The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-01-04
WEEKLY SHORT STORY
HEARTS CROCHETED.
BY Louise Olney.

oGAhIo CbOCHEIEU,
n BY Louise Olney.
. Bessie Allen ran breathlessIy back
to her new boarding place and sna1ch-
ed up her fancy work bag lying on
the bureau. Mrs. Clinton, the heavy
landlady' met her coming out of her
door and stepped aside wping her
face beaded with perspiration from
the hot summer morning.
Why Miss Allen. thought you
were gone!"
so l was. but 1 came back. For
got my crochet"
"Crochet!" Mrs. Clinton cried. over
come with curiosity. What on earth
do you crochet for? You must have
an easy job"
mo, | crochet on the car to and
from tAe ONCE" laughed the girl
"My land! Don't you know you'll
get written up in the papers? Who
ever heard of such fool thing to do :
l should think you'd want TO be rest
ing yourself instead of spelling your
pretty eyes on such nonsense"
1T isn't nonsense" called back the
girl from the porch. 81 love it. That IS
why l came out here in Camden to
live. Two hours a day on the car
gives me a loe of time to stick to my
knitting"
But don't you feel silly?" Mrs. Gin
ton pulled down the steps and follow
ed her strange roomer out TO the walk.
They'll be guying you on the car"
mo; as this is the end Of the line
/ get the front seat and hardly any
one sees what / am doing. Good by,
Mrs. Clinton" And she left the scan
dahzed landlady gazing after her UNI
conventional self as though she were
neither fish. flesh or good red herring.
She really did not care what the
landlady or anybody in the big. hard
city thought. She had come here be-
cause she had no home since her
mother died and she must earn her
living where best she could. She loved
home and home things-like crochet
and with characteristic good sense
she resolved TO keep close to the
things she loved every moment out
side of business hours. It was the
only way she could be happy, for the
daily grind of money getting in a
cruel world was a cross to her home
yearinng heart.
AS she took her place in the front
of the car this muggy July morning
a young man followed and slid into
the seat behind her. He was tall and
good looking, with a gentle gleam il
his blue eyes that argued a mind
broad and hne as his physical makeup.
He watched intently as he settled him
self with graceful adjustments of her
dainty white linen dress, crossed her
diminutive canvassed feet and with
drew her thread and hook from her
sewing bag. Swiftly her fingers flew,
creating a cobweb of something that
fascinated him. His eyes never left
her during che hours ride
She was so easy to look at from
the tip of her sheel-like ears and the
little curls at the nape OF her neck
brown against her white skin, that
he could only divert his gaze to a
momentary glimpse of her face as she
turned to the window infrequenty to
see where the car stood. She was not
stunning. just dear and lovable. Her
sweet unconsciousness OF him and of
all about her gave him a protecting
feeling and he found himself resent
ing an uncouth workman who pushed
forward and sat beside her. Morton
for all his immaculateness would have
hesitated to do that himself.
II Q<tuS VI JOY SuOI SulOu5n uliu Dis
he neared his corner to see her hastily
fold thread and hook into her bag and
push the button. She got off at his
corner then! Cavalierly, he rose and
waited in his seat for her to pass.
She must have been conscious OF his
presence for the hast hour, for she
looked up and smiled. 1t was a faint
smile. Mundane people would have
said it existed only in his imagination.
But her great brown eyes had swept
up straight TO his and rested there a
long moment while sweet surprise
awoke and glowed away back in their
lmpid depths. Joy flooded his whole
being, and as he replaced his hat he
followed her out of the car and watch
ed her turn into the building opposite
his real estate office with a conviction
that he had come into his own.
After that he watched for her at
lunch hour, loitered on the corner for
her car at night, but try as he might
he could only see her in the mornings.
He was up betimes to bestow more
scrupulous care on his always immac-
f%ate person. He found finical dis
eatisfaction. in all his scarfs and in
vested in many new ones which neces-
sita4ed corresponding hosiery. He was
restlendent, for he was in love.
Every morning they sat thus-she