The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-02-01
BECAUSE OF BRUIN
BY cATHARINE cRANMER.


is a pretty girl OF twenty
Dorothy swung along over the
smooth slopes, STOPPING often to gath
er wood violets or to listen to the sing
ing of the birds.
Its too lovely a world to be un-
happy in," she murmured. squir-
rel gave a harsh and saucy bark.
That's right, little fellow" retorted
Dorothy, seating herself on a park
bench; 'just scold when things don't
suit you. Pm going TO scold, too, and
give mother and daddy to understand
that ] don't care how blue John Now
bray's blood is or how big his bank ac-
count or how good his chances to be-
come governor"
Suddenly the chorus OF birds ended
in quavering chit-chat. Dorothy
looked about and saw a full-grown
black bear leisurely sauntering toward
her. She sprang from her seat and
ran for the nearest roadway.
She looked back once and saw the
bear galloping toward her. but she did
not see two park laborers bearing
down on him. Neither did she see
lone young golfer stroiling cityward
until she rushed directly into him.
The force OF their collision sent the
young mans glasses flying and they
broke into bits.
"The devil!" he muttered.
''Oh, I'm sorry" she gasped, but It's
really coming right after me-"
whats coming? The devil?"
mo, you stupid; the bear!" Dor.
othy's high.wrought tension almost
snapped and the tears hung on her
lashes. Seeing no bear or other cause
for her agitation. the young man
looked puzzled, but the next instant
perplexity gave way to a riotous smile.
Down the road came the two park la
borers with the captive bear. Dor
othy quickly snatched bill from her
purse and flung it at the astonished
young man.
There! Pay for your old glasses
and stop laughing at mel" She fled
behind the shrubbery and after her
went the young man.
81 say" he stammered, as he
reached her side and trotted along
with her I'm sorry was nasty about
the glasses. and you must take this
back"
His laugh was too infectious to be
resisted and Dorothy laughed, too.
They slowed up as they reached the
seat she had vacated and dropped into
| it. Between bursts of laughter, she
explained that when the bear had
frightened her it was galloping toward
| her, with never a keeper in sight.
"If | hadn't already been wrought
up, maybe II wouldn't have frightened
me so" Then she surprised him by
suddenly asking: IF somebody tried
to make you marry woman twice as
old as you Just because she was rich
and influential, what would you do?"
I'm afraid should decline"
But because I'm young and silly
and want to stay that way, daddy
won't take me seriously when / de-
cline; so I'm going to run away"
"Oh, don't do that" he pleaded
"Why not head OFF the old man by
marrying a young one?"
"Well, I'm sure don't want to mar
ry anybody Just now" plaintively. A
| moment later she stamped her small
foot defiantly. And daddy needn't
try to thrust me upon old John Now
bray"
John Mowbray!" exclaimed the
young man. Dorothy clapped her hand
over her mouth and fed.
All day Dorothy avoided her parents
because of the scene at breakfast fol
lowing their announcement that they
had invited John Mowbray and his
widowed sister and her children to an
informal dinner that evening. They
also openly admitted that they had
hopes OF having John Mowbray for q
son-in-law and had reason to believe
that he also had such an ambition
Their precipitate mention of the plans
caused Dorothy to begin at once to
find excuse for despising her fathers
professional friend, whom she had
hitherto regarded with polite indiffer
ence. She passed an uncomfortable
day, and as the dinner hour ap
preached she mentally pictured theil
guests as a tiresome lot, although sh,
hadn't even inquired about their mum
Der, their age or their sex.
In q simple dinner gown OF white ne
with blue girdle, with her blond hail
softly knotted at the back and with
her blue eyes deeply serious, she EN-
tered the living room from the real
just as her mother was greeting thu
arriving guests. First, her mother
presented her to Mrs. Elwood, won
an Of fifty; then came Miss Elsie El
wood, In her early teens. and theI
from the hall entered John Mowbra,
and Dorothy's father and with then
came the young man whose glassei
she had shivered that morning in thu
| nark