The daily Alaskan., 1920-08-26
HIS CHOICE
By JESSIE DOUGLAS.

You don't think she's pretty?" Kit ty asked scornfully. Why, her eyes are blue." she opened her own brown ones to their widest and gave William Davey a glance through frlnged lasheS, Really, a faded blue, think" And she paInts-my, how that girl paints|
 "Why, I thought"
 That's all you know about 1t, then" she answered almost snappishly. And Marcia's features aren't bit regular
 "I went into the library to get book I couldn't find. and she showed me just where It was In the shelves smart little thing" he said almost to himself.
 "Of course, If Marcia wants to work It's all very well, but l think girls place Is at home; at least girl of our class" she said declsively.
 Then she looked up at William Dayey and said. Aren't you starved? I am." A dlmple thimble deep in her curying cheek caught hls eye and he admitted to himself that Kitty was the prettleSt thing he knew.
 He watched EItty's hands as they flew about the preparations, soft white hands with pink oval nails. She light ed the lamp under the chating dish and rang for Sarah. When Sarah came in- to the room bearing a tray that held cheese and butter and toast and tall glasses. Williams eyes were again fascinated by the skill and rapidity Of those soft hands of Kitty'S as they stirred the bubblIng mess in the chatng dish.
 It was a delicious rabbit and Kitty and William laughed and chnttered, but underneath it all William was con- scious of a discomfort that he could not place.
 When he had said good night and the door had banged after him, Kitty came back into the sitting room and threw herself down angrily on the big couch.
 Fool" she cried to the pillows. Hes a fool. Why doesn't he pro- pose? I wouldn't even think of talk Ing him if his father didn't own the Davey mIllS-Old Stupid-'
 I'll soon make William stop living the simple life. After he marrIes me hell have to give up that room over a shop on Fairview street and stop being workman in the mills She blew out the candles beside the mir TOT and climbed the stairs und"unted'y.
 William Davey> walking home through the darkness, was thinking of Ili,ty-aud thinking hard. "Joye. but she was pretty. X bit tliGty, oS course. and lots of notions. That about not working. for instance. when her father really ueeded her help.'
 He thought of Kitty again suddenly, when he went into the library a few nights later returning the book on merchants that he had been StutyinG He remembered uS he handed tho book qcru>S The counter to Marcia Ilnden rltat Kf;,y had >atd her eyes were fad ed. TaLed? He looked into their translucent hluo depths quite torgrtiH! nf what he was doing until he saw NIorrf1'S cheeks begin to deepen their rose. Vaiut:-uo. Kitty was mistaken rhrre. Marcia didn't paint. Funny how girls could 4r' ,hnS" things wrong.
 Could you show the" he stumbled. "whrrr I'd find the second volume of rhfS?"
 He follow ed her into one of inc long, dusky. hook-l.urd ahysses while she pufnfcd ont the hook sitting snGgIy on rS >nHs She reached up to tt and as she Ifr William saw her profile, not regular but with a certain piguancy. a certain something that drew his eyes back 70 hcrS.
 "I say" he asked, "what time to vou get through hrrc?
 At nino." she smiled; and William wondered why two such simple words should sound So charming. "IS there anything el>r I can do for you:'
 Yes. you can let me walk home with you" he said.
 She did not answer ives" or "no," nut when at nine he stood waiting for her. she smiled dcmurely up at him. All the way home he caught glimpSes of her face beneath the lighted street iamp; and as at last she stood on her own doorstep. with the yellow light falling on her, he wondered why he had never noticed her before.
 But 1t was Marcia herself who star tied him.
 I'm leaving here In mouth." she said. I've been offered a much better position in Rockport." She held out a bare hand and then as he took it in his biz one, she said, "Oh, don't please, don't Icok at it." and drew back the roughencd little hand.
 "You see my hands aren't soft be- cause I take care of the stoves" she said.
 William suddenly saw another pair of hands, soft. white, with oval pink nails; for some reason a curious lump got in the way of his talSinS.
 Good night" he said at last.
 Why was 1t that that small rough b,,I glorlJ coma bafCra him ar1ln