Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-03-06
Young Harrington laughed, the short,
cynical laugh of dislllusloned twenty

cynical laugh of dislllusioned twenty
three.
In his ears rang the warning of a,
man quite two years older than him
self.
Don't you get let In for making a
fool Of yourself over that girl. Very
pretty, very charming, but she's an alb
solutely hardened flirt!li,.l III tell you
the kind Of thing she'llhdo- encorrage
fellow up to the top Of his bent, say
he may call, fix day even, and then,
when he turns up she's out, IL you
please. and he's left to have tea with
that leggy tomboy of sister"
Young Harrington had not bean I'm.
pleased with this report.
Morton. the fellow" In question, was
scarcely man one would wish i.encour
aged" by Hazel; he had probably
brought the significant slight upon him
self. But Ted Harrington, without un-
due concelt, had hoped for a very
different sort of reception.
But now-l
He glanced at the clock.
at Is an hour and half" he OBJ
served lcily, "after the time your sister
said she would be at home However.
1t doesn't matter in the least. Will Won
say good-by to her for me? 1 shall be
going back North tomorrow"
He rose and held out his hand.
MISUNDERSTANDING in the North? ~
inquired the Flapper, as it were with a
feyerlsh interest.
Was the girl making fun of him?
"Newcastle," he answered CURLY.
"Oh, yes, they take Goals there. or
something, don't they?" responded the
Flapper, with an odd, hysterlcal sound.
ing tremble in her voice.
Yes. She was laughing at him. She
was in this arranged scheme to make n
fool of him.
"Good-by," he said, without looking
at her. II have to get back now-to-
to pack"
"I'll come with you to the gate"
gasped the Flapper hurriedly. 81 mean
I'll show you the short cut through the
orchard. Wait one second while / tie
uD my DOOl ihGt------
She stopped with one Of her coltfsh.
angular movements.
'.Let me do It," suggested young,Har-
rington, icily polite.
"Oh, mol" protested the Flapper. Her
name of hair fell forward over her
hands, II can do 1t. I want to tie the
knot my sailor-cousin showed me-" She
fumbled busily. ''There!"
AS she rose young Harrington took a
step forward to the door, stumbled, and
almost fell.
"What-"
"oh!" exclaimed the Flapper, in ac-
cents of despair. 81 am so frlghtfully
sorry. D'you see what I've done? I've
been and tied your bootlace to mine, by
mistake"
Young Harrington realized, as never
before IN his life. the absolute futllity
Of human speech.
The Flapper bent again and fumbled.
"Can't you do it?" demanded young
Harrington. almost savagely.
Its very hard" painted the girl,
raising flushed face. "fts what my
sailor-cousin called "a true-lover's KNOT
and seem to have lost the trick of it."
''This'll do it." he said, and, with
glance of purpose, brought out a bust
ness-like looking pocket knife.
The Flapper gave little scream and
clutched 1t.
"Oh, mol" she demonstrated excited
~. mot that! I'm very superstl-
tious," she explained. "And to cut
bootlace means-means a murder in
the housed"
"oh, does it7" he growled. 81 al
most wish"
"What?"
II almost wish you weren't superstl-
tious, OF course" he said desperately.
Would the girl keep him in this ride
ulous position until dinner timer He
chafed. Worst Of all, was Hazel to
come in and find him still here7 IT.
eas gnbsarable| Fer what seemed