The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-03-31
whirling. Never in lis life had he
been caught I'D SO sharply. or go cold

MS SICK nerves Qutvered. Yet how
could he explain to this girl, an ute:
stranger, that she mustn't mind, be
cause really he was half an invalid!
And why should it make any differ
ence to him what she thought of him:
Yet he writhed as he stood there, his
order ended. watching her. Suddenly
she lifted her eyes as with an effort
She was very pale now and he fan
cied there was hint Of appeal in
her gaze. Was there on earth an,
other creature of such varying aspects
and moods?
He glanced around the little shor
desperately and bought an armful OF
magazines at random. The shock.
headed boy waited on him and the
girl retired again to her tiny office,
but bent over the desk. Still dazed,
he left the shop and dropped into the
drug store. He had made friends
with the queer old proprietor.
who 10 she?" repeated the old ma1
as Drillman lighted the cigar just
purchased.
Say, that girls all right! Her dal
owned that store, no-account he was,
but he worshiped Judith. The only
thing that kept him at work at all was
that she wanted to 60 to college, and
he had to earn that money. And in
the middle Of her second year he VI
and died. and after the funeral, when
she found that store was all she hao
in the world. why. she just naturally
started out to run it. That was three
months ago. OF course, she isn't
much on business, but she gets along"
She impressed me as being decid
eddy able to take care Of herS;.'::."
Drillham found himself saying lil..
c,lrtly.
The old man laughed. ".Judy's got
a way with her." he said she al
ways carried her head high. But l've
seen her cry over a robin with bust
ed leg when she was younger and
lordy, but she can run from cow!
She's just girl after ALL"
Rayard Drillham walked back slow
ly to his quiet boarding place. ~
was trying to imagine Judith Whit 4!
frightened. appealing, tremulous, #r !
could not. Yet as he pictured net
face. temrcst':ous. naughty and conr
mand;Eg he remembered Suddenly
that odd little CULVER to her lips, and
her pallor. 1t was a curious cumb:na,
ton.
1t was so curious that the following
day found him back in the little shop,
where he demanded moro magazines,
quite unabashed at the memory Of his
yesterdays purchases. The boy was
away and Judith herself waited on
him, cool, reserved, polite. She wore
dark blue, with white collar and cuffs,
knew she looked as II she were
dressed for a part in q play. Some
how his attempts at conversation,
while frankly met, never got any.
where, and he found himself going
out when he most decidedly wished
to stay in.
And for many days the little scene
was repeated. He told himself 1t was
merely an idle curiosity to see if he
ever could catch the goddess OF her
guard, to find if she really were like
other girls. A mad idea of hunting
up broken-legged bird possessed
him. And each day brought him more
firmly under thrall of her deep, dark
eyes, her aloofness, her superb abil
ity to care for herself.
Never had Bayard Drillham so pa.
tiently tried to make friends with any
man, to say nothing of woman, for
all his life he had fled from them, and
never had he encountered such an i'm
passable wall. So constantly were his
thoughts centered on the amazing girl
in the stuffy little shop that he forgot
to think of himself and his illness and
the result was that health sought him
out. Yet he stayed on in Perch Har
Dor. Once he said to her half fiercely.
do you intend to waste your whole
life here?"
why, not?" she had countered in,
dignantly. Il was born here! be.
long here!"
Judith was paler these days, and
one morning Drillham, vaguely wor.
ried, entered the shop only to find it
empty. There was no sound, and he
stepped to the door leading to her lit
tie ONCE. There with her head down
on her out-spread arms was Judith.
AS he looked her shoulders heaved.
With one bound Bayard Drillham
was beside her, drawing her to him 40
one draws weeping child. What
10 It, JUDITH" he asked terrified.
What has happened?"
The fact that instead Of repelling
him she half chung to him in a limp
sort Of despair added to his terror.
"Oh," she gasped hopelessly, I've
had to give up! I'm beaten! I've
fought and been conceited enough to
think could do things but l guess
you were right! There's been no sys-
tenn or c-c-common sense in the way
I've run the business, and now I've
run 1t into the ground! The store'u
be closed tomorrow"
Bayard Drillham looked down at the
tear-stained face with . great thrill
Of unbelieving, happiness. His god.
dess was only q girl after all!