The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-08-25
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ally Jim had seen Mary make her leis-
urely way down the high front porch
and depart with tossing head for 1.-THE
Avenue" Mary appeared to him to
be rather stuck up; she had way OF
CARRYING her head as il she were afraid
it might fall off her rather thin neck
II 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 he 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 1924 a 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
had passed along rather uneventfully ;
he had managed to secure good seat
on the trip to the island, and hav-
ing 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
ed on its return trip Jim began to feel
the STRINGS of vain misgivlngs.
A big silver moon hung over the
water, faint breeze rippled through
the waving hair Of three girls sitting
near him, and from the shadows came
the sound of soft voices. For q 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 a
perfect one. But his honest heart told
him that he was deceiving himself,
that what he wanted was a girl with
laughing eyes and q jest or two on her
lips. He arose restlessly and started
to 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 OF
other nights when he, too, had sat In
the shadows.
But suddenly, from little nook al
the end of one of the small passage
ways, came the sound of sob. Jim
stood still and listened. 1t came again
a girls sob, expressing misery such as
only 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
Tar about her, and jim flesitated .
moment before addressing her. But
another stified sob caused him to touch
her lightly on the shoulder. SIS there
anything I can do?" he asked.
The girl raised her head and turned
a tear-stained face toward him. Ant
then Jim received shock. 1t was
Mary Foster. Gone was the proud
toss of her head, gone the supercilt
GUS stare of her big blue eyes. Sh'
looked very much like helpless child
and Jim's heart went out to her.
"I'm Jim Higgins" he announced
"Ain't there something 1 can do?"
Mary's eyes opened just a littl'
wider.
"Are you the boy across the street?
she asked.
Jim's heart leaped just bit at he
words. He had had no idea that sh
knew him from Adam.
eyes," he said, Il live across tn
street. Now toll me what's the mat
teri"
The girl half turned on the straight
backed chair and Wiped her eyes.
Nothing very much" she answered
II came to the outing with Jerry Ly
ons and he wanted me to come her
and talk with him, and I wouldn't, an
so he went away"
"And you want me to get hir
again?"
A hint of the Mary Foster of oil
was manifested in the girls sudde
change Of manner.
"No, wouldn't have him back TO
hundred dollars" she exclaimed.
never want to see him again"
"Then how are you going to &c
homer"
Mary looked at Jim helplessly.
81 don't know"
Jim exercised his prerogative as on
of the stronger sex.
IT know how you're going to &c
home" he announced. "Tm going t
take you"
Marys hand grasped his arm in
prllsively "Oh, do you mind?"
81 should say I didn't mind" Jim
whole body thrilled at that trustin
clasp Of Mary's hand. "Supposing W
take walk.
The girl hesitated.
"My eyes are wet and / wouldn
want people to see me-" She answered
"Would you mind just sitting here?
Jim assured her earnestly that h
wouldn't mind at all, and so the gil
moved over slightly and they both So
on the chair that was made only fo
L.. %,I fs.t,