Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1915-06-22
As IN THE OLD DAYS
BY MARY MARSHALL.

~ . sum u bOiC NV " hefc w.
fee."
Tom Blake drew a long puff from
his cigarette and then YEARLY
watched the smoke as It circled over
Julia's head. It had come to be
matter of fact for Tom and Julia
Dawson to come off like this at the
Blair parties and pass an hour in
quiet in the broad sweeping veranda
overlooking the sea.
Julia sat up erect and looked at
Tom with the frankness of old ac-
quaintance, the result of a friendship
that had lasted through the days when
Julia and Tom both left college sew
eral years before. You are getting
to be miserable, grumpy old bach
elor. Tom Blake"
When a man is as old as / am
he doesn't delude himself easily.
wish the Blairs would serve coffee.
Who wants an Ice without coffee even
In July?"
And you are miserable Just be-
cause they didn't happen to have It?
Why don't you go down to the hotel
and get some If that is the way you
feel? If anyone we're at our cottage
I'd like you to come home now. Cof-
fee is very simply concocted."
'T dare you, Julia" Tom tossed
his cigarette off the veranda and
stood beside her. Don't refuse a
dare, do you? | double dare you to
let me go home with you now and
make it. Remember how / used to
dare you-dared you to kiss me once
at our junior prom, and you were too
good a sport to refuse. But kissings
gone out of fashion now, Julia.
triple dare you to make the coffee"
A minute later Julia, her light
evening cape thrown around her
shoulders, stole down the veranda
steps with Tom. Just as they turned
into the pathway that led into the cot
tage two neighbors passed. Its
julia" one said, "and that Mr.. Blake.
No ones in the cottage, either. Funny
of Julia to be there alone, and that
Blake they say used to be in love
with her once" Julia was fumbling
with the keys and did not hear this,
but Tom caught it.
Once in the house Julia dropped
her wrap and started toward the din
ing room.
"Oh, forget the coffee!" Tom called
after her. THAT walk down here was
all the bracer | needed. l didn't really
mean that l was going to let you go
to all that trouble"
1t was perhaps because Julia turned
and smiled over her shoulder as she
hurried on to the dining room, and
| partly because the remark of the
neighbor had brought back flood of
old recollections, that Tom rushed
forward and caught Julia in his arms.
But it was a very different Julia from
the Julia he had kissed in his college
days. She had been frightened and
happy then. Now she was apparently
unmoved. She drew away almost in
anger
Toni" there was deep reproof in
her tone, how could you?"
But you used to let me. You know
how you protested that night when
We left college and didn't think we'd
see each other for a whole long
month afterward. But you yielded
and then you cried In my arms at the
| thought of the separation. And now
/ am away from you a whole winter
at a time and you don't give me
thought" He caught her again and
kissed her as If none of the four in
tervening years had cooled his ardor.
Julia struggled against his arms.
1T is unfair" she told him. Il ac-
cepted your dare thinking that you
gave it in good faith. and now | find
that it was just a ruse. Please go
away at once. l don't mind being
left here alone. but | refuse to stay
alone with YOU"
What IL they did see? They could
only think that wanted to take you
off by yourself where | could kiss you
and tell you that love you"
But how unfair of you to suggest
it just because thought you wanted
coffee and all the time you we're
planning"
Tom drew the girls slender figure
toward him. Julia, l didn't plan
anything. / didn't dream I'd kiss
you. was crusty old bachelor
when I was at the Blairs. Coffee
was the most important thing in life
at that time. I'd forgotten the Joy
of touching your lips to mine. But 1t
all came back In a food of recollec-
tion. Julia. think that the neigh
bors will talk about US. | think II
will be all over the place. the scan
dal OF the summer. In fact, heard
someone starting the gossip as We
came in. Julia, you are dreadfully
compromised-that is what they say.
isn't it? You have been very indis-
Greet to let me come in this empty |
house with you. Julia" Tom was
standing with his hands on JuIia's |