Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-07-24
Epening Story
THE MAN,AND THE MIRACLE

! THE MAINLAND THE MIRACLE.
BY Allison Burr.
| Copyright 1915 by the Mcclure
| Newspaper Syndicate.)
Nell. I've invited Wilbur Kirk and
his mother for the week end" Mrs
Ames gave her niece a sidewise
glance.
Yves. Aunt Lacy answered Nell
without enthusiasm.
well be going back to town week
after next, and l wanted to have them
SO you could meet Mrs. Kirk inform.
ally here"
! Dear Aunt Lucy, wish / could
make you see how impossible it is for
me to like Wilbur Kirk In the way
you want me to like him."
/, And wish could make you see
that he is far superior to any young
man who has paid you marked attep'
ton since you came out last fall"
| But, Auntie, even il saw al the
superiority that you seem to see in
him it would make no difference. 1t
will be something more human than
such superiority that will win my
| heart
! 81 suppose you've got some 70.
mantle notions about cavemen' or
some such nonsense"
Not at all auntie. like men who
are modern and well groomed, but
who make no special parade either OF
their mental. moral or physical super
iority, and that lets out Wilbur and
the cavemen, too. Nelps brown eyes
frightened mischievously and some
day III present you nice nephew
along those lnies. So don't you worry.
Mrs. Ames shook her well-waved
and tightly-netted gray head as Nell
daintily pretty in white gown and
a foppy rose-wreathed hat. started
down the boardwalk toward the post
nee with handful of letters to mail
As Nell came out Of the little frame
postoffice she caught the tinkling
sound Of Hawaiian stringed instru-
ments playing at lifting melody that
was soothing to her restless mood.
Following the sound she went down
the boardwalk and found that the
musicians were stationed in the center
of large refreshment pavilion which
she often patronized.
SO many other people had been at
tracted by the music that nearly all
the tables in the place were filled. but
the bustling manager found Nell
small table over near corner of the
pavilion where she had a glimpse Of
the water front. With the menu card
in her hand she sat for a moment
dreamily listening to the music and
watching the frothy little white caps
follow one after another to the
waters edge. She was thinking that
somewhere there was Just such a man
as she had pictured to her aunt. and
she was wondering when and where
she should meet that man, She had
quite forgotten about ordering any
thing until she became conscious that
man had paused expectantly beside
her table.
Without looking up she gave care
less glance at the menu card, and
asked: DO you stiv serve that delic.
ious peach miracle?"
II beg your pardon" said mans
ful!.toned voice, and. looking up, she
saw. not a waiter as she had expected
but much tanned young gentleman
in blue serge suit that covered
we'll proportional figure six feet in
height. 1t was Nell's turn to beg par.
don now, and she did 1t in state Of
very pretty embarrassment.
This seems to be the only seat
left said the young man, indicating
the vacant chair at Nelfs small table
Have you any objection to my oc.
cupying IT."
%'Not at ALL" said Nell. and she be-
gan studiously to scan the menu card.
The hurrying walters passed easily
back and forth among the crowded
tables, but one OF them with a tray of
ices held fiat in his upturned hand,
looked over his shoulder to catch an
order called out by an impatient pa
tron Just as he rounded corner, and
the next instant his tray struck the
shoulders of the waiter who was lean.
ing forward to take Nells order A
ball of weli-frozen pink ice cream
tumbled from the tray and went roll
ing across the table straight for Nell's
lap. When it was on the very edge
of the table and Nell and the walters
were watching it in wide-eyed help
lessness the sunburned young man
opposite shot across the table and
grabbed 1t so firmly that 1t became a
fattened mass of pink mushiness.
While the penitent walters replaced
the cloth and provided f1ngerbowl
Nell and the young man laid aside re-
serves and laughed lightly about the
awkward incident.
"A moment ago asked you whether
you served peach miracle" said Nell.
but you've made it very evident now
that you can even stop a miracle al
ready in progress"
rs that pink stuff peach miracle?"
he asked