Graham guardian., 1908-05-22
AN UNUSUAL
THING
By VIRGINIA LEILA VENT
Copyright, 1905, by Ruby Douglas 4
b1~oa1%2>3$D><Y%@<1>9<4<@S

| So<1@1%8%3Ss<$ <$a%.<4<1<&>
The truth about the whole matter
was that while Doris loved Jack she
didn't want to marry him yet. Free
dom spelled "fun"-travel, admirers
oh, in short, everything nice and ex-
citing! 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 a 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.
And Jack hadn't done anything un.
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, rlpened 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.
| tie Berkshire resort except Doris Dud-
lev 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;
Il don't believe you care for me at
all-or ever havew
"RealIy?" said Doris indlfferently.
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
foolr' he repeated, fiercely suppress
ing the expletive.
Goodness, no. Jackr' drawled the
mischievous Doris. "Not so bad as
thatp'
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,
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 daintily
after him as he far outdistanced her.
''T'hat's not the way I'm going. I'm
going down by the bridge. Want to
Gomez 1t CHANGED that ne did.
Now, the path to the bridge was
rather a pretty path, running through
a small wood, which in summer time
was full of shade and woodbine and
foXgloves and ferns. These had van
ished, 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 fimsy
side rail Of the bridge. With one hand
she held bunch of rutfly skirts, and
with her other she balanced herself on
the handle Of her sunshade.
isn't the purply haze on those hills
beautiful?' 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 d.
rectness he went straight to the spot:
"But what In thunder can chap like
me do, Doris, that would be 'unusualY
Pm a decent enough sort, reckon
good family, wholesome instincts and
all that, with enough money to live on
aud reasonable amount Of Industry
but as for doing anything unusual
pShaw!" he broke of irascibly.
Doris hummed an air from Little
Johnnie Jones" and gathered her skirt
frills bit closer. Apparently she
wasn't giving his recital the closest at
tention.
Jack ficked q beetle from the railing
and changed his tactics.
Isn't 1t enough for your purpose, lit
tie girl, TO be sure that love your 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
| length, 81 might write a book"
Doris glggled. Eyes. and dedicate 1t
TO me-" suggested she.
"ln what form-'To my Wife?" ask
cd Jack boldly.
Look" said she quickly, nodding her
head toward the opposite bank Of the
stream.
Jack looked. He saw slight. sinuous
movement among the high grasses Of
the margin, and then something slid
! suddenly into the water.
Pooh" said he, leaning against the
rail Oe tho bridns to look over ia yCBtar