Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-06-12
The Girl
lie Forgot

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 i~rreproachable,
and but for a certain shyness, which
troubled him more than it did any one
else, his manners were irr~eproachable.
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 10 such person
anywhere to be seen. She gave a 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.
"You followed instructions too we'll,
Elizabeth he said. 81 didn't mean
for you to obliterate yourself so en-.
tirely that he could go beating it Of
alone like that"
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. It couldn't have been his
ticket to the play, for he had been
there and come home again. Great
play" he s~oliloquized. 81 don't know
when I've enjoyed anything so much
1 wonder if Tom"
Here he struck a clew. "Why,
where is Tom?" he asked, thoughtfut
ly. "fWe certainly went together"
Then, like a flash, it all came back
in one horrible, overwhelming flood.
When Tom returned and stopped in
Jim's room on his way to his own, he
found a pale, disheveled, detected
creature sitting on the side of the bed,
one large shoe in his hand, gazing
wildly into space Jim turned a bag
gard face toward the intruder.
mice man you are," said Tom. dis
gustedly. "Any time I undertake tc
make a social butterfly out OF you
: again!"
Wharton groaned. "Say," he asked
"what does a fellow do when things
like this happen?"
Tom started for the door, smother
ing a vel of delight. They don't hap
S pen," he said, chokingly, as he disap
: peared.
About 5 o'clock the next morning
s Henshaw was awakened by a knocl
q on his door. When the door wa
u opened slightly Wharton's dejecte'
T. c~ountenance appeared in the crack.
n tom" he said, 1--WE hardly slep
L a wink. I've just got to do some
thing"
1t Tom reached for a pillow and thre7
II it at the long, sad face. GO and d
ID it then" he shouted. "But if 20
q bother me again, I'LL
N The door closed on the uncomple+
u ed sentence.
D. If Wharton could have seen Eliza
beth's mirthful countenance that eve
Y, ming when she read his nam on th
card which the maid handed her h
d would have been tempted to div
y headlong out of the window. Whe
she entered the room in which he wa
waiting for her, however, she was I'll
smiling enough.
Good evening, Mr.. Wharton" sh
:, said, with cold politeness. won
!, you have a chair"
- ga chair?" repeated Jim, lookini
: about wildly. "I-I-don't believe
: need one, thank you. That is, I can
= stay but a minute. Miss Blake.
. wanted Tom to come with me to tel
= you what a fool I am. He knew II
do something awful. He hadn't an,
:. business to make me go last night
: Miss Blake, I don't know what t.
say" he went on, cheerlessly. ct
there's anything I can do to sQuar'
myself, Ed be glad to do 1t. I know
a there isn't any excuse for a boneheat
like me-"
g Jim was pallid with misery by THU
g time. 81 know you can't forgive MI
and I don't ask 1t. I just came to ga,
n that I wish you'd get somebody to kici
]. me around the block. I can't apollo
gize, for there's no apology that I cal
make. The only thing I can say fol
myself, is that you're the frst I ma!
sev fhn npIv O3rl T ovor fnrcof