Middletown transcript., 1911-01-14
BY WILLIS BOYD ALLEN


inch taller than Kittie; but had
YOU seen them walking down the
street side by side you never
would have guessed it. With
her hair pulled in the prevailing
fashions a tangled hat perch.
ed atop, and the saucy head held
very straight in the air-not to
mention the heels OF q certain
pair of diminutive boots-Miss
Kittie Mcfarland certainly look
ed considerably taller than her
sturdy escort.
Toms friends, finding out bis
sensitive point, teased him.
Better grow a little, son, they
would say; or try one OF those
stretching machines that are ad-
vertised in the magazines. Miss
cFarland can look right over
your head in q crowd!
It's ali optical illusion, Tom
protested stoutly. We measured
once, just for fun. I'm five feet
seven and she's just five feet six
and q half in her-allowing for
the heels of her boots.
All the same, the exasperating
illusion CALLED him, and he in.
variably chose the higher part
of the sidewalk, in escorting her
TO and from concerts and church.
AS for that precious extra half.
inch he would not have parted
with it for q gold mine; for he
loved Miss Kittie with all the
strength of his honest heart, and
while he looked up to her in every
spiritual, moral and sentimental
sense, he held land he knew that
she did) that on a material plane
the wife should look up to her
husband.
Now Katherine Mcfarland was
one Of those blue-eyed, brown.
haired girls, with slightly tip.
tilted nose and adorable mouth,
that seem ordained to Airt; not
in a bad or disagreeable sense, but
enough to add a sort of bewitch'
ing charm to their society, and
to drive every male adorer (oi
whom there are sure to be msny)
to the verge of distraction, with
out actually pushing them over
Poor Tom was leading q sorry
life of it, but somehow he felt
sure that beneath all her bnnter'
ing aud tormenting Kittie loved
him, and that she belonged tc
him for n time and eternity.
The crisis came when a new
face appeared in the social circles
Of Danville, the small New Eng.
land city where Tom practiced
law and Kittie her destructive
arts. The new conner was a Mr.,
Arthur Milton, tall and slender.
with q smooth face (Ton clung
( to his moustache) and dreamy
poetical eyes with blonde lashes.
Milton discovered Kittie al
once, and paid open court to her
He had travelled much, was 9
gentleman of leisure, and had
undeniably pleasant manners
But worst of all (from Toms
point OF view he lowered above
the young lady, as he stood be-
side her in the cotillion, By a full
head.
I could stand it, seeing them
dance together, groWled poor
Tom to his sympathetic sister.
but when he's tanning her after
ward, and she looks up into his
face-as she never would OF
could look into mine why, Bess,
its simply maddening. And he's
q good sort of a fellow, too, and
I can't help liking him. That's
why I hate him!
Never mind, Tom dear, Bessie
would say, patting her brothers
shoulder. A half.inch Of you is
better than q whole yard Of
Arthur Milton; and if Kittie Nc,
Farland can't see it by this time,
Idon't want her for a sister-in.
law. :.
But I do!-that is And So
Tom went on with bis bungling
condolences and griefs; and
Bessie's weIl-meant consolation
went for little.
Milton and Kittie were seer
together more and more fre
qnently as the season progressed
and Tom withdrew more and
more into the Background
poor policy with girl like Kittie
who wanted to be vigorously
sued. She resented her former
lovers apparent abandonment q
the campaign and firted more
openly than ever with her new
admirer.
There was to be q large but
eaIact donoo 0ivor1 AZ ono of fhe