Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1921-07-23
WAY OF A WOMAN
BY MARIE RYAN.

% 1921 ty Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate)
The girl at the piano in the wide
hall jingled out one little ragtime air
after another. The admiring group
about her grew larger as the guests"
irifted in twos and threeS out of the
dining-room after the midday meal.
Those who were not attracted to the
piano dropped into seats either in the
hall or on the piazza.
A youth in white trousers and blue
coat was pointedly attentive to the
pianist. The smile of thanks she gave
him was perfunctory. Occasionally
she turned and looked through the hall
to the far end where another young
man was sitting, pretending to read
newspaper while he admired her dis
creetly.
Rene Courtemanche thought she was
very fascinating. But these people
appeared to him as the American mid
die class. Though his perceptions and
preiudices were foreign-French-he
was not without lights on the United
States before he arrived there. His
mother was an American of some for
tune who had married a Frenchman
she had met of Nice.
Rene was wounded at the beginning
of the war. The wound, although
healed, was troublesome, and Rene
could not return to active service. AT
the suggestion of his grandmother,
with whom he had lived since his
mothers death, he had come to the
United States for his health.
The young man was not cordially
received on his arrival in New York
by his mothers people. He remained
there, however. for few months as
an onlooker of American life.
From New York he went to a little
bathing beach in Maine.
He was hopelessly at sea about the
girl at the piano who showed such a
fattering interest in him.
A few minutes later the girl solved
the question by walking over to him
and saying:
'"There's a ball game this afternoon.
l and my lady friend are going. Will
you accompany us? It'll be some
game"
Not knowing what else to do. Rene
accepted. -
Much to his surprise no one noticed
the affair." He concluded that it was p
mere incident of summer hotel life.
Rene lost no time, but began to COM
pliment her. 'People must always be
wanting you to do things. You are SO
pretty" -
Eyes, l guess am Everybody says
So" az
Rene knew nothing about baseball,
but she knew great deal, and he
found it pleasant just to listen to her
explanations. She was not dfsposed-
to talk about her home life, but Incl
dentally mentioned that she came from
Lowell, Mass.
1t was not until the evening after,
when they were on the beach, that II
occurred to her to say: my name IL
Louise A.; what's yours?"
Somewhat self-conscious, he mouthed:
Irene Courtemanche."
His regret that .Louise's vacation
was so near at end took him by sur
prise.
Rene the next morning found HIM
self going on board the steamboat,
carrying her bag and coat. He intended
to go as far as Portland, anG there
put her on the train for Lowell.
y 60 I'm In, 0~f-
land till the last train, SC that her
"lady friend" might enjoy little long
er the company of the young man who
WAS with her.
Rene and Louise, by taking walk,
missed this last train. 1t had gone,
carrying away the "lady friend"
Louise, astonishingly calm and serene,
sent telegram to her home, and then
went to hotel. Rene left her before
they got there. He finally concluded
It his duty to remain under the same
roof with her.
They spent a pleasant evening to
gether, which aroused Renes consci-
BUSINESS Of his being deeply in love
with her. Furthermore he realized
that he was placed in acute obligation
to Louise. Was he not spending the
night in the same hotel with her? This
obligation took the shape that he
ought to marry her.
He had quite decided to marry her
by the time he met her at breakfast.
CHANGING over rather anxiously at
Louise eating her breakfast, Rene
asked:
"What is your mother like?'
Mother? Oh, well-people say I'm
ike her"
The proposal followed.
"Well, I'm sorry" she said, "but I
can't. What do you want to marry
me for?"
"I'm dreadfully in love with you.
Besides that, you can't go back to
Lowell alone without doing yourself
an injury. People will think"
"Peope nothing'' she interrupted
Il