Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-01-17

wife got On 20 ire fact ghat there was
8 number one. The works degrading.
I'm going to drop out
mo. you're not, e was Milly's cue
TO say. You're no gutter. You Just
need the big chance. an you1l write
e. good 90 ever. The chance viii
come-an' III never see you again"
A the weeks passed Milly repeated
more and more often those last words
-'T1l never see you again" So e
had always happened IN the past. and
she knew It must come In Spades
case Fight as she would against the
feeling. she realized that she was be-
ginning 70 dread this boys departure
from Peters as she had dreaded that
OF no other-save possibly that Of
Rose
Young ladies who are addicted 20
chocolate creams and James K. Hack.
EFT will pronounce Milly in love That
thing is so absurd that the very
thought Of II would have shocked her.
Milly knew we'll the limitations Of wa
terry eyes, unclassified hair. and salloW
cheeks. Though she was fond Of read.
ing about It in cheap magazines, she
never aspired to love, She regarded
It as far and unattainable But quite
attainable for one OF watery eyes. she
knew. was the role Of sympathetic
friend. and she played It hungrily. ever
longing for new lines.
Il was her love Of this role that must
serve as the only explanation Of her
conduct on the night that Rodney
Grant drifted into Peters chop house
that and the thoughts inspired BY the
chance return Of Rose.
For Rose came back. The cub Of
other days, whom Milly's comments
had cheered to his first success, wan.
dered back one evening for another
look 1T Peters dirty wallis and = word
with Milly. The latter caught q glimpse
Of him a. he entered, clad in tweeda,
q jaunty stick in his gloved hand.
q chrysanthemum In his buttonhole.
the smile of the well-fed on his face.
She nearly dropped the plate Of mac
aroni in her hand.
He sat down and smiled into her
eyes.
well, Milly, I'm back"
$50 see. It's not for lOng9"
'Well-nO. Just for one more meal.
Merely to recall old days"
"What-what win you havs2"
He laughed
Aren't you glad to see me, Millyf"
She looked him over.
Sure am" she said. whats your
order2"
He gave this choice of the lesser
evil in the old days. There fell an UNI
comfortable pause. Milly wanted to
talk. but the words would not come.
Her old formula OF sympathy, with
which she cheered the hopeless,
seemed foolish twaddle in the face of
Roses evident success. In the pres
ence Of the tweeds, the chrysanthe-
mum, the smile, Milly was as silent
as one Of Peters CLANS. Rose began
to regret that he had yielded to his
within.
Soon his order was ready, and he
looked ct the concoction with an abb
surdly serious face as he removed his
yellow chamois gloves. Had he ever
really eaten such stun as this? The
steak was thin and leathery. fried in
gloomy grease. His well-bred stom-
ach, pampered In many gilt grill
rooms. revOlted.
At that moment Jimmy Clark, mas
ter Of the small touch, his breath elO-
quent by it's strength Of his weakness,
crept along the counter. His voice
sounded in Rose ear.
Say, Rosie, I'm down an out. Hun
CRY, an not cent in my jeans"
Rose turned to hip1 quickly.
Hello, Jimmy" he cried, this is
luck! I've just ordered a steak and
haven't the time to eat it. Sit down
and help yourself" He was already
sliding from his stool.
Clark's cheeks flushed almost as red
as the nose between.
mot good enough for you. eh?" he
said We'll, 1t amt good enough for
me either. then 1t amt good enough
for me. Understand" And he shut
hed out OF Peters into the dingy alley.
Roses face flushed as he climbed
back to the stool One or two minutes
over the steak proved his limit of
gameness. and with never a look in
Milly's direction. he hurried away
For some time Milly sat looking
straight ahead Of her. She saw Roses
great mistake. Peters chop house
and her own faded smile were not for
those who had made good. gulf
ten thousand times wider than her
counter lay between her and all such.
She could only serve her brief ap-
prentice friendship to the boys who
had yet to win-and once they won
they could never come back to her.
These thoughts were in her mind
the night Rodney Grant drifted into
Peters and sat at the greasy counter
This Is in no sense Rodney Grants
I "A -