Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1920-06-23
Just Friends
By L. RoTHBLUM

Every one who knew Geraldine
Blake admitted she was a wonderful
girl Physically she was very attrac-
tive. Mentally she was constant de-
light to every literary society In town
the hope of every hostess anxious
about table talk" at u dinner; the
mainstay of Ferry Il Co., with whom
she held a very responsible position,
and the boon companion of Randolph
White.
None ever explained the erratic
temperament of Randolph White bet
ter than he did himself by his opin-
ions and impulslve actions. He had
known Geraldine some five years, dur
Ing which period she had learned his
pet idiosyncrasies so we'll he hardly
realized how dependent he had be-
come upon her for sympathy and I'M
Outstanding.
II was a peculiar experience that
led to their friendship. At the time
he was selling device for sealing
letters and had got a tip through
some magazine In which his firm ad-
vertised that Ferry & Co., Inc. were
going to install some such equip
ment.
Randolph White was not the type
of salesman to permit his card, when
he called to demonstrate, to be re-
turned to him with a too busy to
see you" announcement. He flung
open the swinging gate between the
reception room and the inner office
and, with evidence of courage more
seeming than felt, knocked at the door
of the private sanctum which bore on
its pane the legend Purchasing
Agent"
Hardly waiting for the invitation to
enter, he stalked In and, somewhat
abashed, halted in his tracks as he
faced the young lady at the desk.
Geraldine Blake was charming.
Il beg your pardon" he apolOgized,
may see the p. AT"
II am busy right now" came the
response In dulcet evenness of tone
which somehow carried cutting
edge.
Randolph White for the first time
In his business experience backed wa
ter and tried to make graceful exit
from the office. As he turned to leave
he was detained by very reparative
But If you will be seated | shall be
glad to talk to you in a moment"
Gingerly, because he was nonplused
to find the ogre of purchasing agent
to be lovely young girl, he placed his
hat beneath the chair on which he
seated himself. Vaguely he wondered
if she had reached her majority and
inconsistency he now hoped she would
detain him more than the moment
promised that he might have the bet
ter opportunity to observe this re-
markable parsonage. .....
Randolph White got the order but
he afterward admitted to himself that
he had never before been called upon
to exhibit such intimate knowledge
concerning the product he was SELL
ing.
Audt was uNS yCulS uSO. vi SouiSt
Randolph had to call many times on
Ferry & Co. Inc. In order to instruct
their clerks In the proper operation
of the sealing device; and, fir ding
with each visit growing taste for
the society of the purchasing agent, he
gladly permitted such increased com.
patability to ripen to the point where
he felt privileged to ask her to lunch.
con.
1t was not long after that al In.
vitatiOn to dinner was forthcoming
and then naturally the theater; since
no considerable host has ever asked
the one without the other.
But, strangely, the two had man.
aged to keep sentiment out of their
friendship, as If they feared affection
ate regard might prove detrimental
factor to the continued harmony of
their companionship.
"NOw, l don't see why" remarked
Geraldine one summer Saturday after
noon, as they leisurely strolled
through park grounds, ''men and
women can't be just friends without
getting foolish about 1t, and"-then
hesitating for a moment, she contin-
ued, failing in love-"
Randolph called, BILLY, Billy to a
squirrel who scampered off with tail
held high. "That's just the way feel
about it." he answered. "We're pals,
good pals; but our palship," he added
sis purely platonic."
They sat down on bench and ate
popcorn out of the same bag. Ran.
dolph went on airing his views to a
sympathetic audience. 'If we were to
fall in love with each other and get
married and all that sort of stuff
this last with a dramatic flourish of
his hand filled with the white, fluffy
edible-"we'd bore each other to death