Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-13
CHAPTER III.
THE FALSE START.
The BOYS Story.

! CildltCcO ILL.,
Why OF earth did I ever go and
make such an ass of myself?
I spoke to her.
Good Lord, when I think Of it!
This was what happened. /.
All br~eakfast-time ! told myself the
old says about Nothing venture moth
ing gain" n 'Faint heart never won
fair lady"
Jove, how / wanted to win, or, any
how, to have a chance of winning that
little fair lady of my mornings walk!
And not the ghost of a prospect, un-
less I made some sort of q start my
self.
The question was-Did I mean to
go on and on like this. lonely and
acknowledgements and miserable,
just WORKING all day and moping all
evening over a book in my rooms :?
To &C on meeting morning after morn
ing the very girl who might mean
everything to me, and just to let her
pass?
SO near and yet SO far! So near
that l know by heart now every curve
of her face, SO near that 1 could touch
the brown silky curl that Kisses her
check! So far that 1 don't lei know
her name or where she lives! Without
any hope Of knowing, unless
This seemed the only way.
IF she understands" thought I.
well and good. If she takes it amiss,
we'll and bad! Anything is better than
just nothing!"
Yes; at breakfast I'd got into the
ack-Smith-my-lad you're-for : it,
mood.
Then in the street when I saw tina,
little purple hat Of hers bobbing along
towards me, about fifty yards away
through the crowd Cold
feet again! I thought Have the abso-
lutte neck to speak to her? Can't be
DONE" On I walked. On she came.
Nearer. carer, till I could see the
color of her eyes. It's the kind that
changes: more blue than grey they
looked this morning; perhaps, because
the sun was shining brightly.
All of a sudden l uninade my mind
that I'd made up about not having
in her little face as she came up to
me.
p Dyou know, it seemed to me (my
mistake, of courseD that she did no
tice me, that she did recognize me as
not only just something she passed
every day like the motor-buses along
that route but as a fellow-creature
who might be a friend. I was jolly
wrong IS it turned out. But I did
think I saw her cheeks 60 a deeper
pink as I got near. I did think there
was the ghost Of something quivering
about her mouth that might almost
have grown into a smile il she'd let 1t.
"Here goes!' thought I. I opened
my mouth to speak.
In that flash there went straight
out Of my head everything I'd planned
to say; my name. and how l had to
introduce myself because there was
nobody else to do it, and how
thought the world of getting to know
her. and mightn't we make friends ?
That won't. Instead heard myself
bleAting out In a voice that might
have. belonged to some other chap
ana q bit Of q bounder at that
"Good-mornine!"
I Not the way l meant to start at All
And then-My hat, when I think OF
It T could kick myself to pieces. What
happened was hat Nothing
happened. :
She walked straight on az II she
hadn't heard or seen me.
But she had. :
She looked-No! Not even at me!
A look Just came down over face like
the Icy blackness that comes over 4
smiling lake when you're gu; fishing
IN February and all Of = sudden the
sun goes in behind the clouds. I felt
[froxen: frozen stif.
What Kind OF i rotten young cad
had She taken me for? 4
Perhaps I had behaved like IL. .,
She was justified in giving the look
that means, II do not know YOU" to
tiiA young bounder who had Accosfed
her in the street. Next thing, perhaps