Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-01-25


had passed on the street just once, and |
when he lifted his hat distantly, she
looked straight ahead, and ignored |
him. Whether she hurt him as much
as she did herself by the cut direct
would be hard to say.
When Sunday noon arrived, and the
phone had failed to call her once, and
not one of all her friends had dropped
in, Hazel twisted her chair so that she,
could stare at the image of herself in
| the mirror.
You're in a fair way TO become 81
pariah, it seems" she said bitterly.
what have you done, / wonder, that
you've lost your lover, and that Alice
and May and Hortense and all the rest
of them Keep away from you? Moth
| ing-not thing-except that your
looks attracted a man, and the man
threw stones when he couldn't have
his way. oh, well, what's the differ
ence? You've got two good hands and
you're not afraid of work"
She walked out to Granville park
after luncheon. and found a seat on a
shaded bench beside the lake. PeOple
passed and repassed-cOuples. young
sters, old people, children. 1t made
her lonely beyond measure. She had
never been isolated among her own
kind before
A group of young people came saun-
tering along the path. Hazel looked
up as they neared her, chattering to
each other. Maud Steele and Bud
Wells, and-why, she knew every one
of the party. Hazel caught her breath
as they came abreast, not over ten feet
away. The three young men raised
their hats self-consciously.
"Hello, Hazell'' the girl said.
But they passed on. 1t seemed to
Hazel that they quickened their pace
trifle. 1t made her grit her teeth
in resentful anger. Ten minutes later
she left the park and caught a car
home. Once in her room she broke
down.
"Oh, TIL go mad if stay here and
this sort of thing goes Il" she cried
forIornly.
A sudden thought struck her.
"Why should 1 stay here?" she said
!
here? I can make my living any,
where"
"But, no." she asserted passionately,
II won't run away. That would be
running away, and haven't anything
to be ashamed of. / will not run"
Still the idea kept recurring to her.
1t promised relief from the hurt of
averted faces and coolness where she
had right to expect sympathy and
friendship.
The legal notice of the bequest was
mailed to her. She tore up the letter
and threw 1t in the fire as if it were
some poisonous thing. The idea of
accepting his money stirred her to per-
feet frenzy. If she could have poured
the whole miserable tale into some
sympathetic ear she would have felt
better, and each day would have
seemed less hard. But there was no
such ear. Her friends kept away.
Saturday of the second week her
pay envelope contained brief notice
, that the firm no longer required her
services. There was no explanation,
only perfunctory regrets; and, truth
] to tell, Hazel cared little to know the
e real cause. Any one of number of
t reasons might have been sufficient.
G But she realized how those who knew
: her would take it, what cause they
t would ascribe. 1t did not matter,
e though. The very worst, she reasoned
e could not be so bad as what had al
b ready happened-could be no more dis.
agreeable than the things she had en-.
= dured in the past two weeks. Losing
a position was a trifie. But it SET
9 her thinking again.
O She stopped at news stand ant
bought the evening papers. Up in the
: top rack of the stand the big heads OF
n an assorted lot of Western paper.
, caught her eye. Sire bought two OF
d three on the impulse of the moment
r without any definite purpose excep
p. to look them over out of mere curl
= Osity. With these tucked under hel
arm, she turned into the boarding
% house gate, ran up the steps, and, upor
.s opening the door, her ears were glad
10 dened by the first friendly voice sh,
10 had heard-it seemed to her-in ages
a. a voice withal that she had least ex
h pected to hear. !, short, plump woman
rushed out of the parlor, and precipi
m tated herself bodily upon Hazel
n kitty Ryan! Where in the wide
"A wide world did you come from?" Haze
NJ cried
,s From the United States and every
10 where" Miss Ryan replied. Take IN
,e up to your room, dear, where we cal
,e talk our heads off.
r And, furthermore. Hazie, I'll b
pleased to have you address me a
ID Mrs. Brooks, my dear young woman.
lp the plump lady laughed. as she settle
W herself in chair in Hazel's room.
II. $50 you're marriedY' Hazel said.
I'd u am that" Mrs. Kitty responde
emphatically, "to the best boy tina
W, ever drew breath. And so should yo
Id be, dear girl. / don't see how you'v
nd escaped so long-a good-looking gil
e- like you. The boys were always Graz
he after you. There's nothing like ha,
ing good man to take care of yo,
X. dear"
Mt Heaven save me from them!" HI
tn eel answered bitterly. "If you've q
rs. one you're lucky. 1 can't see them
ly anything but self-centered, arrogan
er. treacherous brutes."
IL Lord bless us-it's worse than
ay thoughtP' " Kitty jumped up and thre
ed her arms around Haze. "Ther
'ss there-dOn't waste tear on them.
rls know all about it. came over to s,
Ia you just as soon as some of the girls
th nasty little cats they are; a woman
Ter always meaner than a man, dear-ju
- as soon as they gave me an inllling
he how things were going with yO
sh PshaW! The worlds full of good. d