The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-12-31
Colleen Girl
By LILLIACE M. MITCHELL

g. 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
Tom sat moOdily on the top step
waiting for Gladys to come out. He
took OFF his glasses and cleaned them
lhOughtfully On his new silk handker'
chief Whether or not to propose 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
it to himself. He wished this 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
shadier 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 MS
ewes he could not see her as distinct
Nv as he would have liked to. she
was a small girl, not more than hve
feet, and the tiny pup that pulled on
the chain suspended from her hand
seemed to be about all she could mana
age. Tom knew that il she walked
in the park she would hang on the
arm of the man she was with. Gladys
never hung. In the first place. Gladys
| was q full four or five inches taller,
and came up to Toms shoulder.
! Before he had seen the golden girl
he had never thought much about IL,
but after that he noticed that GLADYS
happened &c hold her elbow as they
passed through crowd, asd Tom
would have liked her to be the cling
gng-vine type.
And then the clothes of the golden
| girl! Every time he had seen her
ON a Sunday afternoon she had had on
golden brown suit of some silky ma
telial that shone in the sunlight,
gold lace hat, and even her stockings
had golden clocks embroidered on the
sides. But 1t was her hair that seemed
to Tom the most wonderful thing
about her. 1t was the go!diest golden
no had ever seen, and fluffed out DIS
tractingly under her hat. Today she
was wearing long dOlman cape with
the same golden tints.
At this moment i'm 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 JUS
the same way every time he came. III
thar awell" she seemed to ask worlds
and Tom wondered if they did MARI!
If she would continue to say wei II
lust that way for the rest OF theil
lives. But Tom had not asked he
J vet. and as he looked from her biu'
tricotine suit and tan oxfords back t.
the golden girl in her dolman ant
high-heeled slippers he determined no
TO be hasty. He would not ask ne
J TODAY. at any rate. There was al
ways plenty of time. and besides n
was fairly sure that Gladys neve
went out with any one else. and 3
until he gave the signal there wa
nothing she could do but wait.
, "She's pretty little kid, isn't she!
) he said, indicating by jerk Of hi
: hand the golden girl with her dog WI
: was by now almost opposite the boart
: ing house.
. Gladys looked in the direction h
. had pointed out and dropped he
: eyes to her glove buttons. She di
: not reply.
q aDor:'t you think she's pretty!
: prodded Tom
A pink flush ran up from her nee
+ to her cheeks as she averted her eye
Tom glanced at her brown hair wit
}, its copper CLEANS through it. Il
o stood up and stared down the steI
= beside her.
d .You know, Gladys" he said siowl
z ~ can't stand catty girl"
She paused at the bottom step. "Pe
J. haps you'd rather not go to the park
Z she said quietly.
Instantly Tom was sorry; indeed,
i. had been SO the moment the wor'
q were out Of his mouth. for In all
le the time he had known Gladys g
n had never shown the slightest hi
a Of the trait he had mentioned. An
II anyway, the thought Of whole, 10
to Sunday afternoon alone witho
" Gladys, whom he had come to 10
Id upon as his logical companit
IN seemed impossible.
.Come on, was only joking,
a. said, trying to laugh 1t of.
Id But in spite Of all that he could
m or 40. he felt all afternoon That thu
ed was = tiny cloud between them.
ed started topic. after topic OF CONVEX
tfon. oily to have 1t fall fiat. He t.
ng her to Ahe lions cage. place VIII
ne she usually loved to 60. but she ST.
q q there stolidly and only smiled vagu
o.. when he jok,ed about the cage D
re- breaking. She was courteous.
~ there was not the gay sparkle In
a~~ .rsa ovos that generally eD1