The Owosso times., 1921-04-29
Nelly's Mistake
By HAROLD SINcI.AIRE
t@. 1921. Western Newspaper Union.)


own little group of select friends.
She stamped her little foot till the
skate blade rang.
81 will never speak to Lisle Jordan
again!" she declared. II have a good
mind to send him back the engage
ment ring"
Don't be foolish. Nelly" advised
her sister. "You are making a great
big mountain out Of very small
mole hill"
"BigI LittleT gasped Nelly, her
eyes full Of tears. 81 saw him skating
away from everybody with one of the
Few academy girls. His arm was
around her, and am sure l saw him
kiss her."
did he see you, Nelly?" inquired
her sister.
He acted as IL he didn't want to
see me-" cried the vexed girl. He
was to be here to skate with me two
hours ago and"
"Why, there he Is now, Nelly; there
is some mistake. He must have just
come from home"
But Nelly was not In hearing now
and soon she was out of sight. She
had glanced just once at an approach
ing figure. 1t was her lover, with
his skates over his shoulder.
Nelly was soon far from the gen.
eral throng. Every moment she felt
more abused and perverse. When she
came to where the river divided, she
took the far western branch.
Here the ice was clear, brilliant
sheet, scarcely marked. Nelly rested
for a moment. Then she casually no.
ticed a man coming her way.
Beautiful. very beautiful" he said,
and Nelly was more astounded than
ever He described a wonderful cir
Gle on one foot, and then, with a
flourish, made series of quick
whirls.
Nelly gasped and flushed at the
audacity of the man. Plainly he had
written on the ice with wonderful
skill a name.
1t was: Nelly"
Finally she espied a cutoff leading
to the other river branch. 1t had steep
clay sides, and Nelly started along It..
Crack-swish-crac crack! Nelly
uttered sharp, sudden cry Of dis
may. The frail rubber Ice was beEd-
ing under her weight. Then one foot
went through 1t to the ankle. She
darted for shore, but though at every
step her feet broke through, she
gained the bank.
A driftwoOd log was there, and
Nelly sat down on It, breathless and
with wet feet.
She looked up at the sound Of clang-
ing skate blades and cracking Ice.
Her lover was coming toward her.
"Why. Nelly" he cried. in a glad,
relieved tone. "I feared I should rot
find you. If 1t were not for a skater
I met who had seen you come this
way, / might have searched for hours.
And In trouble. too. poor little girl ~
"Yes, l am In dreadful trouble" !"
sobbed Nelly. "Was 1t a man In a
fancy costume you metz
eyes, a stranger-looked like a for
eigner."
"He is bold. bad man." blazed out
Nelly. "He smiled at me, and-and
deliberately wrote my name on the
ce. never was so affronted In my
ife."
"He did, eh?" fiared up Lisle. ir his
turn.
In to xIo a Jlxy
that she forgot all her pet grievances.
"Ah, there is the insolent fellow :"
exclaimed Llsle, as they came to a
bend IN the river and the man who
had so frightened Nelly was in view.
"You wait here while I attend to the
gentleman"
The stranger bowed and showed
the most extravagant courtesy. Lisle
skated back to Nelly, his face In a
broad smile.
"why," he observed, "t6ere Is, Of
course, only one Nelly in the world
to me, but there are two Nellys mixed
up in this skating experience"
"What do you mean, Lisle?" asked
Nelly bewilderedly.
"That, gentleman yonder and his
wife are a roller skating team who
are here with vaudeville company.
He was simply practicing on fee
skates. His wife's name is the same
as yours, and he was delighted to find
he was able to write it on the ice."
"Oh. dear! What a foolish girl I
have BEEN" said Nelly.
"Your sister told me Of your mis-
take about myself" pursued Lisle.
"Mistake?" repeated Nelly.
ayes, dear. The person you mis-
took for me was a college friend. Jack
Delmar. / loaEcd him my outfit this
morning"
"Oh, Lisle! Can you ever forgive
me for doubling your" almost sobbed
Nelly. "That Jack Delmar, though.
is n bold fellow--I saw him kiss the
girl with him."
"why not? She is one of the semi
nary girls. and Jack Is engaged to
her. tell you. Nelly, Jack is fine
fellow"
Nelly nestled closer to her lover,
subdued. contrite, but Immensely hap