The Parker post., 1913-05-17
HIS FAvORITE PAPER
BY JOHN KANE.

! pers under his arm-it was young
Whitman's habit to buy all the news
papers in order to get what he called
broad point Of view-when he felt
slight tug at the topmost paper. In
stinctively he frightened his grip.
There was another tug, this time a
more decided one. IT was also slightly
impatient, and 1t was successful. AS
the newspaper slipped from under his
arm young Whitman was aware that
q coin was being pressed into his
glimpse OF pink, softly curved
cheek under an engulfing hat, and to
| see the young woman deftly whip her
spOtls into shape convenient for car
i rying as she ran.
! Before he could recover his breath
sufficiently to call to her his assailant
had become lost in the crowd that was
boarding the train. All he could be
| sure Of was the pink cheek, hat that
| looked to his bewildered masculine
eye like all the other hats that were
bobbing about the station and blue
serge suit.
Young Whitman looked at the coin
newspapers that remained under his
arm. She had taken his favorite, the
one that he really depended upon for
his literary meal. Then he looked up
| into the grinning countenance Of u
neighbor.
Took you for newsboy. did she?"
chortled the neighbor.
Once more young Whitman looked
down at the money In his hand. He
held it out helplessly. Can you beat
| that?" he said, dazedly.
In spite Of his loss, the memory Of
that pink cheek remained pleasantly
with young Whitman for some time
For its sake ne took decided inter-
est In nondescript hats and blue
serge suits for several weeks after
ward. Probably 1t was this newly de-
veloped interest that made him notice
one evening in the street car which
was bearing him and number OF
others over to his station that directly
in front OF him sat a pink-cheeked
Of the kind already inadequately de.
scribed
He was some little distance behind
the young woman and when on getting
out he passed the seat in which she
had been sitting he saw that she had
left q parcel lying there. He seized
the parcel and made after the owner.
hnS nd hn ioi,
his hat. "but l think you left this in
the car"
The girl looked down at the parcel
at Is mine," she said. Thank you
ever SO much"
She moved to the sidewalk and q lit
tie way out of the crowd without ta-
king the parcel. Then she opened and
plunged her hand into the recesses OF
an enormous handbag. After a more
or less prolonged scrabble" among its
contents she brought forth a small
purse. She scanned its contents
eagerly.
Dear me-" young Whitman heard
her murmur II haven't thing but a
quarter I suppose I'll have to give
him that"
The parcel was taken from him with
hasty courtesy. Once more he felt q
coin pressed into his hand. A vaguely
tmpersonal voice breathed, THANK
you ever 80 much" and the owner OF
the parcel had disappeared trainward
Young Whitman stood still, ponder
ing. Il bet you anything" he remarked
presently, to homself, that that Is the
very same girl. 1t Is fate!"
Nimbly and shamelessly he rushed
into the train, searched until he found
the girl in the blue serge suit, and
then seated himself directly behind
her. He was determined that he
would at least know her next time
they met.
He was so confident that another
meeting had been arranged by fate
that he felt no surprise when upon go.
Ing over to call some evenings later
upon his friends the Parkinsons he
found there the girl of the tips. Mrs
Parkinson presented him to her. In
forming him that the girl was Parkin.
snO's sister, and that she was going
to pass the winter with them.
The rest followed naturally enough.
They are married now.
my dear" young Mrs. Whitman
says whenever her husband starts to
tell the story Of their early encoun-
ters. really. the only thing | noticed
about him each time was his shoes
they were shockingly rusty and worn.
II you could have seen them! He
insists that ! said quarter was too
much for him, but. as matter Of fact,
I would have gladly given him more,
for his shoes looked as If he must be
hungry. I'm glad l married him any.
way. for now l make him keep his
Daily News.