The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-01-09
Love and Tight Shoes.

Miss Pendleton said to Brownlow
as they left the house: You needn't
speak to me again, for I shall not
answer YOU"
Brownlow said: THAT would
hardly be polite, would it? I re-
member that in my infancy I was
admonished to speak when I was
spoken to, come when I was called,
,shut the door after me'-and some
thing else which rhymed, but which
I have forgotten. was told that was
manners Now, You wouldn't like
me to think that you had no manners,
would you?"
ct is a matter of perfect indiffer-
ence to me what you
She bit her lip and did not COM
plete the sentence.
"You were saying"
Miss Pendleton did not answer.
Brownlow looked at her and smiled.
81 don't want to obtTude my society
on YOU" he said. IF for the moment
you would rather be without me I
could so back, you know. Or" he
added, "I might walk behind you a
few paces-say, twelve feet. That
strikes me as a respectful distance.
Which shall it be-"
He stopped, as if to fall back.
".I won't have you following me-"
she said in icy tones. IF you wish to
leave me you are at liberty to do so.
] suppose I can go alone. It will look
strange, but I don't suppose you will
care for that"
"We1l, won't it look strange If you
don't speak to me? 1t would look as
il you had quarreled with me. Be-
sides, as I said before, it would hard
ly be polite"
81 shall treat you precisely as I
would any other gentleman while we
are there. After that I don't wish to
see yod."
Surely, I am to escort you homer"
II said after that After this
evening, if you prefer it."
But I don't prefer it."
Whether you prefer it or not, I
prefer Infinitely. And in the
meantime I wish to be excused from
conversation with you"
Miss Pendleton turned to look
down the car track.
J "It's coming now" said Brown
| low.
AS the car stopped Brownlow laid
lis hand upon her arm. Wait" he
laid in a quick, businesslike way.
"Do we take an Oakwoods or a Jack
BON Park carr"
She glared at him for an instant,
but his face showed innocent doubt
and only that.
jackson Park" she snapped.
SPhilopena!" said Brownlow. 81
1At>a this is all right"
He helped her aboard, and as he
did so he noticed what particularly
trim shoes she was wearing. Well,
she was a particularly trim young
person. He could not help feeling
proud Of her, although it was all over
between them.
81 find these street car signs very
entertaining" he observed, when
they had been seated a minute or
two. 1t was a summer car and they
had to occupy a seat together.
There was no response to this.
She looked at a passing automo-
bile as If she fancied she recognized
one OF the occupants. Brownlow
looked at her ave5ted face, and it
seemed to him thai a sort of spasm
of pain crossed it. He wondered if
that inconsiderate remark he had
made an hour before could have hurt
her much. He had apologized for it,
though he had not thought it any
thing serious; but now he felt actual
~ repentant.
Miss Pendleton stole a sidelong
glance at him and then bent over
with a rapid movement and did some
thing to her shoes. Brownlow ap-
parently took no notice of the move
ment. Presently he sighed and
turned toward her. She averted her
head. He kept IN signing at inter-
walls Of half a minute. She refused
to look around. He gave it up at
last and rose and went back to the
rear platform. He was gone three
Or four minutes. When he returned
Miss Pendleton looked very much
disturbed.
What is the NATTER" he asked.
This time Miss P%endleton spoke.
"I'ye lost my SHOE" she said, with
forced calmness. ut was a little un-
comfortable and I slipped it off for
a moment OF two, and II think it
has fallen out of the car"
Brownlow was silent for a moment
or two as he considered the awful
situation. Then his face cleared.
"Wnat size shoe was it?" he asked,
suddenly, and she was surprised into
saying that it was three and one-half.
"Then here's where I get off," he
said, rising. You go on around the