The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-09-07
hadn't eome-if only I had that
youngster here"

Still attended by a grinning
throng, Tom purchased the tickets,
and they made the boat with halt
minute to spare. Partly from
the unwonted exertions and partly
from her feelings RachePs face was
scarlet, seeing which Tom kept his
own carefully impassive.
He remained silent as she talked,
begging him half tearfully to brush
away the grains from her collar.
ooh, and it's down inside my collar
toop she cried Then she saw his
eye twinkle, and her color famed
up again.
She CONCEALED into frozen silence
'@You're just as horrid as Marjorie" :"
she said at last. 'FYou enjoyed her
mean joke about the suit case, and
you haven't minded this one bit,
and I'm not going to Philadelphia
at all. Pm going right back on the
next boat"
There were angry tears In her
eyes as she finished, but they were
quickly repressed when she saw the
other eyes still turned on them
from all quarters with interested
amusement.
"That's BETTER" he said dryly as
he observed the change in express
sion. eve don't want to give them
the idea that we are making for a
divorce court. It's too soon to be
conventional. You aren't supposed
to weep for at least month. Now,
then," he went on, calmly unheed-
ing the one withering glance she
cast at him when she was sure no
one would see it, 'sif you 60 back
the kid will have the joke on you.
You can't do a thing to her, and
the more angry you are the better
she'll be pleased. Furthermore, my
dear girlp-
'I'm not your dear girl" she OBJ
served briefly.
"Oh, yes, you are. What I was
going to say was that it seems to
me you're a little rough on yours
truly. I don't especially mind your
apparently violent aversion to the
idea of being married to me, but
I've been intending to tell you for
some time that I don't share in it.
1 think the whole idea is brilliant.
think that kid sister of yours is
bright enough to be twenty, and
Pm going to apologize for my for
mer insult to her age the next time
see her" He waited impressively
for his words to sink in. 'Now,
just reflect" he went on; "the rice
throwing and the unpleasant part OF
getting married are over and done
with. Why not finish it up? Let's
do it now-and then there will be
bride and groom at the house
party"
She looked at him in wonder.
"There is nothing the matter
with your imagination, Tom," she
said, her calmness quite restored by
the magnificent GOODNESS Of his sug'
gestion.
"Of course there isn't" he smil-
ed. '1'm not proposing it for .
joke, dear. l love you. And it's
practicable because I know the IL
cense clerk in Philadelphia, so that
there will be no trouble about thai"
She began to shake her head, but
he noticed that she did not resent
the term he had used. "Iet me
think" she said at last. '1'l tell
you when We get there. But, Tom
-Tom-it would be insane"
'Not bit of it," he said stoutly.
"We'n both live to call your sister
blessed"
They relapsed into silence
which he was careful to break as
seldom as possible till they were
nearing Philadel phia.
"Three minutes to the Broad
street station" he said gravely as
the train pulled in at West Phila-
delphia. Gust three minutes in
which to decide If we are to avoid
our well intentioned friends at the
station"
She shook her head. "Oh, no
longer than that" she said as she
smiled up at him. "It's taken me
nearly three hours"