The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-08-04
The Pothooks and
Hangers
BY HAROLD sINcLAIRE
t@ BY Mcclure Newspaper syndioate.) }

|
ular lesson night. but the Shark
wouldn't appear for perhaps half all
hour. Plenty Of time for Jimmy In
which to learn his fate and--well, he
hadn't decided just what he would dc
after that; that is, In case she wouldn't
marry him.
So he sat In the little parlor of
Loulse's home and waited. Presently
she would come in briskly, her brown
eyes demure, her lips smiling. She
always made you think Of sturdy
little wildiiower In the woods In spring
time. And Jimmy, young lawyer
tho, gh he was, knew that his heart
wo,.ld skip beat ard his ruddy face
take pu y still deeper hue rs he faced
her. de tried to be patient. and as
the minutes passed memories came
sweet and bitter-in their turn.
Around that library table in the
center of the room he had sat three
nights week with Louise and--yes-
lsTerry Gerard, the Shark-who was
the particular fly In Jimmy's olnt-
ment. Why did he need CONNER
cial education, anyway--his business
didn't require 1t. Jlmmy's did, at
least. so he had represented to Louise
when he had begged her TO teach him
the art Of shorthand.
So around this table the three had
sat-Loulse and her two mismated pu-
pills, for they hated each other as
much as they loved their teacher. Both
had invented their need of a knowl-
edge of shorthand In order TO be near
| the object of their affections The
only difference In their methods was
that while Jimmy didn't try to learn,
concealing his Indifference to the best
OF his ability, Terry made the most
of his lessons and consequently was
able to read whole pages of curlicues
without a break.
"Red headed shark" growled jim
my, gritting his teeth. He smoothed
his own glossy dark hair and scowled.
That shark was to be reckoned with,
he was bright and, yes, good looking,
and Louise seemed to like him. OF
late he had Imagined that she pre-
ferred him. Only yesterday he had
come upon them talking confidential.
ly In low tones when no one was
near. Well. the suspense would soon
be over. He heard her coming down
the stairs, and bis heart skipped that
beat according to prophecy. as Louise
entered In anticipated fashion.
While he was holding her hand,
which had been extended In welcome,
he looked at It idiotically, as II he
had never seen It before.
"Why, Jimmy" said Louise. looking
at him in surprise:
Jimmy gulped.
"You promised to write my answer
today"
"And so I have"
Didn't get It," gasped Jimmy.
Mail service punk. Was It yes or
nO?"
silly" she answered, diving into
her pocket. II didn't say I'd mail II |
to you. Weren't you to come this
evening to take your lesson3 Well"
She handed him a notebook, open.
pointing to a neat array of pothooks
and hangers that adorned the page.
"That is my answer" she told him
sweetly. II
He looked Mt It helplessly. "Je-
hoshaphatl" he exclaimed. For the
first time he envied that shark. He
could have read those marks. Poor
Jimmy couldn't. and he didn't know
whether to sink with despair or take
his teacher in his arms
II was at "recess" the night before
that II happened. The Shark had left
early, Louise had told him goodnight
In what seemed to Jimmy most un-
necessarily interested fashion, and
Jimmy had forthwith laid his heart
and fortune at his teachers feet. In
a sweetly buslnesslike manner she
had promised to write him her answer.
And there II was In his hand and
he couldn't read I'll
"That is your answer" repeated
Louise.
"yes," Jimmy floundered miserably.
She was looking out of the window
now. Jimmy set his teeth and began
to study those awful marks with a
vengeance.
A gasp escaped him. There was n
familiar chicken track In that first
line. II was the one phrase he had
learned very early In the course, think
Ing some time to use It craftily, ~
ove you'll" He recognized that when
he saw IT, II was there! He looked
closer. Yes. II was there. but what
was that silly little mark preceding
he word love? II didn't belong! He
+ried with his finger 20 remove lit
night be an eyelnsh fallen there. But
I stayed. and Jimmy's brow grew
moist with the dawnlng OF an awful
bought. Suppose that little fool {
,urved line should be the negative to
hat sweet phrasei Die she or didn't '
he7 That was the question. 1t was $
line TO use some of that craftiness.
Pushing back his damn hair and