The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-06-27
A A. Spriingtime
T'haw, ...
o.. e.. ,~ u. A-G.l..-.
BY ANNA REDFERN


6e~~~~~~~s~~s~~s ~~~~~~~~~~~>>>>.&
2s( Copyright. 1919, by the Mcclure News
s325isf X paper Syndicate.)
Big Bill Sheldon was decidedly not
ny Westerner. One could have guessed
that fact BY his air of reserves re-
lined, courteous, but nevertheless clear
Dig obvious suficient-for-myself
manner. The manner, however, was
not OF Bills own choosing; rather was
Slt product Of environment. More
n over, it was source Of deep grievance
TO- him, for try as hard as he might he
could not make friends, with a reserve
4 as impenetrable as the Rock Of Gibral.
tar rising between himself and every
one he met. Even the glad spontaneity
Of merry Western city, where friend.
Illness was the rule, rather than the re-
verse, seemed not to melt the ice.
How could his new-found acquaint-
ances divine for themselves that with
In his six feet bulk Of calm, blond non
chalance lay desire for adventure as
keen as that of some twelve-year-old
devotee Of Nick Carter; or that tho
Ftstful look showing forth every now
and then from his deep gray eyes be-
t0kened only the strong desire that
somewhere, sooner or later, some one
would notice him and really like him
In spite Of himself. No wonder he
m0ped; and no wonder Aunt Della
Btood at her wits end to entertain him.
1Ae had fed him to the fattening
POINT; she had introduced him in turn
= every one she knew she had waited
on him more tenderly than his own
mother would have done, and still he
looked bored.
s356' II think, auntie," he said after the
sArst week Of agony, that I shall have
10 be starting for home. Father can
I 1carcely run the shop without me-
much az would like to stay he
added as q polite afterthought.
There was no doubt that Bill was
homesick. And whether 9 feet 200
pounds suffers proportionately more
! than does 8 feet 100 pounds, even Bill
had NO heart to answer. Blue to the
bottom OF his No. boots, he paced
Eloomily around Aunt Della's sunny.
comfortable living room, impatiently
humping against knick-knacks and
chairs. Fourteen times without STOP
ping he paced, On the fifteenth round
he stopped by the long French window
With jerk. He pulled aside the blue
cretonne curtains, and drawing him
Gelf erect in the soft spring sunshine
he drank in the pleasing sight through
eyes and nose and mouth.
I, The morning was clear and fair and
b radiant; the clouds were blue and soft
and fleecy; the lawns were lush and
green with young grass; the trees
were newly IN leaf. But a fairer sight
y than all this caught and held his at
tention. In neighboring yard, scarce
~ two rods away there flashed q
maiden back and forth with move
ments as graceful and dainty As those
OF some wood nymph.
MI With few deft movements she
drew up the sagging white-string net
and fastened it taut across the tennis
court. She tried out her balls and
rackets with bubbling, boylike ex-
Infancy, as If the tonic of springtime
! had found affinity with her feet.
"Yough," gasped Bill, and "Yough r.
%" Oh, auntie, who's the young lady next
door?"
.* Aunt Della carefully set her pie
crust in the yellow mixing bowl, wiped
her hands and came at her young
nephew's excited call.
s. "Thats no young lady," she correct
ed. THAT is Irene Roberts. Why,
I've known that child ever since she
was born"
"How long is that, auntie2" Bob per-
sisted.
"Well, now, let me see. It must be
twenty years or Whereabouts" Bob
raised his eyebrows quizzically, but
Aunt Della ratified on. Eyes, and just
a. you see her now she's always been
jumping, running, playing tennis,
riding horseback. She's a regular TOM
boy"
:. To Aunt Della Irene was just the
same madcap little girl that she had
always known from childhood up Not
10 to Bill! he stood by the window
and watched his lively young neigh
sbor's syrations with distinct approval.
,"She is flame and action" he unused
az her red-brown bobbed curls flashed
in the sunshine. Altogether he ap-
: proved Of her-of her trim white dan
mel dress and high-cut russell boots, Of
her well-knit, graceful figure swaying
in the sheer delight Of motion, and her
frank boyish activity. So much did he
approve that the wistful look came
back into his deep brown eyes. and
the homesick feeling formed a hard
lump and settled in his throat.
That she had no companion in her
vnme seemed not to bother Irene at