Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1917-09-12
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ally Jim had seen Mary make her leis-
iurely way down the high front porch
and depart with tossing head for "The
Avenue" Mary appeared to him to
be rather stuck up; she had way of
carrying her head as If she were afraid
1T might fall off her rather thin neck
if she inclined it the least bit forward,
and once or twice Jim had found those
rather large blue eyes of hers looking
straight through him, as if ne had
been nothing more than a piece OF
wood leaning against the fence post.
Looking at Mary from the viewpoint
of a stranger, Jim decided that she
was just the kind Of girl he didn't
want to know.
Jim was twenty-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
mad passed along rather uneventfully;
he had managed to secure good seat
on the trip to the island, and hav-
ling once reached the boat landing he
had fastened to the beach and had
spent the entire day in a bathing suit.
but when the big excursion boat start
led on its return trip Jim began to feel
the STRINGS Of vain misgivings.
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 in 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 girl with
laughing eyes and a jest or two on her
lips. He arose restlessly and started
Ito 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 or
Iother nights when he, too, had sat In
the shadows.
But suddenly, from little nook at
1.-THE end of one OF the small passage
iways, came the sound Of sob. Jim
stood still and listened. It came again,
q girls sob; expressing misery such as
tonly 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 a girl.
There was something vaguely famil-
lar about her, and Jim hesitated
moment before addressing her. But
another stiied sob caused him to touch
her lightly on the shoulder. us there
anything I can do?" he asked.
The girl raised her head and turned
"a tear-stained face toward him. And
then Jim received shock. 1t was
MARY Foster. Gone was the proud
toss of her head, gone the supercii-
,ous stare of her big blue eyes. She
looked very much like helpless child,
and Jim's heart went out to her.
"Tm Jim Higgins" he announced.
saint there something can do?
Mary's eyes opened just a little
wider.
"Are you the boy across the street"
she asked.
Jim's heart leaped just bit at her
words. He had had no idea that she
knew him from Adam.
eyes" he said, 81 live across the
street. Now tell me what's the mat
ter?'
The girl half turned on the straight
backed chair and wiped her eyes.
Nothing very much" she answered.
isT came to the outing with Jerry Ly-
ions 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
.again?"
A hint of the Mary Foster Of old
was manifested in the girls sudden
change Of manner.
'No, I wouldn't have him back for
"a hundred dollars" she exclaimed. u
never want to see him again."
"Then how are you going to get
homer"
Mary looked at Jim helplessly.\
81 don't know"
Jim exercised his prerogative as one
Sof the stronger sex.
81 know how you're going to get
4home," he announced. "rm going to
take ,ycl.."
Mary's hand grasped his arm i'm
.pulsively -H0h, do you mind?"
st should say didn't mind" Jim's
whole body thrilled at that trusting
clasp of Mary's hand. "Supposing we
take q walk.