The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-10-17
!. POINT OF VIEW =
Ia BY EARL REED SlLVERS. ~


ally Jim had seen Mary make ner le1S-
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 a way OF
carrying her head as If she were afraid
it might fall off her rather thin neck
If 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 piece Of
wood leaning against the fence post.
Looking at Mary from the viewpoint
of stranger, Jim decided that she
was just the kind Of a girl he didn't
want to know.
Jim was twenty-four years old, and
he made $24 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;
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 bathing suit.
But when the big excursion boat start
ed on it's return trip Jim began to feel
the STRINGS of vain misgivings.
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 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
perfect one. But his honest heart told
him that he was deceiving himself,
that what he wanted was a girl with
laughing eyes and 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 at
the end of one Of the small passage
| ways, came the sound Of sob. Jim
stood still and listened. It 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 huddied figure Of girl.
There was something vaguely famil-
lar about her, and Jim hesitated
moment before addressing her. But
another stifled sob caused him to touch
her lightly on the shoulder. us there
anything I can do2" he asked.
The gill raised her head and turned
| a tear-stained face toward him. And
then Jim received a shock. 1t was
Mary Foster. Gone was the proud
toss of her head. gone the supercili-
Gus stare of her big blue eyes. She
looked very much like helpless child,
and Jim's heart went out to her.
'Tm Jim Higgins" he announced.
''Ain't there something I can dol"
Mary's eyes opened just a little
| wider.
"Are you the boy across the street"
| she asked.
Jim's heart leaped just bit at her
words. He had had no idea that she
knew him from Adam.
'Yes," he said, 81 live across the
street. Now tell me what's the mat
ter?'
The girl half turned on the straight
| backed chair and wiped her eyes.
Nothing very much" she answered.
81 came to the outing with Jerry Ly-
ons and he wanted me to come here
and talk with him, and I wouldn't, and
so he went away"
"And you want me to get him
again?"
A hint Of the Mary Foster Of old
was manifested in the girls sudden
change of manner.
''No, I wouldn't have him back for
hundred dollars" she exclaimed. II
never want to see him again"
"Then how are you going to get
homer"
Mary looked at Jim he1plessly.
II don't know"
Jim exercised his prerogative as one
Of the stronger sex.
81 know how you're going to get
home" he announced. "1'm going to
take you"
Mary's hand grasped his arm i'm
pulsively "Oh, do you mind7"
81 should say didn't mind" Jim's
whole body thrilled at that trusting
clasp of Mary's hand. "Supposing we
take walk.
The girl hesitated.
"My eyes are wet and I wouldn't
want people to see me-" she answered.
"Would you mind just sitting here"
Jim assured her earnestly that he
wouldn't mind at all, and so the girl
moved over slightly and they both sat
on the chair that was made only for
one. One silver moonbeam rested fair
ly on Mary's brown hair. Jim's fingers
touched it Hngeringly. There was
something about Mary which was
different from any girl he had ever
known.
He liked the blue of her eyes and
the proud way she carried her head.
MARY" he said softly, you're one
of the prettiest girls I've ever seez."
Which all goes to show that good