Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-11-30

1t happened when they first met
the instant interest, eye flashing to
eye, the feeling of having always
known each other. The mans head
went round a little and his heart bead
very fast al he asked her for the
dance he wanted.
She did not have it 10 give, SO he
made the best of sitting against the
wall and watching her glide over the
floor with Lawton. Meantime he
mentally thumped himself into sense
He kEoz on the spot that she was not
the wife for him. Sam Morton, sen
sible young business man. wanted: 6
helpmate. -
-. He had come up In a big family
with q whining, weak mother and an
overworked, harried father. He bad
even in boyhood determined on health
and strength as the only working
basis to begin married life upon
Then he called himself a fool for let
ting all this come to his mind al
mere sight Of young girl.
For Lois was fragile and slender, q
sort Of lace-paper lady, he said to
himself. That was just the word
she was appealing and delicate, and
then, passing and catching. his eye
she gave him a little smile that :undid
all his renunciatory work with him
self in the past few moments.
He could dance with her. anyway
And, fool that he was, nobody but
himself had suggested his marrying
her! Perhaps even if she were asked
she would not have him-he sudden
ly felt humble. Perhaps she was en-
gaged-that was a startling thought;
maybe she was engaged to Law
ton-that was jealous thought. He
straightway despised his friend Law
ton In his heart and accused him Of
Inability to care for a frail child of g
girl like Lois. Then he wondered
how old she was-surely not twenty
And then, the waltz ending, hi
hurried to her to see if by chance
she had not made a mistake about
having no dance fer him. His in
sistence made her blush and waver
Finally she yielded him her pro
gram and he crossed out Lawton's
initials and put his own where they
had been. After this he danced with
the stupid girls he had thought at
tractive an hour ago and waited
until his turn came with her.
This was beginning of bad times
for the young man, who surely, il
precarious financial times, needed al
of his means in his very small
but prospecting business. He vowed
during the sleepless fag-end of The
night after the dance that he would
cut out merry-making thence for
ward and forget the "girl business
He charged his whole disturbed con
dition to what he aptly enough Gale,
the marriage microbe"-three of hi
friends had lately married. He ha,
helped at tile functions, at the subse
quent home celebrations, and some
how the thing had got on his BRAIN
he would shake off the idea. VIVA
did he want of marriage for a goot
five years, or three-or two, at least
He had first-class boarding place
which was expense enough until h,
was better settled with the store
Not that he was not doing well, TO
he was.
And when he did marry-this was
after all, the principal thing to re
member-it must be to no lace-pape
lady. He had once heard a man h,
knew call fragile girl that, and
struck his rather romantic fancy,
lace-paper lady-very, very pretty, t
be looked at, but unfit for the ster,
wear and tear of everyday life.
When three months had passed an
he had resolutely refused, and ha
IN the end gone to, everything soc1a
where he knew or thought the gin
might be, he was more than ever sur
that he was right. But one thing
fine instinct had kept him from DE-
1ng-he had never asked any one
single question about her, and he wa
so fearful Of showing his interest tina
he went away If by chance she wa
mentioned by his friends. Thus al
he knew Of her he gathered from he
own ltps-and she was silent. ]
seemed to him that she was NOR
silent with him than with, others
| Lawton, for instance.
At quite a large picnic, the last l.
the beautiful fall weather. it ha
seemed to him that she fairly chat
tered to Lawton, but when he afte
awhile found himself beside her. sh
was awkwardly shy.
They had sat a little apart from tn
rest while Pickle Jones DISCOURSE
some alleged music from a banjo an
a loud but rather battered set Q
vocal cords. The w1stful beauty q
her face struck him as poignantly a
pain; her girlish slenderness Gale,
to his strength as for protection
Turning, she answered the scrutin
she had been sensitive to by a fleet
ing little smile. His heart went fas
and then something like a veil foate
a moment before his eyes-he coul,
not see. 49,
When Pickle had finished his raj