, 1921-12-08
The
Golden Girl
By LILLIACE M. MITCHELL
9. 1871. by Mcclure Newspaper syndleate.

ion sat hloouliy ON the top step
waiting for Gladys to come out. He
took off his glasses and cleaned them
t~houghtfully on his new silk handker.
chief. Whether or not to p to
Gladys this Sunday afternoon as they
walked in the park was the question
uppermost in his mind.
He liked Gladys; he believed that
he loved her. He did wish that she
were a little ''classier," as he termed
1t to himself. He wished his now es-
pecially. for he saw coming down the
street the girl with the tiny pup on the
long chain, the girl whom he had
called to himself the golden girl ever
since he had first seen her. 1t had
been three weeks ago today that she
had strolled by the boarding house
where 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
shudier in the afternoon because of
the tall trees that grew in the mar
row parking space.
Tom wished that she would walk
nearer, for though he strained his
eyes he could not see her as distinct
~ 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 suspended from her hand
seemed to he about all she could man
age. Tom knew that if she walked
in the park she would hang on the
arm OF the maj she was with. Gladys
never hung. IN the first place. Gladys
was a full fou or five inches 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
happened to hold her elbow as they
passed through a crowd, asI Tom
would have liked her to he the cling
ing-vine type.
And then the clothes of the golden
girl, Every tim he had seen her
on n Sunday afternoon she had had on
a golden brown suit of some silky ma
terial that shone in the sunlight, a
gold lace hat, and even her stockings
had golden clocks embroidered ON the
sides. But it was her hair that seemed
to Tom the most wonderful thing
about her. 1t was the goldiest golden
he had ever seen, and fluffed out dis
tractingiy under her hat. Today she
was wearing a long dolman cape with
the same golden tints.
Al this moment in his raptures
Gladys came out of the door of the
boarding house. closed the screen door
without a bang and Joined him.
"Well?" she said.
Gladys always said well in lust
the same way every time he came In
that well" she seemed to ask worlds,
and Tom wondered If they did marry
If she would continue to say well in
just that way for the rest of their
lives. But Tom had not asked her
yet. and as he looked ron her blue
tricotine suit and tan oXfOrds back to
the golden girl in her dolman and
hlgh-heeled slippers he determined not
TO be hasty. He would not ask her
today. at any rate. There was al
ways plenty Of time, and besides he
was fairly sure that Gladys never
went out with any one else, aud so
until he gave the signal there was
llblliliE Nlt tulltN w nut Will.
shes n pretty little kid. isn't she?"
he said. indicating by II jerk of his
hand the golden girl with her dog who
was by now almost opposite the board
ing house.
Gladys looked in the direction he
had pointed out and dropped her
eyes To her glove buttons. She did
not reply.
Don't you think she's prettyY'
prodded Tom.
A pink 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 IL. He
stood up and stared down the steps
beside her.
you know, Gladys" he said slowly,
II can't stand n catty girl"
She paused nj the bottom step. per
haps you'd rather not go to the parkY'
she said quietly.
Instantly Tom was sorry indeed, he
had been so the mOment the words
were out of his mouth. for In all Of
the time he had known Gladys she
had never shown the slightest hint
Of the trait he had mentioned. And,
anyway. the thought of "A whole. long
Sunday afternoon alone without
Gladys, whom he had come 10 look
upon as hls logical companion,
seemed impossible.
Come on, | was only Joking" he
said. trying Ia laugh 1t or.
But In spite Of all that he could say
ar do hp felt MI ufternoon that tbprp
wns "A tiny cloud between them. lie
started topic after topic of CONVERSE
ton. only 10 have II fall Hat, He took
her TO the Hons cage. It place where
she usually loved 10 20, but she stood
there st0lidly and only smiled ynguely
,rhnn lie lnknl nhnmf the nnnn hnrs