The Belding banner-news., 1921-11-23

Use your Imagination and dramatic
instinct to picture a country lass In
calico dress sitting In a hair-cloth,
family-portraited old parlor-a mouse
colored creature-and then listen to
her metropolitan nerve:
"'Sunshine wouldn't be sunshine.
Skies wouldn't look so blue,
Life would be so drear dear.
without a thought of you
"And here's a snapshot. How do
you like the inscription Taken the
day we parted, when you asked me
to walt for you. Waiting as ever,
Nell.'"
Look out" warned gay. cynical
voice, "there'll be breach Of prom
Use, old man."
Arthur MInton, serious-faced
chap, took the picture, first respect
! fully-then reverently "If a girl like
that-a girl who can look at the world
| with so level and innocent a gaze
with lips from which only sweetness
and charity fall-with hands worn
with service--if such girl loved me
VI
win her-and I wouldn't make her
| loyalty a Jest Of my fraternity"
With that he flung himself out Of
the smoking room and locked himself
| I'm his own. So. he reflected. Perkins
was the man Nell loved so devotedly-
the man for whom she refused him.
He went back over the golden sum-
mer days two years ago when he first
met her. He had been touring through
the wonderful northern Vermont
country-when there had been an ac-
cldent 10 his machine and he was
hurled over the embankment. Nell.
or on a solitary stroll. found him
lying senseless. a mass Of laceratIOns.
Rich in the lore of > lple, medical
help, she did what she could, then
rode miles for n doctor.
All summer he was at their farm-
house, and Nell. despite her many
household duties delegated herself as
his special attendant.
Confident that there was no one
else. he asked her at last TO marry
him, telling her that she was the most
adorable girl ne had ever met. II
was only then she told him she was
promised to another, whose family.
suddenly becoming heir to an unex-
pected fortune, had moved away
Mnton pressed his case and came
back TO see her more than once. but
though there was an exquisite CANA
raderie between them, she still kept
her faith in her first love.
Mlnton WINGED when he thought
that Perkins-weak-willed silly. Inn
pressionable-was the unappreciatiye
recipient OF her constancy.
He Immediately made up his mind
10 90 to her
He went into the hall TO find
roommate Poised as IL for flight
look OF fear and indeclsiOn on her
lovely face, stood Nell. She was not
the questionable country girl whom
he knew and loved. but an exquisite
ly gowned creature. still simple. but
dis.inctively so.
He wondered afterwards why he
was not surprised TO find her In his
fraternity rooms. All he knew was
that he was inexpressibly happy. He
took her, unresisting. I'm his arms.
II still love you," he said breath
lessly, "and I'm not going to let that
Perkins Interfere any more, either"
IL heard everything" she said ''and
your aunt, whose real identity l did
not know until few moments ago,
told me great deal more. After
you had told her about me last year,
she came To us, asking to stay with
us 80 that she might paint the river
and the mountains. She was very
good to me, and taught Inc so many
wonderful things-to modulate my
voice-to walk gracefully-to play.
sling and to paint.
"Then one day she received letter
from your sister, regretting that she
could not attend your fraternity
dance. Unknown TO both you and me,
your aunt planned that l should go
instead, and she would chaperone me.
The rest-rooms which the hostess
provided for the women-g guests hap
pened TO adjoin the room you and
John were In. I didn't know either
OF you were here until I heard your
voices.
at first I thought--well. can't
tell you what l thought But now !
know that / can really honorably love
you. You don't know how hard had
to try TO be loyal. and not to think
OF you too much = not to care for
youi"
That night. during an intermission
In the fraternity dance downstairs
81. Van Arden" Perkins remarked TO
one OF, the boys:
where's Minton tonight? Guess
he got over his peeve all right. Saw
him taking deuced pretty girl and
her chaperone over tn the hotel for
dinner, and he was pretty hilarious
I'm trying 10 think where 1 met his
girl before. She's peach and too
good-looking to waste her fine looks