. l have never yet seen the
woman l could love, though l have
many friends among your sex. /
promise, then, not to fall in love
with you, and you Of course don't
have to say YOU won't fall in love
with me. That goes without say
ing. Now, let's be friends and
friends onlyv'
For the smallest fraction of
second the blue eyes of Ethel
looked into mine, and then
dropped shyly under their silken
fringes. Although, as l said, I am
serious minded man. | felt the
queerest sensation about my tenn.
pies l had ever konwn. 1t was
like being under fire for the first
time.
Ethel extended her hand, quite
the prettiest I have ever seen
small, white and delicate beyond
expression.
'Thank you,'' she exclaimed in
a low, frank voice Il am so tired
of the men who fall in love with
me, l tell you the simple truth
when l say you are the tirst-the
very tirst-who has promised to
be only friend. You can't think
how exceedingly refreshing it is:"'
As we adjourned to our sum
mer residences in Hudson the next
week, we saw much Of each other
after that. There was canoeing
on the liquid silver of. the Merri-
mack and there was golf among
the hills, which looked as if they
might have served us tees for the
Titans of old.
The last day came, the day when
I was forced to end my vacation.
Ethel and | sat in the twilight on
the veranda of ''River Rest as
the Elwell cottage was called.
We occupied opposite ends of the
same willow seat.
"And we're still friends,' said,
elatedly. ''Ethel'-I called her
that in the spirit of true comradc-
ship-''you can't tell how much
that means to me!w
Il did not suppose that the vale
dictorian of his class at college
would care for even the friendship
Of girl like me!' she answered
in such tone that | even began
to think Ethel might be serious,
though | had seldom seen her in
such a mood.
l steeled myself at the thought
that she might be playing with
me as she had played with others.
I resolved that the fish who had
escaped her net through sea
sons angling should not be draw n
into it's meshes at the close. re
solved to change the subject.
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