The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1911-12-29

NO. lnatS the point OF ~. ~
wasn't
And he doesn't get her, and yos 4
read all them pages. hundreds OF tn %
to find that out?'' Daylight muttered lI
amazement,
Miss Mason was nettled as well al
amused.
But you read The mining and anan
cial news by the hour. she re
torted.
But ! sure get something out d
that. It's business. and it's differ
ent. | get money out OF 1t. What do
you get out OF booksy'
Points Of view. new IDEAS, life"
Not worth a cent cash.
But life's worth more than cash.
she argued.
"Oh. we'll" he said, with easy mas
culine tolerance, so long al you en-.
Joy 1t, That's what counts. / suppose;
and there's no accounting for taste
Despite his own superior point Of
view, he had an idea that she knew
a lot, and he experienced a fieeting
feeling like that OF a barbarian face
to face with the evidence Of some ire
mendous culture. To Daylight cui-
tnre was q worthless thing, and yet,
somehow. he was vaguely troubled by
a that there vas more In culture
than he imagined.
Again, on her desk. In passing. he
noticed a book with which he was IA
miliar. This time he did not stop, for
he had recognized the cover. It was
a magazine correspondents book On
the Klondike. and be knew that he
and bis photograph figured In II, and
he knew, also, OF a certain sensational
chapter concerned with q woman's
suicide, and with one ITO Much Day.
light" After that he did not talk with
her again about books. He imagined
what conclusions she had
drawn from that particular chapter.
and 1t stung him the more In that they
were undeseryed. He pumped Morri.
son. the clerk, who had first to vent
bis personal grievance against Miss
Mason before he could tell what little
he knew of her.
"She comes from S~iskiyou County.
She's very nice to work with In the
office. Of course, but she's rather stuck
on herself-exclusive. you know"
How do you make that out?" Day.
light queried.
We'll, she thinks too much Of
herself to associate with those she
works with. in the office here. for In
stance. She won't have anything to
do with a fellow. you see. I've ask
ed her out repeatedly, to the theater
and the chutes ana such things. But
nothing doing. Says she likes plenty
Of sleep, and can't stay up late, and
has to go all the way to Berkeley
that's where she lives. But that's all
hot air. She's running with the Uni
versity boys. that's what she's doing.
She needs lots Of sleep, and can't 20
to the theater with me, but she can
dance all hours with them. I've heard
It pretty straight that she goes to all
their hops and such things. Rather
stylish and heightened for a stenog.
rapher, I'd say. And she keeps a
horse, too. She rides astride all over
those hills out there. | saw her one
Sunday myself. Oh, she's a high
flyer, and ! wonder how she does 1t.
Sixty1five Q month don't 20 far. Then
she has a sick brother, too
Live with her people" Daylight
asked.
NO; hasn't got any. They were
well to do. I've heard. They must have
been. or that brother or hers couldn't
have gone to the University OF Call.
fornia Her father had a big cattle.
ranch, but he got to fooling with mines
or something. and went broke before
he died. Her mother died long before
that. Her brother must cost a lot OF
He was a husky once, played
football, was great on hunting and be-
Ing out In the mountains and such
He got his accident break
Ing horses. and then rheumatism or
something got into him. One leg is
shorter than the other, and withered
up some. He has to walk on crutches.
saw her out with him once--cross-
Ing the ferry. The doctors have been
experimenting on him for years, and
he's in the French Hospital now.
All Of which s~ide-lights on Miss Ma.
ion went to increase Daylight's inter.
sst In her. Yet, much as he desired.
he failed to get acquainted with her.
He had thoughts OF asking her to
luncheon, but his was the innate chiv.
llry Of the frontiersman. and the
thoughts never came to anything. He
tnew a self-respecting. square-dealing
nan vas not supposed to take his
itenographer to luncheon Such things
lid happen, he knew. for he heard
he chatting gossip Of the club; but he
lid not think much OF such men and
sorry for the girls.
tTo BE coNTINUEDJ