The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-09-14
THE WAY OF A GIRL
BY MISS JEANNE M. BLACK,

l
"Helen, / wonder who that dis
tinguished-looking stranger can be
who passes here so persistently every
few hours in that gray roadster" said
Mrs. Burk as she peered from be-
tween the curtains of the parlor win
| dow.
Helen blushed furiously and turned
conscious face to her mother. "Oh,
yes, mamsey, forgot to tell you
about him. He is a guest at the tay-
ern. / call him my Prince Charming"
said Helen, laughing. "His name is
Leroy Talmage. They say he made
loads of money in Kalamazoo, Tim
buctoo or some outlandish place, and
came back to civilization to spend it.
Then came the war. He has been to
France and incidentally covered him.
self with glory and medals. He wears
the military cross and the Legion Of
Honor upon his breast and looks like
q man who really counts" finished
the girl with sparkling eyes.
"But what brings such an amazing
person to our secluded village? What
is. the attraction" asked Mrs. Burk.
"Oh, rest and scenery, I suppose !;
he Is on leave for convalescence. He
calls these bald old mountains and
rocky pastures 'exquisite,''a valley of
dreams and one of Gods beauty
spots must say don't admire his
taste; give me the fiesh-pots and
bright lights. care not how beau
tiful it be, If it be not beautiful to
me-" sang the happy girl as she
pinned on her sun hat and gathering
up tin pail and lunch basket, she
opened the door to the wind-blown
morning.
"Bye-bye, mamsey, I'm off. I'll take
the Marsh baby along for company
and give poor Mrs. Marsh chance
to get her jelly made. Baby can roll
in the clover while pick berries"
"Well," thought Helen, with giggle,
as she tripped gaily away, "that's the
time / put one over on mother. Ii
ske dreamed that her unsophisticated
little daughter had actually f1irted
with the handsome stranger, / trem-
BILE to think what would happen to
little me. But should worry, every
body talks to soldiers these days."
Within half an hour, the Marsh
baby, pink and white morsel in
rompers, was stumbling among the
clover on unsteady legs, picking the
"pitty-pitties" while Helen picked ber-
ries in the pasture on the other side
of a rail fence. Suddenly the silence
of the summer morning was broken
by the low-toned honk-honk of a mo-
tor car, and a familiar gray roadster
of aristocratic lines came purring
along the road and ground to stop
opposite the busy berry picker. A.
transformed Helen nodded a gay
good morning." Leroy Talmage
climbed from behind the steering wheel
and with one leap was over the low
stone wall, and with widening eyes
stood looking down at baby Marsh.
''Da d." gurgled the infant, lifting
entreating blue eyes and chubby arms.
"You rascal" and the tall military
man caught the child up, held him
aloft, then cuddled the little creature
in his strong arms. The rose-leat
mouth was pressed to his bronzed
cheek and the busy fingers played
with the military cross.
"Why, Baby Marsh, you are alto
gether too familiar" scolded Helen.
"He calls every man he sees Dada"
explained the girl, with bright blush.
His father is in France and he natur-
ally misses him."
Don't apologize for baby, Mrs.--er
Marsh; let me play with him. ]
am very fond of children"
When luncheon was over, the man
sat quietly smoking and watching the
girl with the sleeping child resting
against her knee.
"Mrs. Marsh. he began, II was
amazed to find that you were a
married woman" After q tense
silence he added earnestly: "Would
1t interest you to- know that ]
have never been in Iove--not
the real thing?" Another silence,
The girl stirred restlessly. The man
went on huskily: "When l first saw
you tripping along your quaint vii
lage streets, in your simple white gown
and rose-wreathed hat, with your Red
Cross bag on your arIn--well, l knew
/ had reached turning point In my
life-that's all. i hope you will not
think this confession impertinent.
am not in the habit of making love to
other mems wives, and hope you'll
forgive me-"
The girl sat with demure, downcast
eyes, twining the child's silken curls
about her finger. Suddenly she sprang
to her feet with an exclamation. "Quick,
it is raining; big drop splashed on
baby's nose; we will get soaked. Mr..
Talmadge, will you kindly motor us
homer"
Ten minutes later they pulled up be-
fore Burk cottage. Helen turned a.
roguish face to her companion. "May
l trouble you to drive up the street a
block further? / must return Baby
Marsh to his mother. He was Dor
rowed only for the day. And would
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