Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-19
CHAPTER XIX
Charlotte Goes Adventuring

" OtN gave no LlVIS INV ~ ~
their meeting with Nick Fow-
Ter. He had told Charlotte his
opinion of the man and that
was sufficient in his, mind to take
care of any chance meetings. He
did not reckon, however, with the
fact that Charlotte was lonely and
very young. She longed for good
young girl, she wanted people to like
her and this forbidden acqr aintance
of Tony's had seemed to like her
very much. Therefore, when she
| met him by chance q few days later
she could not altogether disguise the
fact that she was glad to see him.
He smiled at her, that half-weary
smile of his, and the sun glinted on
his iron gray hair as he barred his
head to stand before her.
We'll, Mrs. Hartman, so you
haven't forgotten me:"
"Of course not" And her little
girl giggle showed small white teeth
like pearly corn kernels. N1cb
thought he had never seen any
thing so fresh and young as this
girl, and yet he had. thought that
was sorrowful. 1t had piqued and
troubled him, for he figured that
Charlotte could not be more than
nineteen or twenty, and she seemed
very much in love with Tony: NICE
did not know Tony very well. He
was, of course, aware that Tony was
active in the doings OF the younger
set, and inasmuch as he had never
heard of Charlotte he suspected that
she didn't belong. She hadn't the
assurance that. the girls in Tony, S
set possessed in such abundance
world, shy and sweet and girlish,
and he wondered if Tony appreciated
her.
Charlotte had no reserves, she had
shown her pleasure quite plainly
when she had spied him IN the
crowd. Nick had seen that. He felt
old and faded beside her as they
walked along, and as for Charlotte
she had thrown herself into the ad-
venture with all her heart, forget
ting everything that Toney had told
her the other day in the pleasure OF
the moment.
Nick laughed at the things she
said and drew her on carefully to
talk of, herself. He made funny re.
Street and she responded with an
ESQ that surprised herself.
But where were you going?" he
asked when they had walked a couple
of blocks.
"Adventuring" she flung at him
gavly, glancing up at him sidewlsc'
then suddenly conscious OF the 1act
that she was speaking rather freely
to this man who was attef az r d
graveiy, Nowhere at all, just walk
ing"
Suppose we have an adventure -
he suggested. Il have an ABSURD
idea that I'd like to take you to the
circus, but unfortunately the circus
doesn't come to New York TIL
spring. Have you ever been to the
circus?" -, l.,
Again Nick looked at her narrow
1y, thinking of the pleasure. thaS
must be Tony's in taking this girl
about for the first time; OF Watcn1
girlish enthusiasm. He did not stop
to think that young mans pleas
ure is nearly always selfish. that ne
thinks of himself first, and can
rarely enjoy anything through the
pleasure of another. 49,,
almost eagerly. "I'll take you to
something that is next best to the
And so he piloted her over to Sixth
avenue and to the biggest spectacle
New York boasts. He. shrewdly sus-
place too bourgeois for sophi sticat t.
ed New Yorker, and he guessed light.
Charlotte had seen several drawing
room room C comedies and some polite, mel
odious musical plays. but the huge
spectacle of the biggest show in
New York thrilled her as Nick had
thought il would. She watched it,,
enthralled, chattering like a maybe
between the acts and eating the
chocolates that Nick had bought her
with the enjoyment Of a child.