Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-04
THE GIRL WHO
ALMOST MISSED
BY Mary Douglass.
LIKE ANOTHER BOY.
Chapter NLVIII.

Nf'"ph't h1NI
Several days slipped by, with eacl
! moment filled to the brim with work
Work that took all my energy and all my
strength, and yet, ms | bent over the
scrubbing brush or whisked my broom
my thoughts were ever busy.
The war-and what one man had said
OF 1.-THE war and Jamie, and Mr.. Tre-
maine in his hospital in London. ! re-
membered MIR. Trcmaine's words. 1T
means progress; on the suiferings of this
generation, shall the advancement Of the
next depcnd-not in culture, nor in
beauty, but in the right Of the poorest to
have more than crust
He had said this and many things that
yet | could not comprehend but turned
them all over in my mind-and thought
of the gold stars that were taking the
places of blue ones, and Of The mothers
with aching hearts, whose emptiness could
never he filed.
Out on the grass that was now almost a
faint green, piled my paint brush and
covered over the dlngy gray OF the two
dining groom chairs with white paint. The
brush Ind slipped from my hand and |
stared across to the sunIt hills
What does my lady, with a dab OF
white paint on her brow, and
"A frecl<le on her nose, | ended,
laughing up at the young man with the
crutch, who had come liInping so silently
across the grass that | had not heard him.
"And the SORROWS of all the world in
her heart" he ended, regardless of my
laughing words.
Now ii YOU want to paint chair,
take vour brush so. and dip il IN, So and
spread il 50, he fourished the brush with
a dashing mir Of skill u think you are
working Yourself To death and thinking
yourself into muddlcs Now | suggest
that you do little playing2' That =
what We need, now not gloomy faces,
but lots of cheeri What do YOU say
did not say anything, bit wondered
If his experience had been little deep
cr-if he had some one across the water
or if he himself had counted in the great
struggle if he you'd laugh and emile and
enjoy small things the way he seemed to-
After you get IT all painted and
cleaned so that is plsin neat, what will
YOU do then?"
I'm going To raise war garden and
plant, and can, and
Have YOU ever gardened before2
shook my head.
"Ah ha. we have with us today rising
Young farmerettel I've the dea-we'il
make party, and run ont and sec old
Green. Hes the most modern farmer In
these parts, and we'll ask his advice =
when to begin ploughlng and planting,
and such like
We planned 1T then that he was To come
for mo ut two O'Clock and We were TO drive
over to Mr.. Green's
At two | was ready. with soit Int
pulled down over my hair and nv hands
THIRST into the pockets Of my old coat.
Howard Parks drove up with his fair
hair uncovered and the sunlight fieck,ng
his face with delightful crlnkles ] climbed
into the cart beside hlm. and as he drove
admired the sklllsul way he handled
the rCins and the freedom that 1T seemed
To give him TO be IN motion.
For the first time since had known any
man. found myself perfectly natural
with him: he was merely a companion,
chum / responded IN kind, and, as we
drove over the rut.y ground. found IN
his talk a kind of solace for the thoughts
that had worried me lately. He did not
tease me nor laugh At me, nor firt with me.
Something altogether new, IN the way OF
friendship, had sprung up between US.
New for me, at least.
As we passed an old stone farmhouse,
standing bare and bleak against the cold
March skv, he fiicked his whip toward 1t.
'tOne of the prettiest girls ever saw lives
there; great brown eyes and color like
fame. George, she's pretty
Again turned my face away and wish
ed that | were not pale but had color
like \ flame.
We reached, at last, Green's farm. that
thrust out barns and sheds and smaller
buildings into the lonely country. HIS
house was yellow like the buildings near IT,
and had 2 look of homely comfort
Mrs. Green asked us TO 81 down IN the
stuffy parlor that scarcely a breath OF air
seemed 70 penetrate. She shook hands
with my companion warmly and SAID she
would 90 out 10 look for her husband.
When she had closed the door behind her
and we sat alone in the small overheated
room. | felt a sudden feeling oil CON
straInt sweep over me. Then the door
opened and a very whirlwlnd entered =
Dot and Paddy, the Green TWINS.
They did not even look at me, but they
climbed over Howard Parks aud thrust
their hands into his pockets and wrapped
their arms around his neck. lie smiled
across at me and there was something
different In his ewes. not the gayety | had
always rather resented, but more gentle
sweetness than | had ever seen IN any
man.
Don't you want to go over 10 the nice
lady?" he suggested 10 Dot
But she chung to his neck and shook her
head vigorously
Il cant find Mr. Green anywhere,
his wife said, coming back INTO the room,
but | should like YOU to stay and have
supDer with lis Will VOfi?
Howard pleaded, ives, with hls eyes
II should love to, answered
Monday-The Adventure