The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-08-22

ION. DEAR, I CAN Susr Bxz IT BaRmKT
months before she had not had Jim's
preferences 80 clearly In mind, but
three menths In New York had altered
Joys standpoint.
She choked back the tears they lay
10 near the surface now w-and@opened .
book. but her thoughts would wander
back TO the up country" which she
had left. not content to settle down In
the village school or In village home
either, for that matter--after gradu.
ating from a normal college.
Twenty. third streetw called the
conductor.
Joy looked forlornly out Into the
early wet darkness and gave sudden
exclamation.
A car from the West Twenty-thlrd
street ferry had disgorged crowd OF
transfers that were making d rush for
her cur. These the conductor met by
tho monotonous command, "Iet 'em
off-let 'em off!''
The crowd paused. held In check by
q young matt with general appear
ance Of sqnareness. His shoulders
were square. SO were his tlfm lower
jaw and his tanned forehead,
Az 10 his dealings. Joy could testify
that they also were square. too square
sometimes In that he had taken her al
her word and for three dreary months
remained silent.
"0h." she exclaimed, ''it's Jlm!''
Fortunately neither the large man
nor the son OF Hungary understood the
English language or the language Of
tones or they would have suspected
that Klondike had suddenly been
rolled TO the feet OF the damp little
public school substitute between them.
Impulsively she struggled to her feet
under the impression that she was 60
ing to meet jim and as impulsively sat
down again. remembering that she
could moi. Would he see herr She
waited breathlessly, with parted lips.
when he entered.
In looking for seat his eyes travel.
ed straight past the now trembling IT.
tle substitute without seeing her. Al
big lump rose IN her throat. Perhaps
ne did not wish to see her. Perhaps
he had been IN the city for weeks and
had not looked her up. II was Just as
WELL she reasoned, that he had not,
because her iandlady had recently rent
ed the parlor, 80 there would have
been no place for him to sit. but--but
she wanted to DO remembered Just the
same.
The lump In her throat increased In
size, and the lights blurred. up coun-
try" she had been of too great impor-
tanee to be overlooked.
The square young man had found a
seat on the same side Of the car, and
nothing of him was visible from Joys
position save the hand bag at his
feet. Joy had not noticed this before.
1t proclaimed the fact that he had Just
arrived, and she was suddenly enabled
TO swallow the lump In her throat.
AT Thirty-first street an old colored
nanny boarded the car and, after one
look at the full seats, clung to a strap,
There was an ii'stant's pause, and then
joys eyes glowed softly and Joys
heart beat warmly
That's like Jlm," she whispered to
herself That's the way they do up
country" for the square young man
was clinglng to the strap and the col
ored nanny WIS seated.
His back was toward Joy now-his
straight, square shouldered back. It
rested her just to look at 1t. She had
not realized before how tired she was,
Being only o substitute, she was the
natural prey Of every grade in the
great school building where her task
was the unenviabe one OF taking the
place Of absent teachers, one day In
this room, one day In that stranger
70 ever Nunil who celebrated her adj