Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-28

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s. n. 7, Yrn... ~.
will do you good; blow the cobwebs
away. YOU can go for a walk and get
primroses or something while 1 see
this man, and then I'll meet you at the
tea-shop and we'll get the fast train
back to town. That'll land US home
just in time for dinner
Listen to the old campaigner! How
we'll o plan things out, Mr.. Smith,"
said Phyllis; getting at me. But I was
used to that; she was like it with ev-
erybody. She couldn't be like It with
:: a chap she was engaged to-. He'd see
a different sort of Phyllis, I thought;
and I thought how wonderful that
would be. Don they always say how
Love changes a girl, softening her into
a woman. nj all that sort Of thing?
I mus e 1t happen, some day, for
myself, I must.
Going down next day, Phyllis was
as gay as q lark. Chattering away
humming the latest tunes, munching
the chocolates I'd. brought, and teach
Ing me hat absurd ld-fdshioned chill
dren's game. Each of us took one
side of the railway and scored points
on the different objects the train
passed. A black sheep counted ten, a
windmill thirty. and so on. Great fun
we had over that.
But at the back OF my mind all the
time a resolution seemed to pulse in
time to the rhythm of the train. II
must take a chance. Il must take a
chance" 1t drummed in my ears. I'd
say the most important thing I'd ever
had to say in my life, to Phyllis. The
thought had stuck. you know. Of her
getting engaged to some other fellow
n of how I'D loathc it, and Of what
a. blank there'd be in my life without
"a girl. All the time we sped through
the country all growing green 1 was
making up my mind. l could but try
my luck with her, after all. This idea
had been there even last evening when
l walked with her through the PARK
towards Cromwell Road where she
was to wait for that man to fetch
away the piano. Yes; I might have
said something then. But / couldn't
see 4sow the land lay, one atom. :.
How does a fellow tell, as a rule?
Am L a freak not to know more about
it?
Eve going down, I couldn't. Phyllis
was at her liveliest. She reminded
me more than ever OF a., dancing re-
Election of light that skips all over
the place and is never for an instant
quiet. You can't say those
things to a girl when she's like that,
Then, coming home. she was differ
ent. I noticed that the we
got into the London train. l had wan
gled a carriage to ourselves (Which l
couldn't manage, coming down from
town). Phyllis, settling herself into
her corner seat and tucking her bunch
OF primroses into her coat-belt, was
actually quiet The little knocking
sparkles had died out Of her eyes; and
her mouth Cher mouth that was al
ways laughing and making fun) had
a sort OF droop that I'd never seen
there before.
l was immensely glad to see it; glad
she was quiet and n doing her
revvs' as we'd say in the Squadron.
or oothering to be amusing. Didn't
that show l must be more to her than
nos OF these fellows who came to III
house and took her about? She was
Always laughing with them, but here
she was letting me see her In another
light This was not eycrybodv'a
Phyllis. Saying nothing; gentle, l did
i that. l was fond Of her. I be-
love I'd never known how fond I was
Of 9 until that minute. No; T
couldn't let her go getting engaged
to other people. Not without a shot
at 1t myself. I'd try. And then.
a new mood settled upon me. IDIOT
caily- nervous / felt: wished the fast
train we're faster and both Of us In our
own places and nothing said!
Just az I was thinking this, she
smiled across at me. Not her usual
gay, mischievous smile. but a small.
rather weary but contented sort of ar
fair that seemed to own ND that she
knew she was with somebody who
wouldn't worry her to talk or any
thing II she didn't want to.
Funny how that seemed to make
me glad to be with her again, a,
once! "
i ieant forward. I said, Tired 7"
y am 4 litale." Phyllis said.
She put up her hands to that lop-
sided little hat arrangement that she
wears. with the feather. She took
the peari-heedcd pins ana stuck
them into the dark-blue upholstery
stun OF n carta<e-back; then aaae
hfted OF her hat and put It on her lap,
n leant her head back asainst The
window. shutting her eyes.
It was the first time I'd aeen her
eyes shut and her dark lashss down
against her cheeks. Funny how much
younger 1t made her lnok-nd nicer
looking. and-aomething ia never I'M
a0tned that Phyllis Carteret could
ever look. Helpless!
She made me feel I'd do anything
on earth "a help her; not that I Inn.
agtned she wanted helping. really. .
bit. Except that every girl IA he
world wants looking after: and doAsnsf
every man want . G4ri to look affor9
It's what he's there for. And t,ntliL
he's got her. he's only Aalf-livtng. Do
ing haK his Job. knowing haX-enSoy-
msnts. I'd been doing that up 70 low
and ] wa1 fed with f. I must have
this other. ! couldn't i1vO without
II any morD. I mx4 b evseything to
q woman. and do e~verythfng for har.