Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1922-11-02

hair; she had coral earrings, little
too much lipstick and bare knees. He
saw all that In his first glance.
'Of course, you don't have to kiss
me-" she tainted.
John Merrill gasped when he heard
the voice. that was the only thing he
did remember now. This was Airline
This flippant bit of glrlhood, with her
powdered cheeks and her nonchalant,
bored manner.
There's Ed; he'll run us home in
his Stutz p
Ed, In his long red roadster, removed
cigarette, but not his hat as the
other two stepped in beside him, John
Merrill tried to catch up to their rapid
fire conversation. BY the time he
reached Arline's home he was not only
little tired, but very determined.
When, two weeks later, John Mer-
rill returned to New York. he went
first to his office. Miss Warlng had
left the day before, he was told.
Everything was in order. The clerks
looked at him slyly, at this man with
keen brown eyes who was somehow re-
juvenated from his visit home They
all knew he had gone to get married.
Miss Warning gone!" John Merrill
stormed:
He was not used TO being thwarted.
He knew the office wouldn't run with
out her What tommy-rot was this,
leaving when he was away He'd raise
her salary, If that was what she want
ed He'd see to II himself. At five
o'clock he stopped before the apart
ment in which Miss Waring lived.
He was shown into very new
marble hall with imitation palms and
carried five flights in a gasping, Gid
ing lift He hated all this sham New
York life.
Then he touched her bell and
stepped into the hall. Alice Waring
and her aunt were having supper.
Alice sprang up from the table; Aunt
Name pressed him into a chair John
Merrill, who had not yet dined found
himself eating beaten, biscuit and fried
chicken and drinking a great cup Of
golden, favorous coffee. There were
daffodils centering the table, the linen
square was glossy and across the can
dies in their silver sconces he could
look at Alice in a pale green frock
from which her shoulders lifted az
though from sepals of a lily.
How soft her voice was, and how
lnr igh h
ness of her hair seemed to frame her
face in mahogany II was Aunt Name
who talked. to whom they both lis
tened, but it was to Alice's serene face
he looked back again and again.
Was this New York? These chairs
with their rush seats, that sideboard
with its polished fruit howl, the quiet
gray walls? This was not the New
York of the jazz apd the noise and the
women who watched him from painted
eyes, 1t was some quirter spot to
which he mad been carried on a magic
carpet.
I'm afraid" Alice said, lifting her
chin when he preached the raise in her
salary, chat | won't be able to come
back"
"But l don't see how the Office will
be able to get along without YOU"
She only smiled
you're not going to be marricd?'
he asked in sudden fear
No, we're not an like Won Mr. Mer-
rill," Alice said lightly.
II? Pm not married Clag.,d my
mind. Sometimes the home town
changes even more than YOU d." He
rose awkwardly; he wanted 40 he
asked 20 sta,. "The office may he
able to get along without You, but I
won't" he said.
The look he shot her from hazel
eyes filled her heart with wild Joy
IF you won't come to work for me,
may I come to see your
She smiled and nodded Willie Aunt
Name spoke the word Of hospitality;
but when the door had closed on his
broad shoulders Alice did not cry nor
press her hand against her heart, nor
even lean over to kiss the place where
his hand had lain. She just stood
there, But her world was flooded with
a sudden glory.