The Detroit times., 1913-02-24
LEAF FIFTH
tContinued)

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In some WAYS Tom Pollard Is me
most congenial man ever knew
You have 10 say don't TO him al. the
time. but what woman doesn't like
little impertinonce once in a while?
In flavor all Toms daredevil kisses
with kinship when ! feed them 90 my
conscience, and J truly Try 10 make
him be serious about the important
things In life like going 20 church with
his mother and working ali day, even
lir be is rich wish he wasn't SO
near kin 10 me, Now, there, feel in
Ruth Chesters way again one or
the things thar keeps the devil 40 busy
IS taking helpless widows 20 he
heights OF knowledge and showing
them Kingdoms OF men that girls never
| dream even exist. II all women could
have been born with widow-eyes,
things would run much more smoothly
along the marriage and giving-in-mar-
rage line And the poor men are
most OF them As ignorant as girls
about what 70 do.
suppose / really would be doing a
righteous thing 10 marry Mr. Graves.
and | would adore all those children
10 start with. but know Billy
wouldn't get on with them at all
can't even consider II on his account,
but I'll let the nice old chap come on
for few times more 10 see me for
he really Is interesting and we have
suffered things in common. MIR.
Graves lacked the kind OF tempera-
IInent poor Mr.. Carter did. I'd like TO
make IL all up TO him, but II Billy
wouldn't be happy, that settles II,
and | don't know how good his boys
are couldn't have Billy corrupted.
And so. as there is nobody else ex-
actly suitable in town, II all SINNERS
down to one or the other OF these or
Alfred In my heart knew thai
couldn't hesitate minute-and IN the
fash OF a second / decided. or course
\ II love Alfred and I'll take aim gladly
and be the wife he has waited for all
these six lonely years. I'll make every
thing up 20 him II ] have TO diet 10
keep thin for him the rest OF my life.
\ / likely will have that very thing 10
do and get weak at the idea. Be
fore | burn this book I'll have 10 copy
IL all out and be chained 10 II for NE.
At the thought my heart dropped like
sinker 10 my toes but | hauled Il
up TO its normal place with picturing
=.
, he saw me in that old blue musin done
: over into Rene wonder However
old heart would show strange pro
1 pensity for sinking down into my slip
e pers without any reason at all. Tears
: were even coming into my eyes when
. Tom suddenly came over the fence
b and picked me and the heart up TO
gether and put us into an adventure
OF the first water
IA Molly" he said in the most non
d chalant manner imaginable, we've
. got a dandy, strolling. gypsy band up
e al the hotel the diningroom floor IS
5 all waxed and I'm asking for the first
y dance with the young and radiant Mrs,
: Carter Get into glad rag and don (
II keep me waiting"
" Tom" | gasped.
: "Oh, be sport, Mol. and don't take
!. water. You said you would wake up
J. this town, and now do II. Ii seeFh
q twenty instead OF six years since |
: had my arms around you TO music and
4 I'm not going 70 wait any longer.
! Everybody is there and they can't all
>: dance with Miss Chester
2 That settled It'll couldn't let visit
= ing girl be danced TO death, OF
u course | had planned TO make a digni-
; fed debut under my own roof. backed
r up by the presence OF ancestral and
n marital rosewood. silver and mahog
lany, as a widow should, but duty called
q ME TO de-weed myself amidst the "a
4 formality of an impromptu dance al
J. the little town hotel And in the fif
: teen minutes Tom gave me ! de-weed
= ed TO some purpose and lowered oui
to still more. | never do anything ny
r halves.
r In at-that-troussea old Rem,
. had made me there was one, what she
r called simple" lingerie frock. And
2 Il looked just as simple as the checf
! IL called for a one and two cipher'
: back OF II. IL was OF linen as sheer
as a cobweb. real lace and tiny dell
T cious incrustations OF embroidery. Il
! fitted in lines that melted into curves
! had enticements in the shape OF Ions
{ sash and a dangerous breastknot o
! shimmery blue, the color OF my eyes
and looked newborn in It.
I'm glad that poor Mr.. Carter wal
so stern with me about rats ant
things In my hair. now that they are
out OF style, for I've got lots OF M
own left in consequence OF not wear
ing other peo6le,s. II clings and coils
. to my head just any old way that looks
as If I had spent an hour on IL. Tina
made me able 10 be ready TO go dowf
TO Tom In only ten minutes over th'
time he gave me.
| stopped on next TO the bottom steI
i'm the wide old hall and called Tom tc
: turn out the light for me. as Judy hao
|. gone.
I have turned out that light lots OF
i times. but | felt il best TO lot Tom
see me in full light when We were
alone. Il Is well | did AT first II
stunned him-and II is a compliment
TO any woman 10 stun Tom Pollard
But Tom doesn't stay stunned long
and | only succeeded in suppressing
him after he had landed two kisses on
my shoulder one on my hair and one
, on the back OF my neck.
Molly" he said. standing on and
looking at me with shining eyes, you
are one lovely dream Your shoulders
are flushed velvet, your checks are
} peaches under cream your eyes are
blue absinthe and your mouth a red
= devil Come on before / get drunk
:. looking al YOU didn't know Whetr-
n or liked that OF not and turned down
5 the light quickly myself and went to
t the gate hurriedly Tom laughed and
5 behaved himself