Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-05-11
Epening Story
ALL BY CHANCE.
BY Aionzo Thomas.
Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)

Miss Gertrude Whitney painted a
little.
She composed a poem now and then.
She wrote story now and then for
the magazines.
She read a good many books.
That was the sum and substance Of
what Miss Gertrude Whitney did, and
there were good reasons why she
didn't do more or less. She was all
alone in the world. She had an apart
ment in the city and maid She had
Just enough of an income to maintain
her comfortably, but not to meet the
bills of travelling.
Miss Gertrude never would become
even a second rate artist, and she real
lied it.
Her poems didn't bring either words
Of flattery or tears of sorrow from her
maid
Her stories to the magazines hated
to say farewell to her and always
came back.
That idle life had lasted for three
years, and she had often asked herself
what she was going to do about It,.
Nothing. was always the answer She
simply had to wait and she couldn't be
sure what benefits might accrue from
waiting. Miss Gertrude had never
been in love or you might infer that
she was waiting for marriage.
And 80 she attended the theater now
and then. made brief trips here and
there. did her shopping like any other
young woman and sat on park bench
with her book. Scores and scores OF
times men had come that way and see.
ing her alone on the long bench had
halted and were about to sit down
when a look restrained them.
It was inevitable that morning
would come however. and come it did.
Miss Gertrude sat at one end of her
favorite bench with a morning paper
in her hand when young man OF
about twenty-five came along and took
the other end, and also opened news
paper. He didn't bow and he didn't ask
her permission.
1t seemed to Miss Gertrude that she
had been snubbed, ignored and con-
temtuously treated. and she hoped the
newcomer would try to open a CONVEX
sation with her 80 that she might snub
him. But>he didn't try it. On the con-
trary, he turned partly away from her,
sat very still and read very intently.
She sat there for ten minutes. When
she got UP to 20 she expected he would
look up. but he didn't. On the contrary
he seemed to look down.
The next morning Miss Gertrude
took her accustomed seat She had
about forgiven the young man. figuring
that it was by accident that he had
come along and taken the seat. He
ought to have at least glanced at her
In a respectful way, but perhaps he
was in trouble and his mind was busy
in other directions. She did not at all
expect him this morning, but he came
along as before and took the same seat
and unfolded his paper.
|. BY and by squirrel came to be fed
and without taking his eyes of his pa
per the stranger reached into his coat
pocket and hauled out handful Of
peanuts.
That squirrel would have been an ex-
cuse for him to glance at the girl. and
even to smile, but did he glance or
smile? Not bit Of it.
"1s he deaf or dumb or near sight.
err" queried the girl Of herself, but
she had to admit that he seemed to
have all his senses.
Then two squirrels had row on the
bench and Miss Gertrude jumped up in
alarm, but the young man kept his
eyes on his paper.
It was provoking. and for a moment
she felt helpless. Then she rose up
and walked away as haughtily as a
duchess. taking care, however. to leave
her handkerchief on the seat behind
her. knowing that the wind must blow
1t along to him.
Did the young man call out?
Did he come running with his hat
of?
Not at all. Miss Gertrude walked
SLOWLY and expected a call every sec
ond. but none came After she had
turned bend in the walk she said a
thing or two to herself and with the
toe Of her shoe she gave poor hop
toad a kick that scarried him over the
top Of bush. She dallied around for
fifteen minutes and then walked back
to the bench. The stranger had gone
but the handkerchief was there. It had
futtered over to him and he had pick
ed up a stone and weighted it down
us he human being or a bear"
exclaimed the girl as her cheeks grew
scarlet. well. he won't get another
chance to ignore me
And the next morning she ensconced
herself on bench half mile distant,
and she had Just made herself believe
that she had got the best Of the scrap
when who should come sauntering
along but the same young man with
his newspaper! He took seat as If he
owned half the bench and as If there
was not a woman within half mile of
him
"Tll ignore him AZ I would a bull
frog and I won't be the first to co."
At the end Of an hour the young man
folded his paper. said "Ho-hum,' rose
and sauntered of.
81 declare, / don't know what to do
with such a man as that" exclaimed
the girl, as she looked after him. HE
seems to know I will snub him il he
speaks TO me, and vet he ought to be
brave enough to take the chances
The next two mornings were rainy
| and Miss Gertrude did not go to the
park 1t was better weather on the
third morning and as she left home
she hOned that the Young man had