Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-01-30

to be sure how he would take her in
reference in his thoughts. She trudgeC
along in utter shame.
The worst of her shame was thai
she was so ashamed of it. Why should
she care whether waiter smiled oil
frowned? But she did care, infinitely
Daphne could not pump up any en-
thusiasm for the scenery. Her lover
took no advantage of the serial OF
arbOrs and the embracing bowers. He
never kissed her, not once.
Daphne ceased to be sorry for Clay
and felt sorry for her neglected self
Then she grew angry at herself. Then
at him.
At length she said, with ominous
sweetness. "Are you going to walk all
the way, dear?
'YOu said yen wanted to, didn't
your" he mumbled, thickly.
That's So"
She trudged some distance farther
a few blocks it was; it seemed miles.
Then she said, "How far is it home
altogether"
"AbOut three miles and half"
SIS that all? The heroine of an
English novel I've been reading used
to dash off five or six miles before
breakfast"
Patriotism and pride helped her for
quarter of a mile more. Then she
resigned:
81 guess I'm not an English heroine.
l don't believe she ever really did it.
I'll resign! I'll have to ask you to call
me cab"
"Pretty hard to find an empty one
along here at this hour" he said, and
urged Der on.
Lets go over that way to the in
hablted part of town" she said, "and
take a street car or the subway"
And then he stopped and said, with
guilty brusquerie, "Have you got your
pocketbook with you?"
mo, left it at home tonight. Why?"
Daphne, haven't got cent"
'Why, Clay! you poor thing!"
''That's why was so rough with the
waiter. If I'd had the money, do you
think I'd have made row before you
about few little dollars? Never You
see, / didn't expect to go out to Clare
mont after the theater. The taxi cost |
more than expected, and then gave
the head waiter five dollars instead of |
one. / ordered with care so that it |
would come out right. But that bust |
ness about the melon finished me. / |
just made it. l never was so ashamed |
in my life. And I had to drag you into
it, and now I'm numbering your poor
little feet"
That's the funniest Joke / ever
heard. Why didn't you tell me before?"
cts no joke"
"Why, of course it is! You have
only to go to your bank tomorrow and
lraw some more"
He did not answer this. He said
nothing at all. She had terrified feel
ng that his silence was full of mean
ng, that his bank. account would not
'espond to his call. She could not ask
fraid that he might.
She marched on doggedly, growing
more and more gloomy and decrepit.
Ter little slippers with their stilted
eels pinched and wavered, and every !
tep was pang.
Lets go over there and get on a
treet car, and dare them to put us
f." she suggested. 5
ITS a pay-as-you-enter car" he '
roaned. Z
The world was a different world i
Ow. The drive that had been so tre- |
lendouSly lovely as she sped through q
in taxicab was q pathway in Mo-
I'VE. She limped through the hideous, {
ateful, objectionable length, and felt n
nat 1t was a symbol of the life ahead
f her. She had counted on escaping I
'om the money limits of her home. $
he was merely transferring herself n
'om one Jail to another. r
Her young lover had dazzled her r.
18th his needless courtship, flown away a
18th her on motor wings, dipping to h
nth now and then to sip refresh s.
ents at high cost, and then swoop- ii
& off with her again. TX
And now his wings had broken; his p
lsoline was gone; his motor burnt d
1t; and the rest of the journey was
be the same old trudge. h,
She had been leaning heavily on e,
avs arm. Now she put it away from 10
r in n mixture of pity for him and 81
self-reproof. When he protested, in
G said: &c
81 think I'll walk better alone for a
ille."
So she hobbled and hobbled by her. m
II, he pleading to be allowed to help tn
+. But she kept him away. hi
And they crept on little farther, err
ring each other plteously. tn
In the course of time they reached lei
2 Soldiers and Sailors monument, m,
d Daphne sank down at the base of va
su
Il can't go any farther" she said,
ut If die of starvation" He sank sh
wn at her side. The moon peered WI
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