The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1911-03-11


years and she could go forward few
years. aud he could love her and she
could love him. and he could get rid
OF his wreiched club life and MI thaty
The next evening Fornlan. who had
received n letter from Fisk. made
pretext OF II 10 10 Ia the house 10
tell Blanche that he had heard from
her father. Take good care OF my
| little girl was the injunction. and For
man made himself believe that IL was
incumbent upon him 20 afford Der
some amusement. so he asked her
aunt II he might take Blanche 10 the
| theatcr Commission was given and
tickets secured for a Friday night.
when the girl would not be obliged
TO go 10 school the next day and could
therefore sleep late.
/ Blanche wore the dress with the
longest skirt In her possession and put
on all her finery. including a number
OF gold and silver bangles. She look
ed very pretty and, more than that.
wore on her face n youthful expecta-
ton that was fast fading from her
escort. She had been to theater but
| once or twice In her life. while the
/ drama was an old story with him.
But I'm his companions enjoyment he
/ found a new sensation The theater
! the players. many OF them mouth
| Ing their words" and overacting. were
TO her real persons. their joys and sor'
/ rows real emotions. while the hero and
heroine seemed 10 be enactIng her own
feelings.
Forman. blaze himself. sat regard
ing his companion with infinite salts
faction. When he felt her arm against
his own thrill ran through him.
When she turned her face toward his,
looking for n companlonable apprecia-
ton OF some noble sentiment express
cd by one OF the actors he smiled good
naturally and sympathetically Then
when the curtain fell he took her
where they could get an ice. which to
her was more than n canvasback duck
to one who had been satiated. And
that night Blanche went to sleep
dreaming that Forman was the hero
and she the heroine In the play that
had been enacted As for Forman,
he sank 20 slumber thinking about
the pretty young thing who had sat
beside him ut the theater
Forman passed the next evening at
his club. Saturday night is gala night
at most clubs and there were plenty
OF his companions there 10 keep him
company. But somehow the evening
dragged. At billiards the face OF
Blanche was always interposing itself
between him and the object ball. AZ
bridge he lost because he couldn't keep
his mind on the game. And so II was
I'm whatever he did When he went
home to the house he was guarding
he felt relieved because he was under
the same roof with the girl who had
thrust herself unbldden into his
thoughts. His club life seemed more
unsatisfactory to him than ever.
One morning Forman woke up con-
sciOus OF the fact that he was drifting
into an equivocal position. His friend
had asked him TO look out for his
home and the two people I'm II during
his absence. What had he been doing Z
Turning the head OF that friends
daughter. not quite seventeen years
old In this Forman was wrong. II
was not he who was turning the girls
head but she who was turning his
head At any rate there was some
thing very delightful between them.
How would he meet his friend when
he returned? Then suddenly he was
terrified M the thought that Blanche
would give the whole matter away to
her father.
And this is exactly what she did.
She didn't tell him her secret. but
when Forman went TO the house on
the evening OF Fisk's arrival 10 get
something he had left there Blanche
J received him so enthusiastically that
her father could not help noticing 1t
Forman began TO stammer something
that would help the matter
at has been pleasure TO me-" he
. said. Ito afford your little girr'-her'
! Blanche gave him reproachful look
. "some amusement during your alb
2 sence Her aunt was good enough e
= let me take her 20 the theater. and
J gave her drive In the park In mJ
buggy"
: Didn't you enjoy II all, too. MI
FormanT interrupted Blanche. witt
! another pronounced reproachful look.
r. VERY much. very much" replies
Formnn, rcddenlng.
81 dare say you've been very kind
old man." said Fisk. and there wa
something In the familiar appellatio'
OF "old man" that for the first tim
: grated on Forman's feelings. II thin
g III stroll over 10 the club with you &c
night for n game OF bridge"
= That was the last meeting betwee
Formnn and the little girl for tire
r years He was then just passed miC
die age and she young lady.
blanche r. home" said Fisk TO hi
- friend one day. Come round and Sc
u.s."
ssY ILL ,.,itt YIaaourau rppiipd FO