Norwich bulletin., 1917-09-06
HE WAS so DIFFERENT

l With masterful directness the young woman whose hat had the yellow braid opened fire. Who was that perfectly
 stunning six-foeter I saw with you al the concert on Saturday evening, Clar- l ibel?" she asked.
 l Mercy Did you see him ?" parried
 he other young woman in the oiled silk
 raincoat.
 'IIe certainly wasn't particularly in 1 conspicuous" returned the yellow 1 braided girl. T don't see why you are
 so startled"
 | Exactly when did you see us?" 'sYou were coming out ot the hall. l tried to attract your attention, but "Oh, I am thankful that it was then I and not before" interrupted Claribel in l a tone that indicated relief. Her friend | looked at her in surprise.
 You see, Bess," she explained, "l | Norman. His name is Allan Norman. ! Distinguished, isn't it? Late Saturday afternoon mothers old friend, Mrs. | Francis Greene, telephoned to know whether I was free for the evening. When I told her yes she said she was delighted. because she had a favor to ask of me. She is such a dear that of course I offered at once to do anything g 1 could. CT have a charming cousin here from tho west she explained, and l wish you to go to the symphony with him this evening on my season ticket. I have il slight cold and I don't think it wise to go out, so if you'll take pity on Allan I'll be duly grateful, for I don't wish the dear boy to miss. the concert. He adores music. Indeed, he cares more for all the arts than do most young business men, and yet he is delightfully."- breezy and good fun. He's remarkable in many ways. You'll find him most unusual. He is really quite-well, quite different. Not pe- o.rI;o hut q
 How eXcfting!" said the yellow braid young woman. I'm not sur prised that you were so willing to ac- conlmodate Mrs. Greene. Almost any girl would be-"
 Wait until you hear the rest of the story" laughed the girl in the rain . coat. Her cousin was not such an unqualified delight as you may fancy. I have 70 admit that he is tall good looking and, as she said, breezy On the wap down to the concert I was happy in having met some one so re- freshingly original. His manner had that touch of bluff gentleness that sug gests the sagebrush country. and I con fess that I really liked him very well until we took our seats, and he re- moved iiis overcoat and muffier.
 Then I saw that he certainly was, as Mrs Greene had said. different, if not peculiar. Immediately I realized that I didn't feel kindly toward that lady. I had thought when she tele- phoned hat she was sweetly giving MT. Norman and me a chance to be- come acquainted without any formal i ity, for, you know, 1 am quite con- 1 vinced that all married women between 1 the age of 40 and death are match | makers. But now I positively knew l that she had conjured up her slight. cold in order that her strange cousin | might be shifted into my hands. She had no Gesire to be seen with him."
 q suppose you discovered then for the first time that he wore earrings and was tattooed."
 Not cutie, my dear, but the minute he took off his overcoat I knew tlA1t ne was an eccentric dresser. He looked perfectly weird and I hardly dared raise plv eyes from my program lest should see some of my friends look ing at us. As it was, I caught the l amused glances of several strangers, and I was about as uncomfortable as could be-"
 You should worry! You knew he was western, and his cous'n had real y warned you that he wasn't like other people. l think I should have enjoyed being with someone who had the cour- age to get away from the everlasting of mems uniform costume"
 That sounds all right when yOu say t. But fear I'm not so advanced and have a suspicio1 that if you had been SO pleased. Anyway I didn't like 1t, ind if could have thought of any reasonable excuse for leaving early I should have suggested going home turing the intermission, but I couldn't 50 stuck it out, and the Eappiest mo- nent of the whole evening was when ;e was once more closely buttoned ntO his long ulster. l was really quite gay going home and he appeared re- ieved.
 "'Do you know h E, said as we went nto the house, I was afraid you had been seized with a sudden headachea You looked so depressed during the concert. Or does heavy music of that zind sadden you? l.
 Oh, .oo,' I answered, T love it, but
 did fee, rather-well, rather queer this evening" This was in me, of course, I quickly expressed | ny delight over the fact that the fi- ,rary fire was still burning.
 "Does that mean I may tarry ittie?' le asked. It looks uncommon ,ozy here.''
 "'Yes, do take off your overcoat,' aid, with sort of hysterical gasp, It isn't at all late.'
 'He rather eagerly. divested himself topped toward the fire he glanced into he mirror over the mantel
 Great Caesars gnost!' he exclaiu- d. Good heavens, why didn't you tell ne I was minus a necktie7'
 "'Why,' I faltered. I fa1cied-I fan jed that-that it was an idiosylcrasy f yours, perhaps, to go without a tie. 1rs. Greene said you were from the vest and that you were-wereI
 Batty or anything like that?' he