South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-29
The Genuine Thing
By Katherine Hopson

With a shivcr Leslie turned her
eyes away from the store window
sine was passing where a couple Of
tinsel-draped candy pals looked for
lornly out from behind last summer
fy-specked Danes. Across the street
The scene was not much mere iuvit-
ing AS some half dozen teams of
uncUrried horses were tied TO the
rack about the village square. The
sleds they drew being filled with "a
cOnglOmeration or stray and towsIed
gray blankets.
1t viii be heavenly TO get away
from all this for awhile al least. q"
she thought as she hurried 90 the
station Indeed. 10 seemed like an
other world when she entered the
warm. well-lighted Pullman.
The first cau for supper had been
given. so she soon went into the
diner. which was weII-hued. and
he only vacant seat was q. "a table
with three other occupants Leslie
could hardly believe that the long
planned-for vacation had really be-
--un. and was deep i'm her own
thoughts Perhaps DO was this i'm
ward tumult that gave nervous en-
ergy 20 her movements perhaps IL
was sudden motion Of the train
tnat caused her 10 upset her glass of
water onto the man beside her as
she rose from the table
Oh. J beg your pardon I'm SO
sorry she exclaimed. sudden pink
sIffusing the fairness of her face.
No matter 4 assure YOU it's just
clean water, returned the man
pleasantly.
When she returned 20 her seat she
found the one opposite occupied by
"a nervous young mother and "a frac-
tiOus three-year-old boy. I'm order
TO gain the quiet she wanted in
which TO think out her own prob
lens. Leslie decided 20 go into the
observation car.
It's too dark 10 observe any
thing, so there aren't likely 90 be
many people there now" she de-
cided.
At first she thought the car was
empty then she saw lounging i'm a
big leather chair near the writing
desk. the hero of the water episode
when he looked up and saw her. so
she nodded courteously
zone can't exactly snub a man
you've just deluged with water" she
thought with an unexpected dimple
in her pink cheek Perhaps It was
the dimple that paved the way, for
they soon found themselves launch
ed in conversation.
Presently. Leslie, I'm referring 10
the water episode. said. 1T must
have been because I was fustered.
But maybe you'd he a bit ratified
too-if-if you were on your way to
propose marriage TO somebody"
II think / should be-" replied the
man. a twinkle appearing in the
keen eyes behind the shell-rimmed
glasses Suppose YOU tell me about
it, he suggested kindly.
Leslie. yielding TO sudden i'm
pulse which sometimes prompts us
90 cOnhde in a perfect stranger, told
him OF how she had supported her
self and younger sister by teaching
school for the past seven years since
their parents death.
This was my sister F1orence's last
wear in college. and she too was go
ing TO teach next year. and we were
going TO have a little home together
I'd planned on il so much. And
then a few weeks ago I got "a letter
from her saying she had been mar
ried 20 one of the university boys
VI o had enlisted. and she was going
10 stay with him until he sailed
1T upset all my plans-and I was
an al sea. So when an invitation
came from an aunt i'm New York in
viting ME 10 spend the holidays with
her-it seemed like a god-send."
Here Leslie paused and clasped her
rlim hands closely together. There's
q man there who used to live i'm my
home town. didn't accept him
when he asked me to marry him.
Aunt Ida writes that she sees him
often and thinks me still cares. I'm
rfraid I don't-auy more than T ever
did-but it seems "a way out of the
loneliness" A defensive note came
into her soft voice. Anyway. thou
sands OF people marry ON mo- more
love than mine and seem happy. At
least they get along and have a
rome and protection-and children
to love"
.I know" ne broke in gently.
"there are thousands of really happy
marriages founded in just that way;
hat perhaps YOU. the thousand-aud-
first woman viii De profoundly mis-
cradle II your love isn't the real
thing"
.I know-thats why I've held Oft
80 long But in the little country
town where I live don't meet
many people and there isn't much
chance for the genuine thing 20 app