Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-12-30
The
Golden Girl
By LlLLIACE M. MITCHELL
5. 1871. BY Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate


Tom sat moodily ON the top step
waiting for Gladys to come out. lie
took off his glasses. and cleaned them
,houghtfully on his new silk handker.
chief. Whether or not to propose TO
Gladys this Sunday afternoon us they
walked In the park was the question
uppermOst in his mind.
He liked Gladys; lie believed that
he loved her. He did wish that she
were little "classier," as he termed
it to himself He wished this now es-
pecially, for he saw coming down the
street the girl with the tiny pup on the
long chain, the girl whom he had
called to himself the golden girl ever
since he had first seen her. 1t had
been three weeks ago today that she
had strOlled by the boarding house
where Gladys had her half room with
one Of the ether girls who worked
with her at the beauty shop.
The golden girl had been on the
opposite side of the street, which was
shadier in the afternoon because Of
the tail trees that grew in the mar
row parking space.
Tom wished that she would walk
nearer, for though he strained his
ewes he could not see her as distinct
E as he would have liked to. She
was q small girl, not more than five
feet, and the tiny pup that pulled on
tie chain suspended from her hand
seemed to be about all she could man.
age. Tom knew that if she walked
in the park she would hang on the
arm of the man she was with. Gladys
never hung In the first place, Gladys
was full four or five inches taller,
and came up to Toms shoulder.
Before he had seen the golden girl
he had never thought much about it,
but after that he noticed that Gladys
happened to hold her elbow as they
passed through a crowd, asd Tom
would have liked her to be the cling
ing-vine type.
And then the clothes Of the golden
girl, Every time lie had seen her
on q Sunday afternoon she had had on
q golden brown suit Of some silky ma
terial that shone in the sunlight, a
gold lace hat, and even her stockings
had golden clocks embroidered on the
sides. But it was her hair that seemed
to Tom the most wonderful thing
about her. 1t was the goldiest golden
lie had ever seen, and 1uffed out dis
tractlngly under her hat Today she
was wearing a long dOlman cape with
the same golden tints.
At this moment in his raptures
Gladys came out Of the door Of the
boarding house, closed the screen door
without bang and joined him.
"Well?" she said.
Gladys always said "welr in just
the same way every time he came. In
that "well" she seemed to ask worlds,
and Tom wondered If they did marry
if she would continue to say "welr' IN
just that way for the rest of their
lives. But Tom had not asked her
yet, ar as he looked from her blue
tricotme suit and tan oxfords hack to
the golden girl in her dOlman and
high.heeled slippers he determined not
to be hasty. He would not ask her
today, ut any rate. There was al-
ways plenty Of time, and beS!dee he
was fairly sure that Gladys never
went out with any one else, and so
until he gave the signal there was
nothing she could do but wait.
"She's a pretty, littlS kid, isn't sheT
he said, indicating by a jerk Of his
hand the golden girl with her dog who
was by now almost opposite the board
ing house.
Gladys looked in the direction he
had pointed out and dropped her
eyes to her glove buttons. She did
not reply.
Don't you think she's prettyf"
prodded Tom.
4 pink flush ran up from her neck
! to her cheeks us she ayerted her eyes.
Tom glanced ut her brown hair with
its copper CLEANS through If. lie
stood up aud stared down the steps
! beside her.
you know, Gladys" he said slowly,
"I can't stand a catty girl"
She paused at the bottom step, per
haps you'd rather not 20 to tEf park?'
she said quietly.
Instantly Tom was sorry; indeed, he
had been SO the moment the words
were out Of his mouth, for III all Of
the time he had known Gladys she
had never shown the slightest hint
Of the trait he had mentioned. And,
anyway, the thought of a whole, long
/ SUNDAY afternoon alone without