Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-06-02

trice."
"YOu-what?"
81 up and got married day before
yesterday" he beamed.
"And who's the happy girl?'
"Kitty Mason. We jes' walked t.
the church round the corner. Clay, he
stood up with us and give the bride
away. It's me n her for Arizona
POGO pronto."
Beatrice felt a queer joyous lift In
side her IS of some weight that had
rome. In a single breath Johnnie had
blown away the mists Of misunder-
standing that for weeks had clouded
her vision. Her heart went out to
Clay with a rush of warm emotion.
The friend she had distrusted was all
she had ever believed him. He was
more-a man too stanch to desert IN
der pressure any one who had even a
slight claim on him.
81 want to meet her. VIII you bring
her to see me this afternoon, john
nie?" she asked.
His face was one glad grin. Il sure
will. Y'betcha, by Jollies."
He did.
To Beatrice, busy writing a letter,
came Jenkins some hours later.
"a yOung-person-to see you, Miss
Whitford." He said it with a manner
so apologize that it stressed his opin-
ion Of the social status Of the visi-
tor.
"What kind of a persona"
"a young woman, Miss. From the
country, l tyke it."
"She didn't give you a card?"
mo, Miss. She came with the per-
son Mr.. WhitfOrd took on to 'elp with
the work houtside."
"Oh! Show them both up. And
have tea sent in, Jenkins"
Kitty's shy eyes lifted apprehensive-
ly to those of this slim young patri-
clan so beautifully and simply gowned.
Instantly her fears fied.' Beatrice
moved swiftly to her with both hands
outstretched.
"I'm so glad to meet you"
She kissed the young wife with un-
accustomed tenderness. For the Col
orado girl had about her a certain
modesty that was disarming, an ap-
peal of helplessness Beatrice could
not resist.
Kitty, in the arms of her hostess,
wept a few tears. She had been un-
der a strain in anticipating the or
deal of meeting Johnnie's mistress, and
she had discovered her to be a very
sweet, w~arm-hearted girl.
As for Johnnie, he had a miserably
happy half-hour. He had brought his
hat In with him and he did not know
do was to keep it revolving in his
hands. This had to be abandoned
when Miss Whitford handed him a
quite unnecessary cup of tea and a
superfluous plate of toasted English
mullins. He wished his hands had not
been so big and red and freckled.
Also he had an uncomfortable suspi-
cion that his tow hair was tousled
and uncombed in spite of his attempts
at home to plaster it down.
He declined sugar and cream be-
cause for some reason 1t seemed east
er to say Nom" than "Yes," though
he always took both with tea. And he
disgraced himself by scalding his
tongue and failing to suppress the
pain. Finally the plate, with his muf-
fin, carefully balanced on his knee,
from some devilish caprice plunged
over the ~precipice to the carpet and
the bit of china broke.
Whereupon Kitty gently reprGved
him, as was her wifely duty.
II amt no society fellow" the dis
tressed puncher explained to his host
ess, tiny beads of p~erspiration on his
forehead.
Beatrice had already guessed as
much. but she did not admit it to
Johnnie. She and Kitty smiled at each
other in that common superiority
which their sex gives them to any
mere man upon such an occasion. For
Mrs. John Green, though afternoon tea
was to her an alien custom, took to
it as a duck to water.
Miss Whitford handed Johnnie ar
envelope. "Would it be too much trou-
BILE for you to take a letter to Mr..
Lindsay?" she asked very casually as
they rose to go.
The bridegroom said he was much
obliged and he would be plumb tickled
to take a message to Clay.
When Clay read the note his blood
glowed. 1t vas a characteristic two
line apology:
I've been a horrid little prig, Clay ESQ
the letter ram. Won't you come over
tomorrow and go riding with me?
BEATRICE.
.
Colin Whitford had been telling
Clay the story of how a young COW
puncher had snatched Beatrice from
under the hoofs of a charging steer.
His daughter and the Arizonan lis
tened without comment.