South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-08-30
By Israel Frost

shore with a feeling of elation. as
though she had escaped from a mild
sort of prison on the front steps
she passed Wells Lewis. lie was
personally conducting several paper
bags of surreptitious groceries that
Nirginia knew represented light
housekeeping She bowed to him
absently rs she always did TO her
neighbors. and went on across the
square drawing ca her long gloves.
Terry arrived on the 7:45. Con-
voyins a suitcase and several mys-
terious parcels along sportsman
lines; ne arrived at Mrs Finnegan's
at nearly 9 o'clock. Lewis heard
the alteration i'm the lower hall
while Terry tried to explain his rela-
tionship 10 Miss Carrinston and his
rights and privileges in her alb
sence. But Mrs Fianegan was Oh
duate. Tt might lie so and then
again ii miehtn't She would take
no chances. If he liked, he could
have a cot down i'm the furnace
room, hut she would not give any
keys out without orders
81 saw Miss Darlington go away
about ESQ" called Lewis over the
banister rail Anything can
Go2 Won't YOU come up with me
until she gets back?"
Terry accepted with alacrity. He
not only came up, but he pitched
into the remains of Lewis supper
and cleared it up TO the last crumb.
For two days and a half he lived
here. and at the end of that time
he had managed to impart every in
cident and accident that had nap
pened TO the Darlington family
within his memory.
Lewis listened sympathetically 10
everything, even when Terry told
how he had been bounced" from
the prep" school. There had been
a little affair of guinea pigs, many
guinea pigs hidden all around the
assembly hall on a certain evening
when the younger boys We're ex-
GUIDED from a senior dance. Their
purchase had been traced TO Terry.
and when they were even found IN
the lockers of the senior dormitory
the matter was taken before he fac
ulty.
some fellows can't take a joke. q"
Terry concluded. scathingly. Pm
glad 10 be out of it, I'm 16 and
ought TO be at work instead of let
ting girl sister support me- Wish
YOU could get me a job before she
gets back"
Lewis considered the matter. lie
liked the boy. IL was the age OF
specialization. lie himself regretted
every year of his teens spent in an
expensive prep" school. The end Of
il was that he called up Stockton
and asked him 20 put the boy TO
work at draughtsmanship.
III help YOU on your 'math' at
night. 1 don't think your sister has
I room for YOU down stairs. I'd like it
I if you'd bunk up here with me, old
| man. and keep me company"
/ Terry loved him for that phrase.
"old man. He went To work the
next morning and walked i'm on Vir-
| ginia that night a full-hedged bust
I ness man. with a steady job and a
/ salary. She listeEed 10 his eXplana-
= tions in silent amazement
Why. Terry. l have only a bow
! ing acquaintance with this person"
I well. Wen fix that" replied
! Terry. comfortably. I'm going to
share his room. and pay my bit. so
you'd better get acquainted. Ginuie.
! III il hadn't been for him. think
where your little brother might have
; ended up-lost i'm a great city. while
! sister was seboating gaysomely.
\ I invited him down for dinner to-
\ night with us OF course, if YOU
/ don't want him. we can go out
Virginia stood 40 the open window.
/ looking down az the courtyard where
one lone sumac tree brayed the city
/ summer heat. From the windows
| above hoated "a whistle that had be-
! come familiar-Lewis. holding forth
ON his favonte melody. Pm going
/ back. back. back 10 Carolina: back
where I was born
All at once she knew that she had
been lonely. That isles Of safety
/ could be very desolate when one is a
/ stranger i'm New York. Even Terry
could not realize that the walls OF
Jericho had tumbled down, as she
/ said.
You'd better run up and tell him
| its AN right before he starts getting
| his dinner himself"
trouyright 1917