The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-06-13
An Old Time
Saying
toopyrisht. 1918. By western Newspaper Union.
By RAY ARLINGTON

III was the most delicate ana melO-
dious respiration possible, but three
pairs of smiling eyes turned involun-
tarily toward Ethel Briggs, and the
sprightliest Of the trio, LOra Vance,
Familiarity quoted:
"Sneeze on Tuesday and kiss a
stranger! 70
In pretty exaggerated indignation
Ethel directed mock resentment at
the speaker.
Improbable and impossiblew she
declared with confidence, and the in
cident drifted into obscurity amid the
casual chatter of the hour.
Ethel was heart-free, winsome be-
ing, ON a weeks visit to Aida Prescott.
There were two other girl guests and
LOra was one of them. A fourth was
expected that evening or on the train
next morning. Ethel had announced
her intention of meeting her at the
depot. Lora, Aida and Dora Wayne
stole off to a movie show about z
o'clock. Ethel waited half an hour
and went out into the hall to put on
q wrap and hat, to find Lora had
assumed the fancy Of using those
parts of her wardrobe, leaving her
own picture hat and audaciously loud
checked wrap in their place. Friendly
exchange of this character was COM
mon feature with the group, and there
was nothing better to do than to ac-
cept the situation and make the best
Of IL. The depot was only a few
squares distant and Ethel soon reached
it. She remained outside on the plat
form, walking up down its length,
and rousing to vigilance and inter-
est as the train, comprised Of three
coaches, came to stop.
Ethel conferred her attention on the
two rear cars. She was somewhat
disappointed as, watching the car
platform and scanning the interior Of
the coaches through the windows she
made out nothing of her expected
friend.
"She will come on the morning
train" decided Ethel, and was about
to start away when the last passen-
ger Of the smoker swung off, caught
q side view of the wrap that en-
veloped Ethel, fastened toward her,
threw one arm about her and i'm
printed a warm, resounding kiss on
one cheek.
Ethel uttered a suppressed scream.
If some one had fired q cannon ball
at her she could not have been more
astounded. With vim she tore her
self free from the embrace of the
new arrival. Her eyes glOwed with
poorly suppressed indignation, her
lovely face assumed an angry flush.
SLOW dare you'll" she quavered, and
her dainty fists clenched tightly. She
had swung quite within the radius of
the platform light. The stranger re-
coded two steps as though he had been
driven back by a blow. His face was
void of CONSERVATION and embar-
rassment.
Thunder" he exclaimed, and the
genuineness Of his emotion was evil
denced by the fact that he blankly
dropped the satchel he carried, and
stood rooted, staring at Ethel like
person turned to stone.
Ethel was tingling all over, trem-
bling, on fire with a resentfulness she
was too ladylike to express in words.
Then, strange vicissitude of girlish
emotion, she felt the smarting tears
come to her eyes. Angrily striving to
suppress them she briskly rubbed the
tell-tale pink spot on her cheek with
her handkerchief. She shot another
wrathful glance at the stranger. Was
he audacious or simply clown? His
eyes were riveted upon her. His face
was vast blank. He stood like
statue, unmindful Of the fallen
satchel, like a person fairly hypno-
tized. Still, there was nothing Of de-
fiance, ridicule or rudeness in his eyes.
He tried to speak.
Regret - mistake - pardon -"
were parts of disconnected sentences
that floated to Ethel's hearing, but,
with a pettish, spiteful air, Ethel hur-
ried across the street. What should
she tell her friends? Should she tell
them anything at all?
She entered the house, flushed,
trembling and excited. The girls had
not yet returned. Somehow she could
not get her mind away from the Incl
dent Of the evening. Ethel roamed
about the house, disturbed and rest
less. When there came ring at the
door bell she FASTENED to respond to
It, hoping 1t was Lora and the others
returned from their mild evening dis
sipation. Ethel opened the door. 1t
was her turn now to pose stupefied.
There stood the man of the depot,
the owner of the lips that had swept
her dainty cheek!
Thunder !" he again uttered, and
before he could speak further, and
before Ethel could arouse herself, gay
voices and lively, tripping footsteps
announced the coming Of Lora and
her companions.
"Why, Bartley!" exclaimed Lora,
rushing up to the stranger and kissing
him rapturously.