American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-05-30
JOHN NORTH
BY ANITA DAY DOWNING.

| kibAAhdlAAtb AiNSS Ut hAkn NtHVtit lulh-
ed up her delightful little nose aud
dismissed John North with Il phrase.
He's always talking about what
he's going TO be doing five years from
now, and he always wears sensible
clothes. l can't be bothered with
him."
She turned with what she meant to
be an imitation of Mary Pickford's
pout, and began babhllng pretty moth
ings to a group of girls In the corner
OF the auditorium. 1t was Just after
the graduating exercises, aud parents
and pupils, with n fair sprinkllng OF
anxious looking teachers, were chat
tering In clusters. With his back to
the wall, a little apart from any group,
stood John North.
He was n tall, rather %raw-boned
youth, dressed in blue serge that was
plainly expected to give yeoman serv-
ice rather than to express smartness.
His face, Il little older than the 9TH
ers, showed u thoughtfulness that in.
vlted ones interest. He stood look
ing Il little sadly, n little regretfully,
nj the Kaleidoscope picture before
him. II was the last day of four
years of struggle, of determination, OF
hard work.
Just as he knew that he had gained
more than the other fortunate youths
and girls that surrounded him, so he
knew that perhaps he had missed
something, something he would never
know, He glanced Mt his hands, large,
capable, scanned with tie hard work
that had made his schooling possible,
down at his heavy shoes that contrast
ed oddly with the patent feathers OF
the other boys.
Then, as though drawn lrreslstibiy,
his eyes sougha and found the delicate,
d~uintily clad figure of Alma Byers, ns
unconsciously coquettish MS n dafro-
dill.
Something caught In his throat, and
his face flushed hotly over the unac-
customed stlff white collar.
lie started %lnvoluntarlly toward her.
but with one Of those u~naccountablc
silences that fell unexpectedly, her
voice, pitched high to overcome the
loud hum of the room, rnng out, and
he heard the speech that condemned
him to the limbo of her dlsdnln.
Then the utterly unexpected hap
pened.
The silent, restrained John North,
known us the class "clnm." and alter
nately scorncd and envIed for his long
hnlrH nf gftlN unI IIu hI,rh ,t,npIa In
scholarship the very cnitame Of retlr-
Ing self-effacement-John North strobe
swiftly to the ast0nished and cha
grlned Alma Byers, and with utter dis
regard Of the people.nlled room. took
her by the shoulders, and turned her,
not too gently, suddenly TO face with
him.
"Ilsten, Alma" he said after a
pause that brought the whole room to
attention. ~ want 10 say something
10 you, and there Is no better time nor
opportunity than right now. You peO-
pie have been kind to me, IN n sort OF
tolerant fashion. | never could afford
the pnrties and frills, and | know II
vas n relief 10 NIL Of you TINT I never
lil'N. lNu hll hTF u niue SOIfN TOT
me. But ! want to tell you some
thing. ! have n long start nhead OF
every one Of you. have what is go.
inE TO take you -four or five years to
learn. And that Is that yen never get
anything that Is worth having without
hustling for II. and you've got to build
every day for the day after and the
day after that"
He dropped his hand from Almn's
shoulders and drew n folder from his
pocket. lie opened II So that everyone
could see the blue War Savings stamps
that almost filed II.
"DO you see those stampsf" he ques-
toned. "They are the keynote Of nay
vhOle plan. They are the foundation
Of the structure I'm building for my
self. They are growing steadily. sure
", and In five years they Will be q
stake ready 10 start on. They have
cost me self-denial. They have cost n
Dang or two Of vanity, hut they nre
solid. and the United States govern.
ment Is behind them. and that means
that the government Is behind me. You
folks may smile now. WHIT until I
cash In, five years from now. ! viii
have worked my way through college.
! will have a definite end Of success
In view"
lie turned again TO Alma. and took
her by the shoulders again, more ten.
derby, more reverently.
~ win cash In on my love for you.
too" he said gently. "You are going
10 o me before the Ave years are up.
You may think YOU aren't. but every
day, every week. every month, ri add
n little to your regard. u little memory
of tenderness. Of thought for YOU com.
fort. Of consideration for your bapDi-
ness. You may think of others. but
always 10 the back u your heart will
be the image Of me. growing, crossing,
until when ! come 10 take you. your
heart VIII he full ~ me-"
! lie turned. entirely carcLess ~ the
staring people about him. ami walked
swiftly from the hall.