Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-12-26

on which he asked her to marry him.
A purrlng sound along the road
made her look up the slope and see
an automobile approaching the bridge
and the village. In the car was Mel
vile Clark, on his way to Jensen City,
10 miles distant, to deliver a proposal
of marriage to Julia Armstrong
daughter Of Benjamin Armstrong, the
wealthy importer, who lived in the
same city where Melville had made
good in the financial world.
Melville had decided to marry JULIA
not because Of love but because n
would get a dowry that would increase
his little fortune at least threefold. A
taste of riches had made him hungry
for more, and he had set out delib-
erately to win Julia for his bride. She
appeared responsive, and he could see
that her parents did not object.
When Julia went away for a week
as the guest Of honor at a house party
at Jensen City and invited Melville TO
join her Sunday he had decided 1t was
the opportune time to make his pro-
posal. He arose Sunday morning
when the watch under his pillow told
him it was eight o'clock. Picking up
a timetable he made cure that the
train for Jensen City left at $3.50, and
then he smiled when he saw that one
for Pembroke went exactly an hour
later.
= The smile was occasioned by the
realization that his old home town was
on the Pembroke line, and because he
had never gone back for visit. Fran
ces Hayden did not enter his thoughts;
they were busy with more important
matters.
When Melville arrived at the station
he had five minutes, according to his
watch, and a train was standing on
the track. 1t was a branch station,
and he did not have to show a ticket
at the gate. 1t was only after he had
been riding half an hour hat he dis
covered he was on the wrong train.
That was when the conductor came to
take up his ticket.
"Your train left an hour before this
one" said the official. you must have
forgotten to set your watch ahead.
Shall l let you off at the next s%tation?"
Can you beat that?" Melville ex-
claimed in vexation. 81 forgot this
was the day the daylight-saving law
went into effect" He thought swiftly.
"I1l get off at Glendale" he told the
conductor. II can get an automobile
to take me to Jensen City. It's a IS
mile trip"
AS the car approached the little
bridge and Melville discerned the girl
standing there a strange feeling came
over him. The memory of that day
two years age flashed across his mind,
and it made him smile with mingled
sadness and pleasure.
"Stop a minute" he ordered the
driver. stop right on the bridge. l
used to live here and / want to
glance things over"
The machine paused on the bridge
and Melville's eyes met those of Fran
ces. There was silence, broken only
by the %chugging of the motor. A mo-
ment later Melville was out of the car
and clasping Frances in his arms.
He stood off and looked at her.
Yes, she was the same girl. There was
the reddish hair, the sincere, whole.
some blue eyes, and the flashing, fas-
cinating teeth.
"By George You look good, Fran
ces % he said, and he meant it. In the
two years he had been weaned from
the influence of that smile and those
eyes; but now he was back in their
power again.
you mean little sister," she said,
somewhat ~mischlevously.
Hang the little sister /" he ejacu-
lated. Lets 60 down to the little
nook on the bank of the river and talk
it over" Then to the chauffeur:
Move ahead and wait beside the
road. I'll be back SOON"
The driver did as directed. The sun
was rather hot, and he pulled his cap
over his face. The air made him
drowsy and he curled up on the seat.
In a few minutes he was sleeping.
An hour later the chauffeur was
awakened by a poke in the ribs.
"How much do l owe your" asked
Melville. I've decided not to go on
to Jensen City. I'm going to stay
right here for a week."