Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-04-25
The Girl
He Forgot

Henshaw laughed when he asked
Elizabeth Blake to accept Wharton,
whom she had never met, as her par
ticular escort at the theater party
which Henshaw was planning to give
the following week.
"I'll be delighted" said Elizabeth.
"But what's the joker"
"Jim Wharton's the joke" replied
Henshaw. 81 don't suppose he ever
took a girl anywhere in his life. He
boards where do
The night Of the party Jim's cos
tune was certainly irreproachable,
and but for certain shyness, which
troubled him more than it did any one
else, his manners were irreproachable.
Elizabeth was the most tactful Of
her sex, so, when she found that her
attempts at conversation seemed
merely to startle and embarrass her
escort, she alked most of the time to
Henshaw and Pauline Curtis, who
were her neighbors on the other side.
Being thus left to himself, Jim was
free to enjoy the play.
It was several minutes after the
curtain had fallen on the final act be-
fore Elizabeth, who had been busily
collecting her possessions, looked
around in search of Jim and discov-
cred that there was no such person
anywhere to be seen. She gave lit
tie gurgle of mingled surprise and
amusement. Henshaw turned toward
her at the sound, and when he saw,
the vacant chair he. too, laughed 4
"You followed instructions too we'll,
Elizabeth" he said. Il didn't mean!
for you to obIiterate yourself so en-
tirely that he could go beating it OF
alone like that" J;
Not until Jim, still chuckling to him.
self in retrospective enjoyment of the
play, took out his watch and began to
wind it, which was his first step in the
process of going to bed, was he as
sailed by an unpleasant and all too
familiar sensation. He recognized it.
''I've lost something" he said to
himself, beginning to feel about in his
pockets. He knit his brows and tried
to think. 1t couldn't have been his
ticket to the play. for he had been
there and come home again. Great
play" he soliloquized. 81 don't know,
when I've enjoyed anything so much.
wonder If Tom"
Here he struck clew. "Why,
where is Tom?" he asked, thoughtful
ly. eve certainly went together
Then, like flash, it all came back
in one horrible, overwhelming food.
When Tom returned and stopped in
Jim's room on his way to his own, he
found pale, disheveled, detected
creature sitting .on the side of the bed,
one large shoe in his hand, gazing
wildly into space. Jim turned hag-
gard face toward the intruder.
Mice man you are!" said Tom, dis
gustedly. "Any time I undertake to
make a social butterfly out of you
again!"
Wharton groaned "say," he asked.
what does fellow do when things
like this happen?"
Tom started for the door, smother
ing yell of delight. "They don't hap
pen," he said, chokingly, as he disap-
peared.
About o'clock the next morning
Henshaw was awakened by a knock
on his door. When the door was
opened Slightly Whartons detected
countenance appeared in the crack.
"Tom," he said, 1--WE hardly slept
a wink. I've just got to do some
thing" 4
Tom reached for pillow and threw
1t at the long, sad face. GO and do
1t then" he shouted. "But If you
bother me again, PHI"
The door closed on the uncomplet-
ed sentence.
If Wharton could have seen Eliza.
beth's mirthful countenance that eve
ming when she read his name on the
card which the maid handed her he
would have been tempted to dive
headong out Of the window. When
she entered the room in which he was
waiting for her, however, she was un-
smiling enough.
Good evening, Mr.. Wharton" she
said, with cold politeness. WON'T
you have a chair"
ga chair?" repeated Jim, looking
about wildly. I-Ldon't believe I
need one, thank you. That is, can't
stay but minute Miss Blake. 4
wanted Tom to come with me to tell
you what a fool am. He knew I'd
do something awful. He hadn't any
business to make me go last night.
Miss Blake, I don't know what to
say" he went on, cheerlessly. eff
there's anything can do to square
myself, I'd be glad to do it. I know
there isn't any excuse for bonehead
like me-"
Jim was pallid with misery by this
time. ct know you can't forgive me
and don't ask it. I just came to say
that wish you'd get somebody to kick
me around the block. I can't apollo
gize, for there's no apology that I can
make. The only thing can say for
i, {1,o% IL