The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-09-07
STUPID
TIM
by NELLIE CRAVEY GILMORE

| went over 10 the piano. one pldyeu
whimsically for a quarter of an hour
and banged down the lid impatient
ly. Then she crossed the room to a
window and. parting the green velvet
curtains, peered frowningly out at the
snow -blanched air. At last she turned
and walked over to the fireplace, her
eyes seeking for the fifteenth time the
gooG-natured face of the old clock
on the mantel. Only three! Another
hour at least, to wait
| The imperative tinkling of the door
bell caused her heart to bound fool
ishly. Perhaps! But before the
conjecture was finished, maid en-
| tered with a note, and handed it to
the girl 1t was without address or
| envelope and Leonora opened it lit
tie curiously. The writing inside was
familiar enough. and brought the
blood splurging into her soft cheeks.
The lines were scrubbed in haste, APP
parently, with pencil, and ran:
Impossible for me 10 keep engage
ment this afternoon, Something more
important on hand VIII have to see
you later, when more at leisure.
TON"
The paper slipped to the floor from
Leonora's nerveless fingers. The
angry crimson slowly dyed her tenn
PIES Something more important"
see you when more at leisure!"
Of
she picked up the note and tore 1t in
two; then she threw it into the fire.
and with an indescribable look on her
face, stood watching 1t blaze and
char and vanish completely.
What wretched simpleton she had
been, to be sure. to have wasted her
time and her love on creature like
this. The bitter tears rushed to her
eyes and made scalding tracks down
her quivering cheeks. What should
she do? What could she do? After
Tom Bateman's deliberate insult,
what was there to do but put him out
of her life forever?
When she had gathered up the shat
tered ends of her sef-control, Leo
nora went slowly upstairs to her room
and sat down before her desk She
pulled open drawer and took out
two letters lying there One was from
young Bateman-the last one he had
written-and in which he had begged
permission to come to her on this
very afternoon, limiting openly of the
words he intended to speak: that he
had spoken, in fact in a hundred lit
tie ways since he had known her. The
other letter was from her cousin, Billy
Townsend. Billy had been very dear
to her ever since the days of pima
fores and pigtails; he had never let
a month go by without making some
alluson to the time when they should
be married And in reality, she would
doubtless have consented to share her
future with Billy. had it not been for
Tom Bateman's sudden appearance on
the horizon of her life-growing closer
and closer into the very fiber of it till
everything in the whole world had
seemed transformed
With a little sobbing catch of her
breath, Leonora unfolded her cousins
letter and read:
Dearest Leo:
It's no use, suppose, but I'm not
going to quit without one more stag
ger. If you are sure it's quite hope
less, tell me so, and III never bother
you any more. But you know, grille,
that my heart is always in the same
place--right in the hollow of your
own little hand--and if, at any time,
you need me, or want me, just say So
and I'll spend my life making you
happy AS ever and always.
BILLY"
Again the tears ran down the girls
cheeks, but this time they were a diff
ferent sort of tears. Dear, generous
Billy! He had seen the perilous path
she was treading, had OWNED the
chasm at the end of it, and in his tact
full, big-hearted way was offering her
the protection of his home and love
in her modification and disappoiDt-
ment. Under the swift influence of
her gratitude, she seized pen from
the rack and wrote rapidly
Dear Billy:
Il want you-and need you Meet
me at Delcey's at half-past five. am
too restless to stay here. LEO"
She summoned the maid and dis
patched her Immediately to Town
sends office with the note. Then she
dressed herself quickly and went out
into the street, to walk herself, If pos
sible, into some semblance of calm.
At exactly half-past five, she turned
the corner and walked half block
down, to Delcey's. The first thing
that met her eyes was her cousins
big green car He was sitting In front,
with his cap drawn over his eyes, and
his fur.coat buttoned close up to his
throat. The girl approached him rap
idly, her head bent slightly, against
the keen lash Of the snow.
"Oh, Billy!' was all she could say,
when she got up to him.
He made room for her, and she
sprang in beside him. The next in
slant they were whirling off down the
glistening avenue.
"Why did you send for me, this
way?" was the first question he asked
her.
Because she answered simply,
because | wanted you"
I'm sfraid there's been a mistake
somewhere" His voice was grave.
but the whir of the machine. and the
wind In their faces, drowned all ac-
al