The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-01-03

began his practice of following her I'M
seen on her way at night through the Bo-
hemian Flats. He was in love with her.
so he watched her for the ease of his own
heart; and he watched at distance be-
cause she had forbidden speech on that
one topic and it was so hard to think of
any other topic in her presence that ac-
ceptable conversation became a difficult
art. The Bohemian Flats were not really
dangerous, but they came as near to
being a Stun as anything that Riyerton
had yet been able to achieve. That was
why the social settlement to which Lucy
had enthusiastically attached herself had
been located in that district. From 7
to S on Saturday evenings Lucy taught
a class of citizenship he-making how to
"spik Inglis" in a nearby night school,
and then she walked back to the Settle
ment House. where she lived. Her pro-
cedure was so regular that Charlie had
little difficulty in timing his own Satur
day evening engagements so as to per-
nit him to perform his escort duty sys-
tematically.
So far nothing had ever happened to
give him the excuse for making his pres
ence known, which. of course. had been
a dramatic background to his thoughts,
but on this muddy Saturday evening Fate
was brewing Just as Lucy approached
d DulIuluB whose uncommon CnteIl ul1ltSS
and cleanliness proclaimed 1t a saloon.
the door swung open and half dozen
men, in a noisy alteration, burst out di
rectly in her path and seemed to engulf
her Charlie had a college record as
Splinter and the way in which he crossed
that muddy street did credit to his record.
Lucy was really half a dozen steps be-
yond the crowd when he reached her,
but he was so blinded by the vision his
Imagination had conjured up that he was
not exactly in a condition to take obser-
Nations with scientific calm. He came
swiftly up behind her and thrust his hand
proteetingly within her arm. AT the un-
expected touch she jumped and gave
little scream, and instantly one of the
big Bohemians behind them wrenched
Cahrlie's hand away and swung him
AROUND with a violence that all but sent
him to his knees in the gutter.
a" A teach you" he said aggressively.
preparing to continue the lesson.
But Lucy screamed again.
"Oh, jake It's all right. He's a friend
of mine. Don't hit him..
He mex you fraid," Jake said suspi-
ciously.
"oh. l didn't know who it was. He
didn't mean to brighten me. He is good
friend"
lar regretfully.
IF he mex bother you. you yell,' he
said. cautoning Lucy, while he still eyed
"Oh, thank you, Jake. but you needn't
mind I'm sure he's all right" Lucy said
earnestly.
She went on a little hastily. and Charlie,
released by Jake, fell into step beside her.
He did not offer his arm. Neither did he
speak. The atmosphere just then seemed
too highly charged for speech. But when
he made out that the convulsive tremors
which shook Lucy's slight frame We're
suppressed giggles his wounded dignity
could no longer suffer in silence.
I'm glad it amuses you" he said stiffly.
The giggles rippled up in irresistible and
irrepressible laughter.
"Oh, Charlie" she gurgled. "Oh, Char
liep'
II always said that / would never mar
ry woman who lacked a sense of hui
NOR" Charlie said, quickly recovering his
customary poise.
Don't be absurd
'I won't. My ambition In that direction
is temporarily satisfied"
She gurgled again. but wasn't il fun
ny? Jake in the role of rescuer, and you
the dark and skullSing villain of the
piecel | never before quite believed your
story of being once arrested for a three
card monte man, but now 1 do. l see
just how it fits into your character"
1T is well to know the worst before
hand"
Where did you come FROM? asked
Lucy, pointedly ignoring the significance
of his beforehand.
1.-The other side of the street" He
looked ruefully at his patent feathers.
But how did you happen to be in this
neighborhood?"
It wonder
"You are looking uncommonly dandi-
fed tonight" she hurried on, Tending off
the emotion that had suddenly surged
into her voice.
Il am going to make a call on a very
charming lady"
"Ohl People do still make calls in the
world of fashion which you represent,
don't they? They don't on the Flats. The
custom is one of the things that differen-
tiate the civilized man from the savage.
1t shows that he has come to idealize hui
man intercourse and to surround 1t with
a halo of ceremony and good clothes"
"Oh Lucy, can't you see that you are
wasted over here? Jake may have his
good points, hope 1 am not mean-but
you know he wouldn't understand you
when you talk like that"
NO that's where you are useful. You
give me a chance to babble."
"Td give you a chance to babble every
day and all day long! Just consider 1t
in that light for a moment"
Now, Charlie" she said, gently, don't
mex bother
They tramped along in silence for a few
minutes, before Charlie, crushing some
thing down hard into the silence, said
Whimsically:
''You didn't pay any attention to my re-
mark that I was going to call on lady.
Couldn't you go so far as to seem a little
piqued at my gayety, even If you don
care a rap? A little crumb Of comfort
like that would help me over the long
starvation periods in between"
but I am truly glad If you are going
to have an interesting evening"
Even If 1t is another woman who
makes it interesting?" There was some
thing like genuine despair under his
words 81 suppose my vanity Is fnsuf-
ferable, but it is so hard for me to real
lie it."
who Is the woman
"a very beautiful and popular and de-
lightful woman" he said hopefully. And
she likes me very much
"Conceited!'
"she does And she is a woman of the
finest discrimination. Her approval is
full-page testimonial"
you don't mean that it is the" She
stopped suddenly and laughed.
ut Is Mrs Fessenden," said Charlie,
with the air of playing a trump.
Lucy laughed again-a gurgling little
laugh of irresistible amusement, that was
at the same time somewhat surprised, not
to say dismayed.
People who have so highly developed