The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1917-05-17
tors, he smiled coed naturedlv and


sympathetically. Then when the
curtain fell he took her where they
could get an ice, which to her was
more than q canvasback duck to one
who had been satiated. And that
night Blanche went to sleep dream
ing that Forman was the hero and
she the heroine in the play that had
been enacted. As for Forman, ne
sank to slumber thinking about the
pretty young thing who had sat be-
side him at the theater.
Forman passed the next evening
at his club. But somehow the even
ing dragged. At billiards the face
of Blanche was always intcrposing
itself between him and the object
ball. At bridge he lost bccau>e he
couldn't keep his mind OH ti!c Same.
And so it was in whatever he did.
One morning Forman woke up
conscious of the fact that he was
drifting into an equivocal position,
His friend had asked him to look
out for mis- home and the two people
in it during his absence. What
had he been doing? Turning the
head of that friends daughter, not
quite seventeen years old. In this
Forman was wrong. 1t was not he
who was turning the girls head, but
she who was turning his head. At
any rate, there was something very
delightful between them. How
would he meet his friend when he
returned? Then suddenly be was
terrified at the thought that
Blanche would give the whole mat
ter away 10 her father.
And this is exactly what she did.
She didn't tell him her secret, but
when Forman went to the house
on the evening of Fisk's arrival to
get something he had left there
Blanche received him so enthusias-
tlcally that her father could not
help noticing it. Forman began to
stammer something that would help
the matter.
at has been a pleasure to me, "
he said, "to afford your little girl"-
here Blanche gave him a reproach-
full look-"some amusement during
your absence. Her aunt was good
enough to let me take her to the
theater, and | gave her a drive in
the park in my buggy"
Didn't you enjoy it all, too, Mr..
Forman?" interrupted Blanche,
with another pronounced reproach-
full look.
Every much, very much!" replied
Forman, reddening.
81 dare say you've been very kind,
old man." said Fisk, and there was
something in the familiar appella-
ton of "old man" that for the first
time grated on Forman's feelings.
81 think III stroll over to the club
with you tonight for a game Of
BRIDGE.
That was the last meeting be-
tween Forman and the little girl for
three years. She was then a young
lady.
blanche is home," said Fisk to
his friend one day. "Come round
and see u.s..
81 will with pleasure" replied
Forman, and he chose time for
calling when he knew his friend
would not be at home.
When Forman called he saw a
vision of loveliness advancing to
greet him with pleasure in her eye
and a smile on her lips. It seemed
to him all at once that he had been
growing younger as the girl had
been growing older. Surely this
could not be the little girl whom he
had taken to the theater and to
whose prattle he had so often lis
tened. That experience now SEEM
ed to him like dream.
The child had passed completely
into the woman. Nevertheless she
had not recovered from her girlish
fancy, and though she endeavored
to conceal the fact from Forman
she failed. He saw through the dis
guise at once and his heart was fill
ed with a great joy.
There was a courtship, but post
facto one. The real courtship had
occurred three years before.