The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-03-03

& erary Press. g
Perplexed, he gazed at SalIie. Her
blue eyes flashed welcome. but her
words turned him down. All summer
she had been refusing to be seer with
him. This time 1t was the club dance.
AS they had been friends from baby
hood. he asked for reasons.
HSallie, what's the natter? If you
really hate the sight of me I'll keep
away II 1t kills me. but somehow /
don't believe you do. What have /
done? Or is It Tracy. or don't you
care or what?" In the little sum-
mer house he faced her, his dark eyes
swapping. She tossed her fair head,
but her face was serious,
Tracy, indeed. You ought to see
he's crazy about Mary Trevor! No;
you have not done anything, Robbie.
only She fingered her o s In en-
barrassment.
"Only what. SaIlie? Tell me. / can't
stand this much longer"
well, I should think you would
hate II, too, this being-managed."
referring to our precious families
very apparent plot to get us married?
That certainly is the limit" He spoke
coolIy. She nodded. flushing with
anger as he continued: ST don't blame
you, SaIlie. / hate it too. P-But
she turned or him like a little tiger,
leaping to her feet to face him.
"rNWhy don't you go away then? Do
you think that I-are you asking me
everywhere because you think r.
For answer he swept her suddenly In
to his arms, holding her face to his-a
happy face, for she mad always loved
Robert Martin.
"Dear, you must know I want you
now, always! But why couldn't our
people be decentlyS reluctant? It's all
so horribly planned! We both bate
being unanswered into marriage. Moth
81 suffers even Il look at Mary
sweet girl, but not you."
And dad gets apoplectic at mere
sight OF Tom-Tom, who Is everything
dad and / don't want-but when he
and mother greet me at breakfast
with that repressed haven't yousget-
neutrality-suspicious. air I could glee-
fully announce Tom as their future
son That would be real revenge. Not
that Tom wants me!f The two locked.
up just IN time to see SaIlte's mother
carefully steering the children away
from tha s1mmersho house lt9was mad
denIna sallie stamped her 1ook
simply can't be engaged TO you,
Bob with the family smiling b6ndgnly
andsallt the old puseies purring over the
nfneassoe the match! TcaHrtg'
Waltstm yo0FeEaskedes he fet0rted,
QinninRs sEallle, wapwante each othets
but we must let them. worry They
simply must worry awhile! DID you
know thar poor old Tracy hates me
because he thinks I want Mary
stupid boy: Anybody could see
where her heart Is by the way she
hates me when I chasten dad BY. going
ont with Tom. Wonder why he asks
me-"
Eo get even becauseI play Mary's
little lamb to bother mother. You see,
Maryss family goes no farther back
than Adam. Tsuppose yours and mine
antedate old Eden. / say, Sallie"-j
But he saw Tom Tracy going past
his machine and al after him
with a shout, The two men talked a
time before Robert came back to
Sallie.
"Get your veil and things and come
for a spin. Wen stop for Mary, have
lunch at some little town, have dinner
1T Baxter, call on my minister uncle
John and get home by moonlight"
"And a ehaperon?" Though the four
had always known each other, SaIIie
vas going ~atleast. to mention proprSe-
ies. Bebsw wise eyegtwinkled.
ST thinksI can hunt up a young mar
led woman somewhere he remarked,
mt refused explanation tHl Tracy left
he car to persuade Mary. Then Bob
lid his gallant best to make things
lear. He succeeded. Sallie got in
with Tom, leaving Mary to an
apparently all too devoted Bob, while
hey paraded past their respective
ZONES, for belt said thatt the Trevors
nd the Tracys had long wished Mary
nd Tom to like each other
It was rather too late that night to
lease Sallie's father whensTom left
Ter reluctantly at her own door And
Sob. mother questioned, said he had
'een motoring with Mary.
That was the beginning. During
august the four were inseparable, and
he parents worried. The only appar-
Mt comfort was that the couples re-
1ained together. How could they q
now that partners were changed the
they got from under survefl-
ance? The girls were airy, radiant,
innocent, the young men calm, inn
ervious to comment or question.
lever passing the bounds Of propriety,
hey still bafied home attempts to
their movements.
Tom was always with SaIIie. Bob in