The Washington herald., 1919-08-28
The Romance of a
Summer Girl
By ZOE BECkLEY.
Copyright. 1919, by n. f. A.

dorothy. aged 26. is spending the
summer at Lively Beach, having
staked her job and $500 savings on
the chance of winning a suitable
husband during the summer. These
are her letters home to Joan, her
chum)
No. 10.
Lively Beach Hotel. Friday.
Dear old Joan:
My intuition was right: that telo-
gram was for me from Capt. Wallis.
You are desperately needed" il
read. room engaged at inn. please
come quickly. F.. w"
The words danced before me. |
went over them again and again
feeling an absolute sense of being
caught up and dragged by a force
| that left me helpless. The thing has
been decided for me. And in spite
OF me. One cannot disregard a
command like that-Ah, yes. see
you smile. dear. in your wise. sweet
way, and shake your head. and COM
press your lips. You know that 7
! WANT to he commanded that my
! longing for something stirring. some
adventure with risk to it, has be
come a mania to my caught-in-a-rut
mind
| Listen. Joanie. have confidence in
me! You have told me a hundred
times that I am the cleanest-hearted
squarest girl you know Keep believ
J ing it. After oil. dear, what am !
doing that is so terrible" Going to
| take a perfectly businesslike position
as amanuensIs to an author in desper-
ate need of expert service. What
! does it matter to either of us that he
| is staying alone in the camp OF a
! friend? ] shall stop most respectfully
at the Inn. That is all there is to it.
Let US not be prudiSh and evilminded,
Joan. You can trust me, and II you
| knew Capt. Walls YOU would trust
! him.
There is a practical side TO it as
| well my dear. The money earn will
| be mighty welcome. You know when
| Well. felt at the time that 1t was
fat little fortune. But how that cash
! has dwindled,
Thirty-five a week just for board
| My laundry. skimp rs will. and do
| ing my own stockings in my room, is
never less than 50 n week-of course
| the prices here are the highest Tips
! average about So more a week
, Excursions and piCniCs which all
| the young people Joined, have cost
me 81 to date. I had to replace my
silver slippers which got stubbed out
| with dancing; s. more. A contribution
to a patriotic fund collected by the
hotel. s5. Candy. magazines, toilet ne
cessities. postage and incidentals CyOu
know how, once you change n ten
dollar bill for something, you've got
nothing left but painful of
changeD have made another big
hole
| When I counted my wad today 7
| found just $3.50 my total revenue and
I planning to stay the whole season
| Don't you see that the fifty a week |
| shall probably earn will be godsend? ?
| l am leaving my trunk here at the
hotel hut of course l am giving up
my room, / am taking only a suit
| case to Forest Valley. with the plain
est, simplest duds in it, and wearing
my brown linen suit. I am determined
| there shall not be the remotest hint
| of anything save hard. cold business
in my manner or appearance. You
know nv belief. dear. that a we'll
behaved girl properly dressed. can go
anywhere on earth alone, without in
suit. I am going to prove this.
The Harvard ffeguard gazed at me
with some interest when 1 told him
was leaving in the morning for a
two-weeks' visit in the mountains
TOO bad" he said looking at me
with a sort Of intellectual appraise-
ment.
| "Why?" smiled.
| Because you're the only girl
worth talking to at this place"
But I'm coming back in a fort
night"
| "No-you won't come back. You
may not know II yourself but
you're bored. You're too decent for
this sort of place-all artificial and
misunderstanding. You will like
your mountain camp better. I've
the gift of second sight" he added.
with as near an approach to levity
as he ever comes.
I tell you, Joan. he always con-
trives to make me feel uncomfort-
able.
! When I told .Jim Ross good bye.
he promptly said. Where you go
inE?"
| Don't look so tragic" 1 grinned.