The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-04-11

52fS senal-shops; walled over
TySs the river by the hills be.
'" hind opulent, busting lit
tie cities, the fair green jeweled by
the sun and dappled with shadow
from trees older than the Louisiana
Purchase. A breeze shifted the shad.
ows. Willy Butler felt its touch on
his wet forehead.
He half turned to take out his hand.
kerchief. In the act he saw her. It
was the same girl who had followed
the course yesterday. She was alone.
Just as she had been alone yesterday.
The gallery was bobbing like the
crest of wave over the brow of the
hill; the carriages and machines gilt.
tered in slow pomp after the rope,
while the favorites and their caddies
marched over the slope toward the
bunkers. But Willy and Dickson had
only this one follower, little lonely
figure, slim and straight and nimble, in
white linen, whose brown arms and
brown face against her dazzling gown
made the effect of a Russian eikon
minus the gold.incrusted robe. She
halted when Willy halted. With i'm
personal interest she watched Dickson
make strike. At the clean, beautiful
drive she nodded approval Then her
black brows met in a slightly worried
frown. Willy, club in hand, was aware
OF the frown. He was aware-in a
sort of subconscious way-that she
wanted him to play we'll; and he was
acutely aware that he had not played
we'll this afternoon. If she had called
to him aloud Brace up" he couldn't
have heard the words more distinctly.
He almost thought he did hear them,
and gave the child an involuntary,
half-starved smile.
With the same smile on his lips he
sent a faultless approach into easy
putting distance, and he felt absurdly
pleased because she clapped her
hands. They halved the hole. Dick
son, the Harvard champion, looked
bored as he sank on the bench by the
red water-cooler. He had been WHY'S
classmate year ago at college, know
Ing him as the man who makes all the
best societies and leads the life" may
know the recluse who makes none;
he was conscious Of a certain irrita'
ton peppering his cool superiority. To
think Of the millions that shutting
cowed-looking, insignificant chap would
have, while he, Dickson, had to slave
on salary. A duffer who couldn't
even win a golf game that belonged
to him, because he was ratified! Dick
son felt that the ways of Fate were
scandalous.
Willy had limped up. The day before
he had blistered his heel somehow,
and every step cost pang. He eased
the lame foot by resting his weight on
the other. His gray.blue eyes, which
only his dead mother had ever found
handsome, scanned with a certain
usefulness Dickson's graceful athletic
figure and clean, dark profile. His own
profile was irregular and his figure
was awkward, with arms too long and
shoulders too square for harmony; he
stopped in an ungainly fashion, as If
he had the habit of musing as he
walked; his plain face was deeply
freckled. Yet as there was a sugges-
ton of strength in the figure, SO there
was the same suggestion in the young
mouth and chin, and something clear
and strangely innocent, for young
man, looked out of his eyes. AS he
stood, every muscle seemed to sag; he
appeared utterly spent; but the instant
Dickson had driven he stepped alertly
into his place and sent drive like
bird sailing far beyond Dickson's dot
of white on the green. Somehow a
new uplift Of energy and hope had
come to him; bless that kid, he would
show her that he could still do some
thing with. the sticks! He heard her
whispered, unconscious Beauty" This
time he kept his head straight, but
when the hole was won, he met her
smile frankly with another. The next
hole was easy. He had steadied; he
had his nerve back; every calculation
worked; and when Dickson stymied.
1t was simple trick (the like of which
he had practiced often) to hop over
the ball and roll into the hole, to
the artless joy Of his caddy. You're
going to be the champeen," this worthy
told Willy when they trudged on;
guess that young lady's a mascot"
Il guess she u.s." said Willy. He
was sure of it when at the home hole,
guarded by a high hedge, Dickson's
ball was sliced into the stubborn net
of osage-orange roots. When his own
ball sailed clearly over the wall he
made an excuse Of tying his shoe in
order to get another view Of that
kids" brilliant smile. The girl herself
went ON to the bench in sight Of the
blackboard. Here she found herself
beside an elderly man with great
head of thick gray hair. He was clap
ping SO vigorously that she took him
to be WHY'S father, and sent him a
glance of sympathy. "You been all
round with him?" said he. what
sort of game Is he playing?"
Pretty bad until the fifteenth, and
than a Sunndarn she returned calmly.