Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1917-08-11
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POINT OF VIEW :
BY EARL REED SilVERS. d,

urCly way down the high front porch
and depart with tossing head for THE
Avenue Mary appeared tn him tu
be rather stuck up; she had way of
carrying her head rs If she were afraid
II might fall off her rather thin neck
Il she inclined II the least hit forward
and once or twice Jim had found those
rather large blue eyes OF hers looking
straight through him, as If he had
been nothing more than piece Of
wood leaning against the fence post.
Looking at Mary from the viewpoint
Of stranger. Jim decided that she
was Just the kind Of girl he didn't
want to know.
Jim was twcnty.four years old, and
he made S24 week, and more than
one blooming maiden had'looked at
him with rather covetous eyes. But
Jim considered himself girl-proof.
Yet on the evening of the annual
outing of the Republican club Jim was
destined to meet his fate. The day
had passed along rather uneventfully:
he had managed to secure good seat
on the trip to the island, and hav.
ing once reached the boat landing he
had fastened to the beach and had
spent the entire day In bathing suit.
But when the big excursion boat start
ed on its return trip Jim began to feel
the STRINGS of vain misCivings.
A big silver moon hung over the
water a faint breeze rippled through
the waving hair of three girls sitting
near him. and from the shadows came
the sound of soft voices For time
Jim sat i'm the bow of the boat with
his bachelor friends and tried TO per-
,suade himself that his pipe was all
that he needed to make the evening
perfect one. But his honest heart told
him that he was deceiving himself.
that what he wanted was u girl with
laughing eyes and n jest or two on her
lips. He arose restlessly and started
10 walk toward the stern. In every
conceivable nook he could glimpse
dark figures. sitting surprisingly close
and making surprisingly little noise.
They awoke In jim vague memories of
other nights when he. too, had sat in
the shadows.
But suddenly, from little nook AT
the end of one of the small passage.
ways, came the sound of a sob. Jim
stood still and listened. II came again,
q girls sob. expressing misery such as
only youth can know. Jim turned and
made his way into the shadows, find
Ing In the very farthest corner Of the
niche the huddled figure of girl.
San,nthtnu ypo ttnIv futpil.
lar about her. and Jim hesitated n
moment before addressing her. But
another stified sob caused him to touch
her lightly on the shoulder. rs there
anything can do2" he asked.
The girl raised her head and turned
tear-stained face toward him. And
then Jim received shock. II was
Mary Foster. Gone was the proud
toss Of her head. gone the supercili-
GUS stare Of her big blue eyes. She
looked very much like helpless child,
and Jlm's heart went out to her.
I'm Jim Higgins" he announced.
"Ain't there something I can do?'
Mary's eyes opened just Il little
wider.
"Are you the boy across the streetT'
she asked.
JIm's heart leaped just bit ut her
words. He had had no idea that she
knew him from Adam.
"Yes," he said, ~ live across the
street. Now tell me what's the mat.
I teri"
The girl half turned on the straight
; backed chair and wiped her eyes.
"Nothlng very much" she answered
IL came to the outing with Jerry Ly'
ons and he wanted me to come here
and talk with him, and wouldn't, and
So he went away"
"And you want me to get him
againf" .'... ....
A hint OF the Mary Foster of old
was manifested In the girls sudden
change Of manner.
mo, l wouldn't have him back fol-
hundred dollars" she exclaimed. 81
never want to see him again"
"Then how are you going to ge,
homer"
Mary looked at Jim helplessly.
II don't know"
Jim exercised his prerogative as one
Of the stronger sex.
81 know how you're going TO get
home" he announced. I'm going 70
take you"
Mary's hand grasped his arm i'm
pulslvely "Oh, do you mindf"
~ should say didn't mind" Jim's
whole body thrilled at that trusting
clasp of Mary's hand. "Supposlng w
take walk
The girl hesltated.
MY eyes are wet and / wouldn'
want people 10 see me" she answered
would YOU mind just sitting heref'
Jim assured her earnestly that h
wouldn't mind at all, and so the cir
moved over slightly and they both sa
on the chair that was made only 70
one. One silver moonbeam rested fair
Is on Mary's brown hair Jim's finger
touched 1t llngerlngly. There wa
something about Mary which wa
different from any girl he had eve
known.
He liked the blue Of her eyes an
the proud way she carried her head
MARY" he said softly, you're on
Of the prettiest girls I've ever seen.
Which all goes to show that goo
deal IN life depends upon ones poin
Of view.
Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure Newsps