Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-01-12
NOR the first time my hard young

r. heart was touched. 1 think no
- one who knew Howard Boyd could
help liking him. That l had really hurt
him 1 did not doubt. His eyes, as he
raised his glance to mine, had held real
pain. l would have felt better had he
reproached me. A silence which l felt
held something of contempt was hard
difficult s,thing 1 had to do was to hide
my chagrin over the encounter from
June, who awaited me upstairs.
had never told Howard of June's at
tentions to me. Indeed, I had often lied
to Howard, explaining that 1 had been
home with a headache or that l had been
dining alone with my mother when, as
a matter of fact I had been to- some
party or other with June, who was sup
posed to be Towards best friend. Now
my perfidy had been brought home to
Howard in one fell blow.
Gee" L heard June whisper from
the stairway. what happened to the old
boy? Did he see anything?"
l closed the front door slowly and
turned to face the partner of my guilt.
YES" 1 said, Howard saw you kiss
me and now he's mad. l don't think
he'll come back" And then with a GER
tain amount of anger growing in my
voice-"Its all right for you-he
couldn't make out from our shadow who
you were, but he's mad at me, all right!'
June'S face took on a relieved express
sion.
"oh. he didn't know it was l." he
said quite cheerfully. "Oh, then that's
all right! What's the diff, Di? You can't
keep us all on string, you know. old
Howard had to be thrown overheard
sooner or later; maybe it will be less
painful sooner
nIn tn i'm
so now that's settled, Di," he re-
marked. That makes you my girl,
doesn't it? Well, l guess as long as
Towards gone, we might as well go
ahead to dinner, eh? Come on, let's for
get our troubles"
What was l to do? Gayety of some
kind, l told myself, 1 must have. Ger
tainly l preferred to be with Howard
rather than with June, but Howard was
gone, perhaps gone forever. If you can
not get what yout like you must like
what you get. With an effort L kept
the tears out of my eyes, and then:
"Au right" l said to June. Give me
two shakes to wash up and I'm with
you"
How could lie know that as 1 dressed
l had to swallow the sobs in my throat?
Perhaps 1 scar cely knew myself how big
a price 1 was paying for this gayety L
so coveted; for one thing that brushes
the soul out of girl is to make herself
accept the attentions of some man she
really does not like for the sake of his
gifts.
Although 1 am sure at dinner that
night June could have had no way of
guessing how the thought of Howard
haunted me, it may be that it was be-
cause of his own guilty conscience that
June had never laughed more nor treat
ed me more gayly. And if l seemed TO
appreciate his jokes beyond their de-
serving, l wonder if he guessed it was
because / had to laugh loudly to keep
back the tears. Not until the end OF
dinner, however. did June breach the
subject of our mutual nervousness. y
small, silver-plaited chain purse of
mine was lying beside me on the table.
June rea: hed across and absent-minded-
ly took il from its place and played
with it. Its hghtness seemed to him
cause for mirth.
At last, in spite of my1 protests, he
unclasped it and began to examine its
contents; buttonhook. three hairpins,
a powder puff. a lip stick, two 1O-cent
pieces and a nickel tumbled on the table
cloth before him.
Richest laughed June What are
you going TO do with all this, Miss Van
derbilt?"
l flushed uncomfortably.
"Please!'' 1 protested, won't you put
my things back?'
June looked up at me suddenly. In
flash he realized that l was genuinely
uncomfortable, that probably, although
it was hard for him to realize because
of his own affluent circumstances, this
was all the money | had in the world.
"Oh, / say, Dir he exclaimed, II didn't
mean to tease you, really"
With a quick gesture he took one
hand from his pocket and thrust a little
roll of bills into my purse.
There" he said, that will make the
old thing fatter, won't it?''
Some memory of Howard made me
want to protest. For the first time I
really did not want to take money.
Il don't want it," 1 said. 81 don't
want it, June. Please give me my purse
back again"
He shut the little silver trinket on
it's roll of bills decisively.
Don't be silly. Dr." he said, you've
got to have money, haven't your And
his young face flushed: 'If you're my
girl you've got to take it from me-"
mo! MOI" l said again.
June's glance, wide and dark, was
fixed on my face.
You are my girl; aren't you?" he