Metropolis weekly gazette., 1916-02-11

booths will know that you are among
the guests of honor today I'll ash the
lady to pin this little white bow on her
coat somewhere. There you are.
ma'am."
well, he certainly was nice about
it." said Madge. making her way at
Toms side into the busy hall that
teemed with the mingled sounds and
scents of a food show in progress. Il
never knew that red hair was such
distinction as that, did your"
I'D bit rather have paid our way"
commented Tom, but l suppose it is
| just part of the game. Why, here's my
old school friend, Fred. My, but he
certainly does look tickled to see US!
Hello, Fredi" And before Tom had
had time to present his old chum to
the young woman at his side another
| school friend, whom Tom addressed
simply as Bill, had joined them.
"This surely is surprise" grinned
Bill, and the two young men expressed
the rest of their pleasure in the meet
| ing in series of pump-handle hand
shakes. In halting manner Tom did
manage to make the proper presenta-
tions. and went on his way with the
pretty sehoolmistress.
"They surely seem glad to see us"
| Tom remarked later, after he had met
and been greeted by several of his
other old-time friends. Il tell you
| fellow never knows what 1t is to be
| Ior t.ftf 9th has-
| escorting IA" Here he stammered,
| for pretty speeches were not easy for
him and it was almost in whisper
that he flnished-"a pretty girl"
In the meantime, Tom and Madge
had been greeted cordially by the dem
onstrators at every booth. At one
they were presented with full-size
package of various kinds of popular
| breakfast foods-not the small sample
! packages that were given to the usual
run of visitors. At another they re-
ceived wooden rolling pin with a
| package of pie-crust mixture. Among
| their other booty we're small fiatirons,
dish towels, vegetable cutters. nutmeg
| graters, fiavoring extract and various
kinds of soaps, crackers, tea, coffee
and canned goods-all in large pack
ages
| That's what fellow gets for being
with young lady with red hair" Tom
said as he was helping Made into his
automobile with the various gifts
tucked in at her feet in the first floor
OF the car. We've got enough here
to go housekeeping with" He sudden
ly stopped short in embarrassment.
| Quite inadvertently he had actually
bent the conversation up to the point
where II would be most natural to
make the long-dreamed-of proposal.
But words failed him. He tried as one
tries in vain to speak in nightmare.
There was no use.
After they had sped over several
miles of country road In the half light
OF approaching evening Madge quite
OF those provocative, contagious laughs
| of hers that made Tom more than ever
her deyotee.
Wasn't it funny" she asked coax
ingly.
| "Yes, wasn't it?" agreed Tom, watch
ing her face eagerly and then. after
she had stopped laughing. Wasn't
what funny, Madge?"
About you thinking that it was
still red-haired girls day and asking
to be admitted free without know.
ing"
| Without knowing what, Madge?"
Again Madge laughed, this time
softly.
Don't you know? Don't you know
what they thought. and why they gave
| US all those things? Didn't you really
see the paper and see that on the last
| day of the show 1t was to be free day
not for red-haired girls or yellow
haired girls or girls with black hair as
IL had been on other days, but special
day for folks that were-were going
to be married? That's why your old
| friends looked so tickled and why they
congratulated US and why the people
at all the booths gave us presents. l
knew all the time"
| Fate had been indulgent to the limit
and even Tom had to take the cue.
I'm blessed" he said at first and
then. What's the use of disappointing
the boys? Say, Madge, you know what
/ want to say-but L I. duffer when
it comes to things line this. But you
know what I'm getting at And ap-
parently Madge did.
copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)