The bee., 1916-11-14
4 CHANGE or MIND
BY EARL REED sILVERa

Dick Stevens, looking at the letter
in his hand, frowned darhly.
'Tts from my sister," he Informed
his roommate. "She's going to bring
a girl home with her for the spring
vacation"
"Well, what Of itT Jack Ackley
stretched indolently on the cushioned
window seat.
"What Of itf Dick threw the letter
on the desk. "You don't know my sis
ter, do your Well, she's a highbrow in
Vassar, and whenever she comes home
she brings along some bespeckled old
maid who talks about new thought or
something else that I don't know any
thing about"
"Why don't you 60 home with meT
"I can't We've never been sep
arated on Easter and dad is set on
the idea Of having us all together"
"Cnn't you come the day after
Easter"
"By George, so 1 cant" Dick looked
up hopefully. "Tn go to New York to
visit you next Monday"
"All right, I'll be looking for you"
Jack glanced at his watch. "You'd
better hustle II you're going to get
that train"
"Well, so long" he said. "See you
next week." HIS eyes fell upon the
letter lying on the desk. "Oh, yes"
he added, "my loving sister told me to
keep a lookout for Miss Mary Hughes
at Poughkeepsie. She's the girl who's
coming to see us, and is expected to
take the same train that do. Sis
went down yesterday"
Dick secured a Pullman seat at Al
bany, and gave his attention TO n
magazine until Poughkeepsie was
reached. Then, however, he looked
Interestingly out Of the window. Vas
snr girls, dressed In all their spring
flnery, were crowding on the train.
Two girls entered the car. One had
blue eyes, the color of the sky on a
perfect June day. The other wore
spectacles and carried a book on
Modern Philosophy" The girl with
the blue eyes sat opposite him, and the
one with the spectacles took the va
cant seat farther down the car. The
train started, but Dick Stevens did not
turn again to his magazine. The girl
across the aisle looked over at him
and so he put the magazine away in
his bag.
Then Is minutes went before any
thing happened. Finally Dick took a
chance.
'Its rather tlresome riding" he vol
unteered, wheeling in his chair.
eyes, It Is"
"Nould you like something to read"
"No, thank you. It hurts my eyes
to read on the train"
"Do you mind if talk to you"
Dicks eyes looked frankly into her
own, and the girl smiled family.
"Why, no, not Mt ALL" she answered
frankly. ut will help to break the
monotony of the trip"
"Thank your Dick smiled whim-
slcally. "What shall we talk about?"
Anything you say"
"Well, I'm going to tell you my
name first. I'm Dick Stevens, and l
live in Linden, N. j." She started
slightly, but he failed to notice it.
"Pm going home for a vacation in the
deadest place on earth"
"Why," she said-and there was a
decided twinkle in her eyes-"Tve
heard something about Linden. al
ways thought 1t was quite a nice lit
tie place"
1T is, sometimes" Dick admitted,
"but 1t won't be for me this vacation"
"Why?"
well, my sisters a senior at Vas
sar; maybe you know her-Betty stew
ems" The girl looked interested.
"Every vacation she brings home some
hiehbr6w whom l have to entertain"
That's too bad" She looked at him
alphabetically. do you know who
she's going to have this timer"
Eyes, a girl named Mary Hughes.
You can tell by her name that she's an
old maid" His'eyes fell upon the be-
spectacled individual who sat at the
other end Of the car. 81 shouldn't be
at all surprised if it was that young
lady over there. But I'll only have to
be- with her for two days"
"Why is that?"
"Im going to New York the day aft
er Easter to visit my roommate, Jack
A2lSley."
"AIaybe-" Dick hesltated for an in
stAnt, then plunged boldly ahead,
"maybe, if you're going TO spend your
vocation near New York you could let
me come to see you"
"Maybe / could" She smiled. "But
1t wouldn't be quite proper, would it?"
"Why surely" Dick leaned for
ward. "You probably know my sis
ter"
"Yos, / know her rather well. And
I'm going to stay near New York,
too"
'DO you mind telling me your name
and address? l can get Betty to
write you a letter introducing me-"
"AIy name" she hesitsted a mo-
ment, her eyes bubbllng over with fun
tiny name Is Mary Hughes and my
address for the Easter vacation will
be Linden, N. j"
tsXVhaf2n Dick almost fell out Of his