Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-02-26
II no on 2 ever marries me,
And n1's see why they should,
For nui Sc says that I'm not pretty,
And j Ia seldom Y-very g-goOd!

snlpS AZ tGe THICK FOse-SGalKS, ana wound
up on triumphant note as top-heavy
beauty tumbled into her basket.
Most people would certainly not have
agreed with nurses assertion.
'F3e b. shouted a thin, rasping voice
at t k@ end of the garden path. Bah,
whe re are your Come indoors directlyi"
he free confession of imperfect good
mes seemed not quite 50 unfounded, for,
in' Haad af responding to the summons,
b lb withdrew cautiously round some
+ tiendly gooseberry bushes, gained the
Ihelter of "a high laurel hedge and exc
euted a flank movement INTO the shrub
bery, where she INDUCED in an i'm
tpromptu pas seul of unrepentant Joy.
Then she paused irresolute, looking now
backwards towards the garden now ont
towards the meadows and the woods
'N0h, Satan, Satan!" she sighed re-
proachfully. "At your old tricks again!"
She could see the glisten of water out
there where the river curved into the
woods, and the sight proved too much
for her momentary impulse towards
virtue.
Dust one more" she murmured with
the sinners optimism about future re-
forms, and, -snatching one rose for com
pany, she hastily deposited the rest I'M
der laurel tree and made off for free
dom and the river at such I. pace that
one might have thought her flying from
tao evil one ineiead of straight into his
arms
Once in the wooded lane that ran
along the rivers edge her pace abated,
and she only danced little as see
walked because it was June and a
glorious day, because she was full of
health and just 10, because she was do
ing wrong and thoroughly enjoying it.
iii marry him next month and be
good" she promised herself-'T really
will be good then for ever and ever. But
just this once--it's too fine to be fear
fully good. l can't 60 on botaniaing on
the mound. l can't talk sense for the
whole day. | want TO be as silly and as
trainess and as happy as-as-----'
4 suitable simile Ealing her, she broke
into a cheerful chucklc then, throwing
back her head, wnist,ed as the birds
sarg-scales and trills and Toulades
poured forth in irresponsible melody, and
Bah, gradually absorbed by the passion
of joyful sound, stood still, gazing up
into the leafy stiffness. warhling an
-ecstatic hymn to liberty, like bird
escaped from its cake back to the beau
titul free world.
After the last nOge she was still a mo-
lnent gazing fxedlY upwards, then her
gaze came slowly back to earth to fail
uron a most prosaic object in the form
OF a human being
For a moment there was silence, and
neither moved Then the stranger,
though a man, broke the rule and spoke
first
by Jupiter and all the gods, it's Bab!'
he said.
Bah took two steps backward, gazing
at him incredulously.
1'0l-0l-why, NoH, is it you? How
did you get here? When did you come :?
What's happened? Why didn't you tell
me you were coming? Oh, Noll, I'm SO
glad to see your
Most important, last as usual"
laughed Oliver, as on her forward spring
he received her in his axms. Thank
heaven, you at least are not changed,
IBab!"
ooh, Noll, thank goodness you've come
back" She lifted her face for his kiss
quite naturally, but he suddenly paused,
with bent head, and finally deposited a
somewhat embarrassed peck on her left
eyebrow.
Eyes, you are though he went on.
"Why of course you're changed. Tom
boy Bah has grown a woman, and some
thing of beauty into the bargain. I'd
never have believed it of you, Bab!"-
with comical reproach.
"Noll!" said Bah, clutehing his arm
and affecting an air of remorseful guilt,
belied by the satisfied CLEAN in her gray
eyes, "Pm-Pm-well, the fact is just
now Pm running away!"
My good child, / should have taken
that for granted without your informa-
tion. Is the same old boat still moored
in the creek we wot of ?"
She nodded
Il was going there. l was going off
for the whole day by myself, but now
that Providence has sent you to run
away with me, come on, We'll renew our
youth What lots we'll have to tell each
other! Five years worth, and you've
had lots of adventures, and /" She
stopped and made gesture as though to
put all unpleasant thoughts from her
NO, we won't do that-iust for today
for this one little day let's pretend we're
running away just as we always did
that nothing has happened, ex-
cept that it's too fine to do lessons or
learn to work samplers-too fine for
anything but the river and whole days
freedom from Aunt Hephzibah and dust
ing the drawing room and-and every
thing"
Good" said Oliver. '1'm on! Charge
for the old boatl"
He turned with her, and they both ran
along the path like children till they
came to a tiny creek where lay hidden
in the reeds the old boat which boosted
for its title, The Wicked One, because it
had so frequently in bygone times led
them from the paths of righteousness.
"Oh, Wicked One, thourt still the
same!" Oliver apostrophised it as he
struggled with the fastenings "a bit
more battered perhaps, shade more
disreputable, but still as seductive as of
yore Tumble in. Babs, she's off"
An energetic shove and he jumped in
after the girl as the boat swung out into
the stream.