Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-09-06
A MANS A
BY LOUISE OLIVER.
Copyright, 1918. by the McCIure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)

ACOD AAAa 6DAAC v nat gAAI nav ~
ed dreadfully. But with characteristic
pride she never acknowledged it to
anyone else.
All Clearwater knew that she had
resented her fiance's enlisting; that
she had returned his ring and refused
to say gOod-by. But that was the end
of it so far as anybody knew.
She plunged feverishly into all kinds
of works. Her house became the
mecca for knitting parties, thrift teas,
dances with proceeds for French or
phans and card parties with savings
stamps for prizes. The Red Cross be-
came gradually so cognizant Of her
ability that all points of dispute were
referred to her.
"When Virginia is so thoroughly i'm
bued with the spirit of this war; said
people, zone wonders why she ever
fused about Bob Jennings going
away"
Virginia, hearing something Of this,
answered spiritedly: "Oh, 1 don't dis
approve of men enlisting, and in a way
I'm proud of Bob. Only I think an en-
gagged man is the same as a married
man. There are ten million unat-
tached men who go first"
OF course home letters carried gos-
sip, and Bob in camp soOn learned the
colossal Indifference with which Vir-
ginia regarded his absence.
He was selected for an officers train
ing camp, and as the weeks went on
he made good and won his commits
sion as first lieutenant. Then being
given two weeks leave before he was
assigned to a regiment, he went home.
And great was the rejoicing. For Bob
had many friends in Clearwater. That
was why the girls once envious Of
Virginia now turned %resentful of her
treatment of him.
The big thing was a dance the girls
planned in his honor. Clearwater had
not had a real dress-up affair since the
var began. So they decided to do it up
right now. Also they decided for
once that they did not need Virginia's
help.
But they didn't put it that way to
her, because they didn't want her to
stay at home. "You have so much on
your hands, Virginia" they explained,
1--WE thought we'd give you a rest and
do things ourselves. Just come and
enjoy yourself. The fact that Bob is
be there need not affect you any,
you know"
Virginia could not help flushing
brightly.
"Well, 1 should say not. I want you
all to know that I'll be very glad to
see Bob"
But even after this speech she was
not included in the list made out for
Bob. Adopting the college plan of fill
ing cards beforehand, the girls of
Clearwater picked Bob's partners for
him long before he arrived home.
There were no dance cards-the list
was just made out and handed to him.
"You see, it will save you such a lot
of bother" they explained, when he
smilingly thanked them. "One loses
much time hunting partners in the
scramble. So each girl has put down
her own name once-you see, we dare
not be sel1sh-and you'll get around
Bob's face fell. Once! Then he
could only have one dance with Vir-
ginia instead of a half dozen he had
determined on. He had meant to try
again tonight to plead with her for a
hope.
But running his eye down the list,
lfcnnrorn6 fhnf hnr nnnnn V-aS nnf
there at all. Was she so implacable as
that then, that she didn't even care for
one dance?
But Virginia knew of 40 list, and as
there were no cards she supposed
Bob's evening to be his own.
He looked stunning in his uniform,
and she felt an involuntary pride in
the silver bar on his shoulder. He had
changed somewhat, and her heart
gave a fierce little tug when she saw
it. It was hard to explain this change.
There was no sadness, rather a stern
ness, the look of a man with a great
work ahead to do and a determination
to do it.
She felt like an ineffective bit OF
white paper against a great iron wall.
She saw now hat sentiment and duty
have entirely different places in
a mans heart. How little and silly and
she had beeni
And as the evening passed and Bob
did not come near, she hated herself
more and more. "He doesn't consider
me at ALL" she thought. "Tve killed
all his love and respect. Oh, Bobbie,
dear, l don't blame you"
She went home early without talk
ing to him at all. But not to sleep.
She sat on the veranda alone under
the bright spring stars, and tried to
unite the tangle her life had got her
into.
An hour passed, two hours, and still
she sat there thinking, hot, bitter tears
into her lap.