Evening journal., 1908-12-18
Pas sing the
Rapids.
IOriginaLl


ball age. At fourteen to fifteen most
boys begin to consider costume. COM
mencing with their cravats. This in
terest develops till at seventeen all
their clothes must be especially to
their liking. At this time. too. they
usually begin to take notice of girls.
have always considered that young
men are made or marred by the mar
riage they make. a wife with plenty
OF common sense is great help to a
man; frivolous. empty headed one
may be his ruin. | therefore began TO
watch my son, Harry. as soon as he
arrived at the girl noticing age with
all a mothers solcitude. / confess.
however, that was led to do so by
discovery. When about to send one of
his suits out to be ironed | emptied
his pockets. From the left upper vest
pocket l took out a piece of blue rib
bon.
! received a shock not less intense
than that experienced by n woman on
discovering a letter to her husband
from a rival though not Of the sane
nature. That my boy had entered the
rapids had proof positive. Would he
be swamped. or would he sail into
snug harbor? Did the ribbon indicate
q real case, or was it merely sporadic?
My friend. Ruth Pennington, had a
daughter, Grace. fifteen years old
Mrs. Pennington and I had often
90 !. "a 4
be if my Harry and her Grace should
make a match OF course we did not
seriously expect it. Matches between
the children of old friends seldom come
about We simply would have liked it.
Ruth came in willie ! was meditating
over the discovery Of the ribbon. She
remarked that I looked Ike Robinson
Crusoe when he first saw a footprint
In the sand told her all, and we
talked the matter over Unfortunately
we got to discussing a case wherein
the son OF friend OF ours had mar
rled a chorus girl, then had gone to bis
mother and asked her TO help him &c,
rid OF his wife. This was followed by
citing n case wherein the daughter OF
an acquaintance had run away with O
coachman. BY the time our interview
ended we had worked ourselves into @
state Of dreadful pessimism.
am ashamed TO confess that aftei
this l searched Harry's pockets at in
tervals for clews. l made but one dis
covery. but it was enOugh-a LITTLE
lock of hair, ring formed, folded in Z
bit Of paper. I was so frightened a
this portentous sign that ! resolved e
so to Harry and demand the name o
the creature who was doubtless lead
ing him into a trap. But after dul
thought / decided that It would not d
for me TO admit that l had gained
knowledge Of his treasure surreptl
tiously. Besides, such affairs thrive ol
opposition So kept the secret.
One day Ruth Pennington came I
me to tell me that she was having tn
same trouble with Grace that l wa
having with Harry. She had caugh
- Grace standing before the fireplac
looking at a card photograph. AS th
r. mother entered Grace turned red as
=. rose and threw the photograph into th
/ fire. where it was burned before th
p. mother could get a glimpse Of the fac
D.. Nothing could induce the child to te
who was the original Of the likeness.
Il only wish 1t was Harry's,' / sal,
d" "No such luck" Ruth replied. "Sh
- and Harry seldom see each other. an
, when | once twltted Grace about hll
d she said he was horrid."
le For an hour we discussed differeI
% plans. Ruth considered taking Grac
abroad and putting her at school Their
E but the plan was impracticable.
thought of sending Harry to n distar
boarding school. but he was to ente
college the next year. and it would 1
a pity to break in upon his preparator
course.
After this Ruth and I were used
comparing notes frequently. She coul
not discover any more clews in Il
case Of her daughter. but ! came upo
them often In the case Of my son. Rut
and ! agreed that our sex was mol
adept in concealing such matters tina
men. However. nothing definite o
Cured in either case. and at last "
began to be lulled to a better feeling.
One day Ruth came 10 me in hlg
state Of excitement and told me thI
she had discovered a bundle Of 10y
letters In Grace's possession. But the
gave her no information as to the ide
tity Of the lover, for they were q
written on a type machine and u
signed. "Who would suspect such Gu
ming in those so yOungT said Rut
"But ] fear the man may be mu'
older than Grace Oh. heavens, su
pose she has been fascinated by &
actor! / told her that we should sail
one week for Europe. She turned pal
shall watch her carefully lest 81
elope with him"
Two days after this. when I went
Harrys room to call him. as usual.
/ was terrified not to find him there, n
had his bed been slept in. l rush'
over to Ruth Pennington to tell her
my trouble and found her in the san
condition rs myself Her little bir
too. had flown. Then we looked
= each other. something dawning on 4
|, face of each.
"I wonderi" gasped.
4 "And I wonder tooV' gasped Ruth.
"Could they have
"Could theyT
.