Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1921-06-03
BY GRACE cANFlELD.

little JOKE on Charlie WetherDee.
Here was girl, beautiful, rich, and
full Of the love of adventure, who,
unknown to herself, had been. adored
for years by a youth strong, active
and poor, but also loving adventure.
Ardeth Appel did not know Charlie
at all-or she had not until the fates
took hand.
Charlie smiled blithely as he swung
down the street to the station on his
way to New York on his search for
wife. But every step took him
away from her, and by the time he
bought his ticket, his smile had faded
a little.
"Wonderful weather." he remarked
to himself enthusiastically, and forced
large, artificial smile. He Won
dered If, after all, he wanted wife,
when he couldn't have Ardeth. He
propped up the fast-fading grin with
two fingers.
"Why grieve so hard? asked an old
gentleman.
Il beg your pardon7" stammered
Charlie.
Charlie looked at him earnestly,
seized with sudden desire to con.
fide in someone.
Il am sad," he confessed, land so
would you be if you had loved q girl
for FIVE years without ever meeting
her,:
But why don't you meet herr"
Cant. am only poor working
boy, and her father is millionaire
more or less. She sure is a winner,
though" in a musing tone.
Charles smile was gone now. and
it had been his undoing. If he had
not been so busy trying to hold on
to it. he would have seen Ardeth
Appel get in at the other end of the
car. She, too, had felt the urge Of
adventure that morning, and had
slipped out Of the house before her
father could stop her.
Now as Charlie Wetherbee told his
sorrows to the kind gentleman, some
thing strange happened to him. He
had just said: Its pretty hopeless,
I guess" when he suddenly felt that
it couldn't bet mustn't be hopeless!
Unaware that the train had stopped,
and that the passengers were, filing
out, he said in a loud, determined
voice, looking straight ahead:
mo, it is not Some day." he con-
tinued with conviction, II am going
to marry that grill" And as he spoke
he looked right into the eyes of the
girl herself! The Fates chuckled with
glee.
Ardeth, at first inclined to feel in
suited, was suddenly amused. Look
ing calmly back into the clear, hon
est eyes of the stranger she an
swered:
"You may consider yourself accept
ed" Before the astonished young
man could follow she was speeding
away in the luxurious limousine of
a school friend.
1t was two years before the Fates
gave him the opportunity. The MORN
ing was perfect, and Charlie quite
looked the successful young business
man as he boarded the train-bound
for a conference in New York. The
train was crowded and when Charlie
saw that he must share the seat with
Ardeth Appel or stand up, he felt
that the moment was indeed his.
He settled himself beside Ardeth
with polite, impersonal bow, and
began to read a story.
Things like this just don't happen,
you know" He broke the silence cas-
ually. Ardeth, startled, looked q
question.
like this story" he went on. MAN
loved a girl for years without her
knowing it. He sees her on the train
one day and, throwing all caution to
the winds, proposes to her. F..
"How improbable!" But the girls
cheeks were suddenly flushed.
"She calls his bluff, though" he
continued in the same impersonal
tone, land accepts him."
'''You say he has always loved herr"
The girls voice was faint.
"Since he was q kid. But her ia
Their had no use for him. Good chap,
too" he added, brazenly.
The girl recognized him suddenly,
and an overpowering embarrassment
seized her. What would this terri
BILE young man say next7
Then Charlie Wetherbee took his
life in his hands and leaned forward.
'.'What do you think the fellows
chances would BET" he asked.
Ardeth could not but admire the
courage which had prompted these
words, and her tone was not too an
cry, as she replied:
II should say'-with as much poise
as she could summon-"that the
young man ought to 60 to her and
beg her pardon"
''And would she give him another
chance, perhaps?" he whispered.
"Onu never knows until he tries,
answe, ed Ardeth Appel, composedly