The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-02-21
where Maggie and Tom had planned

where Maggie and Tom had planned
to go. Katherine felt Il sudden whim
to see the pleasure ground or the
young people among whom she had
worked during the past week. She
would go to Ridley's park.
Away the car bowled. stopping now
and then. but less Frequently as the
suburbs were reached. And ii seemed
to Katherine that ut every stop more
Maggles and Toms scrambled aboard.
all with an air of golden anticipation
that she had never felt at prospect or
an automobile tour or garden party.
So absorbed was she in watching the
half holiday crowd that she did not
notice the attention she was attracting
from group of half tipsy youths who
had dubbed her 1.-THE queen" and were
daring each other to "pick mp the
peach"
At Ridleys park she felt oddly dizzy
with the confusion. Perhaps she had
worked bit too hard ut the Settle
ment house. Perhaps she had not eat
en- enough. At any rate. when they
reached the park entrance. and the
crowd showed her this way and that.
and the three youths clustered around
her and paid her loathsome compli-
ments, she wondered whether she
should faint or scream aloud. Sudden
" q man in uniform showed the leer-
ing youths aside and touched her ell
bow deferentially.
"Where do you want To go. miss?'
inquired the trolley inspector. for such
he was. e
Home. home" exclaimed the tired
voice.
"Car ON the third track" said the
inspector laconically. and he put her
aboard.
Once out Of the crowd. with the cool
ing west wind tanning her, face, Kathe-
rine felt better. She understood now
why Maggie felt that Tom-big, pro-
tecting Tom-had given the girl new
view of life.
1t must be dreadful to be alone and
unprotected in the world. Now. If Ar
mold had only been different. il he had
not been SO absorbed in business. Then
suddenly a feeling that had never come
to Katherine Morgan before obsessed
her. Had Arnold ever really neglected
her? Had he ever refused her his at
tendance save when she willfully
changed her mind or made childish de-
mands on his time? She remembered,
too, that her father said something
about a shaky market. possibilities Of
q panic, the need OF conservatism, etc.
They had all been meaningless terms
In her moment of anger, but now she
understood If Arnold meant to take
her "outen the factory" he must stand
in with his boss. too, and Arnold's boss
was "the street" Something bright
and round fell from Katherine's eye to
the gloved hand she raised hastily as n
SCREEN and then it appened-crashiIg
beams. cracking glass. shrieking wo-
men and grooming men.
When Katherine woke up she was in
Arnold Gresham's big touring car and
Arnold Gresham's face was very close
to hers.
"How did you get OFF," she inquired
DULY, feeling as if she had been chang
ed into Maggie Delany and Maggie's
Tom had come to the rescue.
Il went down to the Settlement house
for you, found you had left with one
girl, and another told me she had seen
you board the car for Ridley's park. 1
was just following you out-when 1
saw the collision and thought / might
be of some service to the injured.
Katherine, why in the world did you
go out like this alone"
Katherine laid her head contentedly
on Gresham's still trembling shoulder.
Because l needed to know that-L
could not get along without you. Ar
mold, dear. take me home"