Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-02
THE GIRL WHO
ALMOST MISSED
BY Mary douglass.
A NEW FRIEND.
tunfur NJNf


Yes, Mrs. Damon lives here" the
little country girl told me. Wont you
lay eft your hat in tho hall?p
| laid my hat on the shining hall table
and glanced in this mirror which seemed
much more inclined to flattcr than the
one In my own sittlngroom. noticed
the white marble floor. checked in squares
of black and white, and the huge howl ri
pussy willow that WINS reflected III the
mirror.
Into the dim room | stepped rather
curlousy. II was n great room, at least
40 feet long, that gave ono the impression
OF the warm brown of a sun-touched leaf.
My feet sank into the thickness OF
Chnese rug, all blue and gold. Windows
reaching from the floor almost 10 the
ceiling let in the rosy light through ecru
hanginps An open-armed, hospitablc
davenport stretched its great length be-
fore IA deep FIREPLACE while from the walls,
looks showed mo their friendly faces,
sitting ooziy ON brown hookshclves
\ warm lived-in, interesting room but n
man room.
As stepped ACROSS the dmness. saw
for the first time that my host was already
here. He did not rise 10 greet me, Tut ex-
tended n welcoming hand "Y II pardon
my not rising he asked ! pnrdoned it,
of course but ! rather wondered at the
Iazlncss that prevented that little cxer-
ton
Perhaps YOU would like To look around
at my mighty possesslons2' be quefied,
with the laughing infection in his voice.
II should
Over the soft rug walked to the book
cases and STUDIED the brighthound copies
that | saw there A stiff Kant clbowed
gay copy OF Modern Verse which in turn
leaned on Joan and Peter Everything
reflected the personality Of cultured
man, even the pictures on the walls.
quaint prints Of Durcr's with the mimi
table colorings and the deep blue of n
Whistler With the vivid color Of =
japanese Fujiama, little farther on
There were no books IN uncut sets, M
there were no pictures bought wholesale IT
a picture dealers | felt suddenly lgno-
rant and bewidcrcd before these carefully
chosen possessions But the laughing voice
Of the Young man brought me hack TO my
naturalncss.
"How did the floor come out and did
YOU take my advice, or sit IN your corner
like the famous Jack, until u iried2
Il sat there" ] answered laughing
Lack Of imagination. INV child aHd u
ccrtan inability to make m escnpe
We were interrupted hy the entrance of
a figure INTO the room | rose 10 take Mrs
Damons hand IN mine Again | noticed
that my host did not attempt to rise
Dinner IL ready. she said after a
ow-do-you-do2 IN matter Of fact
tone. In the gathering dusk. | saw that
she was stout aud short, and as she led the
way, | noticed the hcaviness of her foot
steps over the polished floor Then behind
L.,nwI Fntr ~. 4.
ping that sounded and then was lost again
But did not turn
A comfortable diningroom table that
showed polished silver and sportless
napcrv under tho light Of four heavy
candlcsticks. greeted us across the hall
And then | saw-and blushed with
shame to think | had been So heartlcss in
my Judgment for the Iight-haired young
man WAS lame He laid his crutch down
beside him on the floor and slumped sud-
denly into his seat hoped that the Hicl-