The Penn's Grove record., 1916-07-21
TARDY BUT TRUE
BY ELSIE SEE.

refused TO wed Jim Butler, the mer-
chant prince of the town, was now get
ting a good salary as private secretary
to a city lawyer. 1t was equally well
NOW that the merchants young wife
OF a year kept a servant and an auto
mobile and had charge accounts at
the city department stores. Every time
Madge came home for a vacation,
Plalnville weighed the respective mer-
It's Of her independence and the mer-
chants wife's afiuence, but the
shrewdest of the gossips did not sus-
pect that a memory antedating her
affair with Jim Butler meant more to
Madge than anything that had come
into her life.
One summer morning Madge alight-
ed from the six o'clock train for her
vacation without having told of her
coming, as she preferred to surprise
her parents by appearing unannounced
for breakfast.
whats doing today, mother? Is
there a picnic?" asked Madge, after
breakfast.
Now, how did you guess that?"
u saw Tom Jordan hauling some
giant ice cream freezers and a lot of
fruit up to the M~aplewood pasture
and, oh 1 saw a Observation-Disclosures
man In gray tweed over near the hotel.
He looked like a man of affairs above
and beyond PlainviIle picnics."
THAT must have been Tom Whit
low. He's here for a visit, and he
dresses like that and Is staying at
the hotel"
tom Whitlow, who used to"
Madge hesitated, and her mother con
tinued:
used to drive Buffers delivery
wagon. But they say he's made some
thing of himself. He is of
some mines out West somewhere"
That afternoon Madge went with
her parents to the picnic, and, al
though she felt a certain pleasure in
greeting her old friends, she soon be-
gan to feel keenly that she was no
longer in sympathy with their lives or
they with hers.
AS she walked around a thick clump
of hazelnut bushes and sumacs a tall
mar in blue serge, who had been sit
ting on the grass with his broad Shout
ders against a tree, rose and removed
his hat in respectful, but embarrassed
greeting.
Il hope l haven't startled yod," he
said, "and may I hope, also, that YOU
would care to remember Tom Whit
low?"
mot at all" blurted Madge. Then,
in embarrassment, she FASTENED to
add: "That is, you didn't startle me,
and I'm glad to meet you again. But
are you sure you know who 1 ann"
you? Why, you're Madge Ingram.
Pardon me-Miss Ingram"
"No-let's be Madge and Tom be-
fore we begin to be formal" said she,
extending her hand. "You used to
help me with my lessons, but you
wouldn't talk to me. Won't you make
up for lost time now by telling me of
the interesting things you've been do
ing?"
"May I not tell you what I wanted
to tell you years ago, but hadn't the
courage?" His gray eyes were eager
and his strong hand still held hers.
MAY I not tell you that it was you
who first aroused in M a desire to dc
things? Some of the girls at school
made mouths because they had to
stand beside me in class, but you nev-
er did. Those girls, later, looked over
head when they saw me driving a
delivery wagon, but you spoke to me
even then. And may 1 tell you that 1
went away determined to achieve
something that would make me worthy
of even more than your friendly greet
ings? I worked away for a year, and
then I heard you were going to marry
Jim Butler"
He turned away and dropped her
hand.
Il never opened another issue Of
the little old Plainville paper for fear
I'd find the account of your wedding.
I worked my way through the state
university and into mining engineer
IFS iOl NOdAS my .NOIh mas dUSOI utu
and I've known nothing of what
went on at Plainville, but last week
in a railroad restaurant out West I
happened to hear news of you. I
overheard n woman tourist speaking
to another as they sat at dinner. 4
begged Madge Insram to make this
trip with me- she said, but she
thought she must go to Plainville, and
told her she'd as well have married
that merchant after all. but she a V
there's a lot of difference between GO
ing for a vacation and a lifetime
THAT must have been Elsie War
rem" exclaimed Madge, and what a
coincidence that you should have
heard her say that just as you were
starting to PIainville :"
But I wasn't starting until I heard
that 1t was knowing you were free
that brought me here! 1t is because
I've loved you V e since we were chill
H. kI-l r.