South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-12
Incompetent CeciLe
By a. M. Crawford

crawford
new objective. MY dear Doctor
Fisher. I didn't even know that YOU
were acquainted with my niece.
Strange Cecile, that you didn't men
tion meeting a celebrity like Doctor
Fisher. Take good care Of her,'
she admonished when their train
was called and the two young peo-
pie turned away together
ut certainly IS a coincidence that
YOU are going Virginia-ward this
morning" said Cecile, taking off her
smart little hat and coat which the
good looking doctor slowed away
for her.
Yes, ne answered. dropping in
90 the seat beside her Isn't ito"
lie laughed looking down at the
pretty flushed face so near his
shoulder "I postponed Eve major
operations 20 ride home with you
and hear more about your fascinat-
Ing s-heme for opening a shop 20
sell kiddie's clothes. Wish you'd
allow me TO invest some capital in
that enterprise. STRANGE what really
good friends you ana / have become
in our few hurried encounters. Bar
ucg that nice ride on my calls the
other day when YOU were supposed
20 be in town shopping, we haven't
met a half dozen times. have we2"
Cecile swallowed a little painfully
When she had first caught a glimpse
Of him in the station. she had
thought that perhaps-there was
just a chance-he had been more
interested i'm her. as a girl. than she
had dreamed but now-now ne had
shown his colors. like the splendid
likable man that ne was. He want
ed 20 finance the scheme she had
cOn6ded in him that cold wintry day
when she had met him by chance,
and he had suggested that she ride
with him while ne made his calls;
and have tea with his mother after
ward i'm her beautiful old home on
r street. The memory of that won
derful day Cecile had locked away
i'm her heart as the one great new
er-to-cOme-true dream that falls 20
the lot Of almost every girl.
she looked up at this man beside
her and suddenly courage glowed in
her vains like consuming fire. She
might be incompetent. shallow and
all the other things that people had
said about her but she was going
10 prove 20 this man that she was
capable-that she didn't have 70
marry for a home She opened her
richly embroidered Chinese bag and
showed him a roll of papers and
I catalogues.
ct have a little money and the
men at the factory where you sent
me are so enthusiastic about my
plans that they agreed to see me
over any rough place until / get
started. YOU know"
You dear childi" he said quite
/ unexpectedly. you were going TO
/ see the thing through, weren't you
And you could have Arthur Camp
| bells million too. for he confded in
me. That's why 1 caught this train. "
Cecile clenched her small trem-
! bling hands and stared through the
window at the fields and houses,
flashing by with Kaleidoscope swift
ness.
when we began, Tisht away 10
/ tell each other all our troubles, %
went on Hubert Fishers happy
voice. 81 knew that my bachelor
days were numbered You didn't
/ think ] was serious about that shop
. business, did yOu2''
A kind, favoring providence sent
the train laundering into a long
/ tunnel Hubert Fisher covered the
\ small trembling hands and bent his
/ head until his warm mouth touched
and kissed Cecile's pink ear. Love
me? o" he whispered passiOnately.
quick turn, a light answering
/ kiss-aud glimmer of light in the
train sent the two flying apart.
Wen get married toDight won't
/ we2" came an importuning voice
and Cecile nodded in happy. dazeJ
fashion. What would dear. sacri-
ncing sarah say when she found
F that incompetent Cecile not only
had gone To the matrimonial noun
tain but that such was her power
she had straightway brought the
mountain home with her