South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-09

I'd In this marvellous girl that's COM
ing 10 visit us.
Jacks feet were the only visible
part Of him when the statement
wa first made. but shortly a wavy
mop OF light hair appeared over the
edge % the hammock. followed by
a sun-burnt and smiling face.
II say, Mons, don't YOU really
want me 90 fall in love with her3
You talk as If you didg"
Il think IL would be awfuIly good
for you TO settle down. dear said
his mother.
Il know it.' Eroaued Jack and
collapsed into the hammock again.
His face had somehow acquired
the habit Of smiling and not even
his great disappointment had
broken him Of a.. Only his mother
knew Low |dreadfully he a been
effected b. the news of his physical
examination. His over-strenuous
athletics at college had affected his
heart and no branch Of service
would accept him. II he'd taken Il
long time 10 convince hin OF the
fact, but after months of trying ne
had 10 give up.
81 know ] can't help my country,
mother. but my pride suffers from
going around in cts clothes when
all my friends are In khaki" he had
said. Just watch me get the best
of that, though. The least / ear do
is be a sport about it If / can't do
anything else"
So he had put up such a good
front hat his enemies decided he
was glad enough 10 be let off and
mis- friends loved him all the more.
IL was really hard TO see how any
body could help loving him-he was
so frank and jovial and utterly low
able.
II was no wonder that his mother
tried in every way TO divert his
mind. but all attempts had failed.
This last one seemed ever more un-
successful than the previous ones.
"Of course I'll have TO DE nice TO
her. That's what is expected he
laughed. But how can 1 tell what
she's going TO be like. we may de-
test each other az first sight and
she's going TO stay two weeks"
but Jack" pleaded his mother.
cant you trust my taste in the mat
ter. / can Just see you falling head
over heels IN love with her and be-
ing so anxious TO get a position that
youll forget all about the trenches.
] don't see why you don feel right
in taking the places left by the men
who are fighting. You would fight
yourself il you could and somebody
-. 80 - N-aa- #kn nnHVnHr-r nnfr~
and fill up the gaps"
You're right. as usual. Mother"
agreed Jack. 'but there's one thing
you're all wrong about, and that is
that / a never fall in owe with
any other girl. You think you can
make me forget, but nothing can
she's lust before ne every second,
lust as dear and dainty as ever, with
her adorable little smile and her big.
serious eyes hat al be so full OF
deviltry at times. / can no more
help thinking of her than I can
help breathing"
Jack, dear, are you sure that
you're right about the way she
treated you? Perhaps she just
wanted TO make you jealous and
that's why she danced with Fred all
evening"
mo. mother. I will tell you The
whole thing. There's absolutely no
fatal question that night and she
looked at me with all the wonderful
witchery in her eyes and then she
smiled, sweetly. wonderfully. I
thought for a moment that 1 was the
happiest man on earth and 1
reached my arms out TO her and
then suddenly she became shy and
she said that she would give me my
answer that evening.
Il won't say anything, but yOuI
understand" she whispered TO me.
Wei. what was it,"
Nothing. except that she danced
with Fred all evening and never
even spoke to me until 1 was going
and then she asked me If L had
seen her answer, and when L said
yes she looked at me in her
strangest way and said, L meant
It," 7 suppose she thought she was
breaking II 10 me gently in that
way. i guess she couldn't help smil-
ing at first because of her conquest,
anu AAAE4 AEN3h@L eA~ vas S0AAT
Tor me.
so now. dear. % know IL all and
i know that no matter how hopeless
u IS. I'll love her as long as-until--
well forever, that's all"
But Jack, YOU haven't ever kept
a picture OF Anne and you've thrown
away all her letters. Why did you
do that2"
Because ] thought ] could forget
her then. The only thins l couldn't
throw away was a rose she gave me
j wonder 4 she's kept hers2 1 know
I'm a sentimental DOL about it. but
/ can never forget the time We eX-
changed them"
The next morning Jack appeared
bright and early as usual OF
curse he was smiling and so Jolly
-ha only someone who knew him
very we'll would realize how deeply
ne felt about Anne and how ever
present that night in the rose gar
den was 10 him. That night when
she had looked up at him and smiled
her very own smile and the color
had mounted 10 her exquisite cheeks