Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-25
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
THE GIRL Jim TOOK TO
THE GAME
By II. Louis Rdybold

Ills TICKETS mad safely arrived ana,
thank heaven and the ticket Office, his
seats were as good rs any ever allotted
to newly fedged graduates under the
strain Of unprecedented demands. That
part Of It was all to the mustard.
Only--whom to take2 With Jim the
choice was not narrow one. Yet
gradually 1t simmered down to two,
Caroline Hemingway or Peggy Curtiss,
both lively girls--and fair. For Jim
could not visualize himself as escorting
to that colorful spectacle any but
pretty girl. To choose, then, either
Caroline's dusby attractiveness or
Peggy's wfnsome blondness?
I've got it!' said jim. "I'll toss
up their telephone numbers and abide
by fate. Come seven! ~
A moment later he snapped the re-
ceiver bnck on its hook. ut was ever
so nice Of him, thank you, but Caroline
body else!"
Now for Peggy.
If Peggy's soft voice over the tele-
phone carried with bit more Of a
thrill than had GATHERINGS. Jim was
scarcely aware Of the fact as her words
struck gradual dismay to his soul.
''The game? Oh Jim, I'd love to,
but Blaine Ashley asked me ages ago.
But. Jim I've got simply tremendous
favor to ask you. Had you any one else
in mind? No? How splendid You
see, my cousin is here from Milldale,
and just dying to see the game. But you
know how It is about tickets. And-oh,
Jim, IL you would take her She's
awfully bright and-did you say, is she
pretty? Why-oh, Central, you've cut
us off :"
An ultimate reconnection and Jim.
wondering why on earth he had" done
it. presently found himself pledged to
take Peggy's Milldale cousin to the
| season S greatest contest.
Early in the afternoon on the day Of
the game, Jim drove his modest little
roadster up to the curb in front of
1'eggy's home. Yes. there stood the
girls on the veranda.. Beside them
lowered young Ashley, tall and su-
perior.
Never had Jim seen Peggy look more
beautiful. her eyes glowing and her
cheeks whipped to radiant color by
the crisp autumn breezes. Beside her,
the little Milldale cousin paled to in
significance. And she wore huge tor.
toise shell glasses
| Driving out the crowded boulevard
| nanked by laughing chattering streams
of people all flowing in one direction,
Jim tried to 10 his duty as an escort
and gentleman. But his most valiant
conversational methods produced the
most meager of responses.
Disgusted, Jim lapsed into silence
which lasted unbrokcn until he had
parked his car and the two Of them
had entered the portal and found their
places in the huge structure gradually
filling with vast animated throng.
Then once more he reused himself.
In ha
meDted. "I take it you re up on foot
ball like all girls. Miss Crumley?"
Miss Crumley nodded timidly. "Tho
side that kicks the ball oftenest over
those posts wins, does it not?" she
wanted to know.
Jim all but groancd. Imagine. Then
he forgot his companion, even forgot
that Peggy was sitting somewhere with
that arrogant Blaine Ashley, forgot
everything but that the team was com =
ing on the field, shedding their blankets
as they ran.
For the greater part Of the game Jim
forgot his silent guest. During the
intervals between periods he politely
supplied her with the offerings Of the
peanut and popcorn boys and mini
mum amount of innocuous small talk.
But when the game was on. she
vanished straightway into oblivion as
far as Jim was concerned.
Then. just at the end. with the
score tied and five minutes to play. .,.the
star of the team. taking one of those
desperate forward passes so often
futilcly tried near the finish, started
down the field. The crowd went wild.
Touchdown. Touchdown -
And it was.
Jim became suddenly aware that the
girl at his side had grabbed his arm
with one hand and with the other was
frantically waving her scoreb0ok. "He
made it He made it! Oh. boy!
That night Peggy had a party to
celebrate the victory. Jim had been in
yitcd when he deposited Miss ,Crumley
on the Curtiss steps and had reluctantly
consented. The girls slipped away up
stairs leaving Jim and Ashley to argue
the fine points Of the game.
1t was when the girls came back
that Jim got the shock of his life. In
piled high, her face alight. her awful
glasses gone, the little Milldale cousin
was u peach!
But not until much later in the
evening when Blaine Ashley left early
to take her down to her train, did jim
receive explanations from the Contrite
Peggy.
And then she only explained because
jim, tantalized beyond endurance by n
certain sweet provocativeness, had
seized her suddenly in his arms and all
in ono breath told her he loved her and
begged her to be his. 1t was after that
little matter was satisfactorily settled
that Peggy confessed as follows:
"I--I've really been crazy about you
for a long time. Jim and-and rather
thought you were about me! I wanted
to go to the game with you, but you
didn't ask me and finally I accepted
Blaine's invitation. But when you called
up-well, I couldn't bear to think of
you taking some one else. My cousin
seemed providentially sent. Only-well,
she really is terribly popular with the
boys and I made her promise not to try
her wiles on you. And then she went
to the other extreme-as you know !!
She says that just one moment she for
got she was playing a part-at that
winning touchdown, you know. You
see, her brother il captain of his col
lego team. What she doesn't know
about football! But she certainly did
her best--'
Not to capture mel" grinned Jim.
"As il ever thought for moment OF
any one but you, dear!'