Graham guardian., 1908-05-22
AN UNUSUAL
THING
BY VIRGINIA LEILA VENT
Copyright, 1905, by Ruby Douglas

| WIS tudt WulIe DoEio ioNeu JdCh sub
didn't want to marry him vet. Free
dom spelled "fun"-travel, admirers
oh, in short, everything nice and ex-
citingl she simply couldn't bear the
thought Of SETTLING down"
And Jack was SO ardent, so boyishly
Impetuous, that she must perforce keep
! him at arms length or all would be
over. Therefore her promise to give
him q straight answer when he did
some unusual thing was merely sub
terfuge to gain time, which she had EN-.
ployed at the beginning of the summer.
And now the summer and the last
rose of it had flown. 1t was October.
usual yet-nothing but be his nice,
dear, wholesome self The October
! days were full of elixir, and the tread
| of beauty was on the hills and the
| fields of grass and fodder, ripened by
| August suns and tanned by early Sep.
| tember frosts to mellow autumn
bronze.
With the passing Of summer almost
all the boarders had left the pretty lit
lie Berkshire resort except Doris Dud.
ley and her invalid mother, who were
to remain there some weeks longer. II
was Jacks custom, since he had been
obliged to return to town, to run down
on Saturdays and spend Sunday with
them.
This particular Sunday morning Dor
is and he were crossing the slOping
meadows, plowing through the tangle
of withered sedge and brown grass,
when Jack suddenly broke out bitterly:
81 don't believe you care for me at
all--or ever hayer'
"Really" said Doris indifferently.
She rested her white sunshade far back
over her shoulder and looked dreamily
across the meadows to the purple hills
beyond, but there were dimples In her
cheeks and q multitude Of little curls
blowing in her eyes.
'Why are you so provoking, dear?
You've all but given your promise, and
yet you keep putting me off and lead
ing me along as If l were pet animal
with no will of Its own. Well, I'm a.
foolw he repeated, fiercely suppress
ing the expletive.
Goodness, no, Jackr' drawled the
mischievous Doris. "Not so bad as
thatw
Jack cooled bit and renewed his |
pleadings.
But do be reasonable, Doris. If you !
don't intend to throw me over, tell me |
when you'll give me positive answer,
and"--
when you do some unusual thing, |
you know" interjected she sweetly, |
blowing the curls out of her eyes.
Jack, who had been carrying his hat. |
slapped it on his head with an excla- |
nation Of disgust. He was certainly |
vexed and took very long strides.
Hello, Jackr called Doris dalntily |
after him as he far outdistanced her. |
"Thats not the way Pm going. I'm
going down by the lhhat hhsatftfifReuuIY ife uuf4. Want to
Now, the path to the bridge was
rather pretty path, running through |
a small wood, which in summer time |
was full of shade and woodbine and
foxgloves and ferns. These had van
tshed, but the glory Of the wood, the
stream, remained.
Spanning the stream was the bridge.
1t was tiny and not particularly serv-
iccable, with gingerbready trelliswork
at the side for the tickling of unartis-
tic tastes.
Lets rest here" suggested Doris
sitting down comfortably ON the fiimsy
side rail of the bridge. With one hand
she held q bunch of rutt1y skirts, and
with her other she balanced herself on
the handle Of her sunshade
Isn't the purply haze on those hills
beautifully" remarked she POLITICALLY.
1t was only some belated cricket, for
gotten by July, that chirped an appreci-
atiye reply to this poetic observation.
AS 10 Jack. he was silent for few mo-
ments; then with coarse, masculine di.
rectness he went straight to the spot |
But what in thunder can chap like
me do, Doris, that would be unusual?
I'm a decent enough sort, l reckon
good family, wholesome instincts and
all that, with enough money to live on
and reasonable amount Of industry
but as for doing anything unusual
he broke of irascibly.
Doris hummed an air from Little
Johnnie Jones" and gathered her skirt
frll!s bit closer. Apparently she
wasn't giving his recital the closest at
tention.
Jack fiicked beetle from the railing
aud changed his tactics.
Isn't 1t enough for your purpose, 1T
tic GIRL to be sure that love you?" he
asked.
Doris shot lightning glance at her
big lover from under her dark lashes.
STILL" she said musIngly, Il should
like you to do some unusual thing"
Jack passed one hand over his swarthy
brow and took hurried review of his
resources.
Possibly" observed he oddly at
ength. 81 might write book"
Doris glggled. Yes. and dedicate it
o me" suggested she,
"In what form-'To my Wifep" ask.
ID Jack boldly.
"Look!" said she quickly, nodding her I
read toward the opposite bank of the
stream.
Jack looked, He saw slight, sinuous
among the high grasses Of
he margin, and then something slid
into the water I
Pooh" said he, leaning against the
ail Of the bridge to look over. "a water
at"
Doris swung q dainty russell shoe n
,it beyond the edges Of her rutfies
"No." she said, sorrowfully contemplat
L.. IL u