The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-07-04
DOLORES PIMEHTO COAT
Ey LOUISE MERRiFlEiO.

girl who wears a pimento coat, salu
Chad firmly, even aggrievedly. Il N
willing to go the limit on this thln2.
I'll put up cash for the eats and III
pull an oar, and do all the camp
tricks | know, but if you think m
going to have that pimento coat
handed to me to carry around on my
arm all the afternoon, you've got an
other guess coming, Shorty. There
be limits even to our fraternal bonds.
boy"
She's a peach of girl, honest
Chaddie. You only saw her for q
minute down at the boat landing
1T was enough. She shone ef-
fulgent on that boat landing. All
could see was a splotch of rare pl'
mento yellow. the glorious deep red
yellow of Castilian banners. And
you want me to attach myself to
that comet. Nay, child, nay. Ask OF
old Uncle Peter what you will, but
no pimento coats, lad
We'll. shake her, if you like. Ill
take her, coat and all, and be glad to.
l tell you that Only it didn't seem
q square deal to her. She's fine
girl, and deserves our best specimen
of manly beauty" He lodged the
clothes brush swiftly and peered
around the hall door for a last fling.
"I'il tell her you objected to the
coat, Chaddie.'
Chad growled an inarticulate an
swer. Yet somehow even after his
roommate had gone. he could not APP
ply himself to books. Out of doors
the first day of June fairly whooped
at him to come and join the fun OF
living. Great fleecy clouds sailed lazily
up from the southwest beyond the
edge of woodland that trimmed the
campus. Beyond the woodland were
the tall sand dunes that sloped to the
blue waters of old Michigan. Along
the shore three miles up, was to be
the picnic, and they were to row there
in boats.
All unconscious of the comment she
had stirred up, Dolores hesitated be-
tween wearing her coat or a white
sweater.
You'll need the coat coming back
when it gets cool toward evening"
Vida advised, and when it came to
general pointers on the etiquette Of
wearing apparel and behavior, the
girls kowtowed to Vida in her "soph"
year.
Dolores nodded her head She
flashed one of her quick, amused
smiles at Vida. 1t was all part OF
her college education. she felt. and
Vida was delightful guide and men
tor.
The next day when Chad met the
girl in the pimento cloak. his worst
enemy could not have wished for a
more complete subjugation. But it
was Shorty, CHEEKY, popular little
Shorty, who walked her away from
him.
All the afternoon she kept away
from him. Then suddenly Fate veered
his way. Out of the southeast there
came up a pelting thunderstorm.
They had walked far along the bluffs.
and Shorty had led the retreat towards
a distant house, when Chad found
himself next the pimento coat.
Drenched it was new. but he well
turned toward what looked like a
shelter in the trees.
why, it is a pilot house." cried
Dolores, That Is queer"
mot at ALL plunged Chad boldly.
They're cast up by wrecks all along
the Michigan coast line. Then the
people turn them into summer houses
-and-and chicken coops, you know
anything. think it's cosy myself"
1--WE should go OF with the rest"
They'll never miss US, and I've got
to speak to you. Why did you make
believe you did not know me?"
do know you, Mr.. Grayson?" Do
lores' dark eyes looked at him SO
seriously and anxiously that Chad
lost his head.
DO you-oh, Lord! Didn't I make
love to you for five days coming from
Cherbourg a year ago? Aren't you
Miss Merrill?"
"One of them. There are three OF
us. and we all look very, very much
alike to strangers"
I'm not stranger. I've been
writing you letters ever since, and
pouring out my heart to you, and
you've answered them, haven't your"
Maybe my sister Reina, or my Sis
ter Sigma"
1T was you. Don't you suppose q
man has any intuitive sense? Didn't
Id know you anywhere, and love you
under any circumstances. You
wouldn't have answered my letters II