The Washington herald., 1922-06-10
Confirmed from Yesterday


The afternoon was spoiled for.
Joe. But luckily-or unluckily-it
was Friday afternoon, and Friday
afternoon had always been succeed
ed so far by Friday night Friday
night was his Night to be with Leila,
when he could see her. step out with
her. talk with her. with no Fat
Franklins. no automobiles. no any
thing else to make the slightest
claim upon her attention Yet he
deeIded this evening, when she came
in to dinner, to be distant.
But he couldn't manage being dis
tant with her For one thing. IL
was plain that Leila had been dis
covered. Half the seniors In the
place were tossing goo-goo glances
IN her direction tonight. Humbly,
confidentially. Joe communicated
his intention to visit her tonight "as
per usual" To his CONSERVATION.
she confessed a previous"
Joe was hurt, and showed IT.;
whereupon the young lady re-
preached him with:
Il didn't suppose you'd mind IL
i got the chance for a ride. They
have come so seldom, you know;
and. besides, the visibility has been
7kind OF low OF lale as Idr as you
were concerned"
phasis and purely by way Of expla-
nation, but 1t stung. it pierced; ano
the gall sack OF a young hearts
bitterness was suddenly filled.
Mind? Sure not. Go ahead I'm
glad you can get 'em. Get all you
can of 'em," Joe urged, and was
careful to urge it cuttingly. And
don't mind me. I'm nobody. You
don't need me any more"
The girl stared with round-eyed
astonishment. and then resentment
curled her beautiful lips.
90 all right" she retorted, eff
you want to be selfishr' and
switched her golden grads.
Selfish, He-selfish. after all this
sleight Of hand. Could she. after ac-
cepting his uncounted pitchers of
cream and boneless T-bones, turn
about and cody accept another fell
lows automobile rides? And on
his night, too? II it were so, elastic
indeed was the conscience of woman.
Joe turned scornfully from her
presence. but some time during the
ensuing sleepless nights perceived
that the fault was all his, that he
-hd0 Occn a IOOl. he ndQ argued
that because she accepted his T.
bones so radiantly she loved him.
Were the other young fellows to in
fer that because she accepted their
automobile rides with equal radi-
ance she therefore loved them? Un-
thinkable! Quite unthinkable But
the beans were already spilled. for
next morning Leila Mason did not
I'D af 80
side of the room she ate cereal with
thin. blue. watery fluid upon it and
hot cakes fabricated with one little
pat of butter per cake and sweet
ened with one lonesome tiny pitcher
of sirup.
Joe was mad for Leila to know
that his resentment had melted,
that his heart was bathed in the
bitter waters of remorse and his
soul environed in an atmosphere of
deep contrition. but she would not
even look in his direction.
Days went by like this, and even
weeks-weeks Of agony for Joe. but
weeks OF giddy happiness for Leila
Mason. A hard, skimpy life had be-
come suddenly rich. varied and joy
Gus. Half a dozen of the best
known men in college contended for
her idle hours, others among them
besides Franklin owning automo-
biles. and she took zestful advan-
tage of her opportunities. Yet the
brightfactd girl was too fu1l of
comradely gratitude to make Joe
suffer interminably for this brash
rudeness Of exasperated youth.
One night Joe found her sitting
serenely' at his table. She greeted
him with the old frank smile, and
his heart plunged like a wild horse
in his breast. Hope dwelt once
more in him. high hope. because
be felt that the times were peculiar
ly auspicious for him. For one
thing, the bricks were almost
wheeled. and. for another. the day
of the annual track meet and field
sports between Pioneer and Bran
stetter universities was at hand
Fat Franklin, a man of sporting
procliyities. was bound to have his
interest in romance swallowed UP
for brief interval before and
after that field day by absorption
In its event, for fierce was the
rivalry between the two institutions.
On the very day before the meet
Joe wheeled his last brick and de-
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