The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-10-25

step waiting for Glaoys 10
y como out. He took of his
giaSses and cleaned them thought
fully on his new silk hankerchiei.
whether OF not TO propose 70
S3iadys this Sunday afternoon Sa3
atiey walked in the park was the
luastion uppernost IN his nina.
NE liked Gladys; he believed
that he loved her. He did wish
that she were little cLassler I,
tas he termed it to hLmSet. ne
wished this now especially, LOT ne
SAW coming down the street tne
b:trl with the tiny pup on the
Iong cha1n, the girl whom he had
called 10 himself the golden girl
over since he had first seen her
It had been three weeks ago to-
da!y that she had strollod by the
boardjng house whore Gladys had
her half room, with one Of the
other 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 be-
cause OF the tall trees that grew
I'M the narrow parking space.
Tom wished that she would walk
NEARER, for though he strained his
eyes he could not see her as dis
tfuctiy as he would have liked to.
She was a small girl. not more
than five feet, and the tiny pup
that pulled on the chain suspend
cd from her hand seemed to be
tzE..,,A oIf a9a gould TnopaUn Tom
knew TINT II she walked in the
park she would hang on the arm
,sof the man she was with. Gladys
never hung. In tho first place,
GLADYS was full four or five In.
Iches 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 walked along indepnd-
eatly unless he happened to hold
her elbow ms they passed through
q crowd. And Tom would have
tlibed her to be the clinging vino
type,
And then the clothes Of the gol-
den girl. Every time he had seen
her on Sunday afternoon she had
had on golden brown suit OF
some silky material that shone in
the sunlight. gold lace hat and
even her stockings had golden
clocks Embroidered on the sides.
l!But 1t was her hair that seemed
2to Tom the most wonderful thins
about her. It was the goldiest COL
den he had ever seen and fluffed
out diatructingly under her hat.
l To-day she was wearing n long dol
Inan-cape with the same golden
,tfnts
Y 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.
ts1yeJI?" she said
Gladys always said well" in Just
ths same way ever time he 'canie.
M the :ewell she seemed" to ask
Porlds and Tom wondered II they
diA marry if she would continue
fp say well" in just that way for
the rest OF their lives. But Tom
had not asked her yet, and as he
Looked from her blue tricotine
suit and tan oxfords back to the
golden girl n her dolman. and
high-heeled slippers he determin-
ed not TO be hasty. He would not
ask her today at any rate.
There was always plenty Of time,
and besides he was fairly sure that
GLADYS never went out with any
one else, and SO until he gave the
signal there was nothing she
Gcould do but wait.
She's a pretty little kid. isn't
she?" he said, indicating by jerk
of his hand the golden girl. with
her dog who was by now almost
opposite the clearinghouse
Gladys looked in the direction
he had pointed out and dropped
Fher eyes to her glove button. She
did not reply.
prcddsH Tom.
fbSHng flush ran up from her
neck to her cheeks as she averted
her eyes. Tom glanced at her
brown hair with it's copper CLEANS
through it. He stod up and start
ed down the steps beside her.
'sYou know, Gladys" he said
slowly, 'I can't stand catty
girl"
She paused at tho bottom step.
,Perhaps you'd rather not go. to
the pars?" she said quietly.
Instantly Tom was sorry; In.
deed, he had been SO the moment
the words were out Of his mouth
for in all Of tho time he had known
Gladys she had never shown the
olightest hint OF the trait he had
,Ientiored, And, anyway, the
OF q whole, long Sunday
afternoon alone without gladys,
whom he had come to look upon as
bis logical companion, seemed i'm.
possible.
Feome on, was only joking" he
said, trying to laugh it off.
But In spite Of all that he could
say or do he felt all afternoon
that there was a tiny cloud be-
tween them. He started topic at
ter topic OF conversation, only to
have il fall fiat. He took her to
the lone cage, a place where she
usually loved to so, but she stood
there stolidly and only smiled
yaRueiy when he joked about the
Gaze bars breaking. She was
courteous, but there was not the
NV snarlEia In her voice and eyes
fh9k generally entertained him.
When he suggested going back to
boarding house she agreed in.
} - a., SI,b1nna, a. wnu Aar rUB.