Catoctin clarion., 1917-11-08
nm - AnrHn1H ~nA Abd1
- :. MOVING DAY. .
n BY ISABEL FROST. N
wy - IA ~ "a n - ~ - n n MW
BY ISABEL FROST.


had meant to drop in the office on her
way to the station and tell his slave at
the desk that they might renew her
lease; but 1t was pouring pitchforks.
and she had to make train therefore
she trusted to luck and the landlords
intuition.
When she returned on May she en-.
countered large packing cases in her
hall, also young man in shirtsleeves
wrestling with the same.
"I'll have these out of the way in
Just minute, so you can get by he
told her. pleasantly.
But l don't want to get by" said
Alice frigidly. "Thank you. merely
wish to get into my apartment
He looked at her in surprise.
"There seems to be some mistake
here. rented this apartment under
the impression that it was vacant" he
explained. "From May for one year.
I'm just moving iN.'
Alice's face turned shade paler.
WHY illSllli'tiNC SSSohN ht
ture to her, and she forced herself to
speak very quietly.
"May phone the Officer" she asked,
bit hclplessly.
PaXtons voice was suave but firm,
He reminded her that they had written
several times, inquiring her intentions
on the renewal of her lease, and she
had calmly ignored them.
"lIave You anything else left in the
building?" she asked.
mo, I am very sorry, but there Is
nothing at all left. We waited until
the very last moment for your decision,
but Mr.. Reeves wished the apartment
on the first, and we accommodated
him. If there is anything that we can
do"
No. there was nothing they could do.
She thanked him and hung up the re-
rcivcr. Drawing off her gray suede
gloves, she looked around her bit
tiredly.
"Ill pack up my things right away"
she said.
"You won't do anything of the sort.
| shall not retain the apartment he
told her resolutely. "(t was beastly of
them to rent ii without your knowl'
edge. I'm going to throw the whole
thing up"
"But YOU can't, you know. Not If
you've signed q lease" She laughed
rather wearily. "If you don't mind. ]
think I'll make a cup of tea for myself
before I pack my dishes. Won't you
join me-"
Before the impromptu tea was half
over, she made several enlightenine
discoveries. First, Mr. Reeves was Il
Yale man, the same class as her broth.
er Tom. This in itself would have war
rantcd her in accepting almost any fa'
vor at his hands. The time slipped
away while he told of Toms initiation
into their fraternity, aud then she
found herself reading to him Toms
last letter frcm France, where he had
joined the aviation corps.
"Of course you understand" he told
her, when they had finished tea, that
can't possibly let you 90 out of here
If they won't let me step down ana
out, shall sublet to YOU
She wrote to Tom, telling him of the
accidental meeting, and asking him II
he remembered Dick Reeves, class
10. Yale. The answer did not come
back for nearly two months, and in
that time Dick had securely estab-
ished himself as a landlord who be-
slowed remarkable attention upon his
tenant. He called frequently.
Then came the letter from Tom. she
never forgot the moment when she
opened it. just after Dick had gone.
Hes one of the finest old chaps l
ever met, but he got into miX-ur at
college with a girl who blew into town
with a road show. | guess she was
square little kid, all right, for she new
er tried to hold Dick, and told him ne
was making q fool of himself for moth
Ing. His old man went mad over the
affair and cut Dick off without cent.
He stuck 1t out, though, working his
way through his last year, and took his
degree. don't know what became OF
the girl. believe he's working now In
his cousins automobile factory, learn
ing the business from the ground up.
I'm mighty glad you've met him.
It was two weeks later. He sat on
the window-seat looking down at
Gramercy park. "Alice," he said sud
denly. with touch of desperation In
his tone, "Tve got to tell you some
thing. Something I'm mighty ashamed
Of, now that I've met you and known
the real thing. Maybe I'm wrong, hut
it seems to me you ought to know be-
fore ask you to be my wife,
Alice bent little lower over her en-
broidery as she sat in dark-green VIII
low chair beside him.
.I've heard all about Peggy" she
said, quietly. "Tom told me. / Ike
YOU much better as worker, Dick,
than as you must have been before
she switched your life into the manlier
way of independence. Was that allE
She glanced up at him with little
mischievous smile Of inquiry, and Dick
left the window seat.
The following morning Mr.. Paxton
glanced up from his desk. Dicks tone
was very decisive.
1--WE wish few alterations made In
the apartment, Miss Barton and my
self. We will be married on the 10Th,
and t will have to be in shape by the
t.me we get back from our honey
mOon."
Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure Newspa.
per Syrdicate)