The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1907-05-18
DAILY SHORT STORY
BASHFUL JAMES
BY Harry VI. Bitner.

DAOAtE I ~ oh4uEsc
BY Harry VI. Bitner.
James had often admired her
pretty blue eyes, the dimples in
her cheeks. and the trim little fig
ure; but he never had felt the
thrill of hope concerning her SO
strongly before the night that
Mrs. Bates was i'll, and Alice took
her place at serving the boarders
Mrs. Bates always made it a point
TO wait on her boarders herself,
and when the spring brought
rheumatism to her, Alice, who
worked In the big department
store downtown, volunteered to
take the work upon herself. With
her pretty arms uncovered to the
elbows, her face flushed from the
hurried trips to and from the
kitchen, she seemed the incarna-
ton of all that was best in the
world to James. Now James help
ed with the big presses in a news
paper office, and he was only one
of dozen young men who ate in
stolid silence in the morning, and
made feeble attempts at testing
and hilarity during dinner.
James always had liked Alice,
but the girl was as changeable in
her moods as an April day, and,
besides there were many young
men who thought as James did.
Old Man Riggs, a church jani-
tor, whose fund of anecdote was
as startling as It was entertain
Ing, had notified James particu-
larly. Once the young man con-
fessed his feelings TO him. Where
upon the battle-scarred veteran re-
piled:
MY boy, you've just got TO
rush In and carry her eff. It's
easy enough. Take her for stroll
in the park and look at the lake
until the moon comes up. When
you walk home, pop the question.
Do 1t quick and grab her, and
don't give her time to get her
breath to answer. What you need,
my boy, is more haste. You've
almost lost your nerve over this
already"
SO James made up his mind.
They took the walk In the twi-
llght and watched the moon as n
! rose in the clear sky and sank IN
the trembling lake. Alice gurgled
with glee at all the sights. When
she saw James wearing a serious
race, she laughed at him and he
was afraid to ask the great cues.
ton.
thus 1t went on, and summe,
came to the city and the shor
girl began to look thinner and
was less agreeable at the table
Alice had dark rings under hel
eyes, and sometimes she would
answer questions with an exas.
perated petulance that James
could not, for the life of him, I'M.
derstand. The situation madden,
ed him.
One morning he got UP earlier
imam usual and walked with Alic,
to the street car. The sun hat
not yet had time to send dowr
burning rays, and damp coolnes,
was in the air. 1t seemed n,
though something OF great Dor
tent was about to happen. Blu
the two took their seats with I'M
concern. James was not equal e
the task of keeping up a CONVEX
sation, and Alice seemed to hay,
lost some of her own good humor
me car sped toward the crowde,
downtown district with an ex
asperating rattle; they crossed tn
bridge and took the curve be
yond; and then came the crash.
The elderly woman across tn
way had screamed. A blindini
. sense of calamity had been fol
lowed by flying glass, splinterin
wood, and the unwonton bumpinl
underneath, as the car had lef
: the tracks. James suddenly real
J. lied that his arms were claspe,
!, tightly around palpitatin,
breast, and that a mouth, clos,
) TO his, was gasping. Before tn,
car stopped, and the conducto
had called out, "All right; no on,
hurt!" Alice had been kissed
. passionately, not once, but a doz
en- times, on mouth and eyes anf
: nose. James held her tightly: &
/ new sense of possession sang II
his ears as his blood throbbed IL
his veins.
Alice, Alice" he whispered n
the din, "Alice, love you-trul,
| DOLL play fair with you"
They carried out the two faint.
ing women and the men began t.
} Joke about the accident. The pai,
! ! in the corner was almost un,
, noticed. Alice kept her heat
down, but her hand clasped hi.
: arm.
:: alice, tell me-" he whispered
4 won't you take me?"
Centuries of silence seemed e
follow, to James, although Their,
Q was noise and confusion enough
|. Then:
I ITO think-that you'd-pro
. pose in a-trolley carl"
The heart of James gave a 10Y
full leap. Her head was raised
!. and as she kissed him there, full
on the mouth, unheeding of al
! the others, she smiled through he,
tears and said,