Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-14

OF starvation. 1t was food
and drink to him Just to
stand off and gaze at her when she did not
know that he was gazing; and 1t was positively
thrilling to observe her delighted flush at dis
covering his glance upon her. She was still
sparing Of conversation. but such eloquent
messages Of thanks and grateful appreciation
as she sent to him across that old dining hall!
And pretty? Why. the girl was going to be
beautiful-was beautiful already. In his own
absorption with that bright spectacle 1t did not
occur to him that others might be discovering
that nascent beauty also. That Fat" franklin.
for instance, proud junior. possessor OF an
automobile and such wealth that he could fare
sumptuously on T-bone steak three times a day
IL he so minded and who got creams and
syrups and butter galore by the simple expedi-
ent Of paying extra for them-that he who was
accounted one Of the boldest and most success
full "queeners" in the college. should this day
for the first time have contemplated with the
interest of discovery the reddening roses. the
rounding curves and the soft blue eyes OF Leila
Mason was consideration quito below the
threshold Of Joe Hancock's consciousness.
Some queen, I'll say" murmured Fat into
his coffee cup, and assayed her boldly with an
expert eye.
\ For Joe to have known about this would have
disquieted him greatly. and today nothing dis
Quieted him, because a second week OF their
casual acquaintanceship having passed, he had
vontured to ask Leila to step out with him. and
she had consented modestly. 1t was bissfully
boy and girl time they had together They ex-
changed life stories and found several pleasant
parallels Joe heard with sympathetic admira-
ton how Lela-lnind hungering for an educa-
tlon-living with q maiden aunt poor almost as
herself. had scraped and pinched her way
through high school and was at last here.
pinching her way through the university and
sharing the expenses and the discomforts Of an
attic chamber In Mrs. McIlheney's rooming
house with Irma Woods. q girl ~ poor and as
ambitious as herself.
And on the very next occasion Of their step
ping out together-perhaps because 1t was in
the moonlight this time and under the grand
old campus oaks-Joe Hancock found himself
desperately in love with Leila Mason, but when
ho tried to strangely put the new, the supreme
emotion into words his tongue was tied. though
his heart pounded and tore at its fastenings.
The next afternoon he stood before jewelry
shop, gazing upon trays Of rings diamond rings.
And then great idea occurred to him. A ring
would break the ice. The production, the prof
ferng Of the golden circlet with its tiny eye of
fire would disclose his heart and high intent
In a single gesture. Thereafter all would be
easy-easy. Daringly as Hobson into the bottle
neck at Santiago, he went in and priced the
rings. But here disappointment couched. The
only ones he would have considered adequate
were tagged at from $500 up. Mercifully, how
ever, some diamonds are smaller than others.
There were diamond rings a. low in price as
$z5, yet the one which was the very smallest
that it seemed to him his self lf-respect could
offer and, at the same time, the very largest
to which his impecuniosity could aspire, was
priced at $110.
To be sure, Joseph Hancock had not $11o
nor any portion thereof to spare above the raw
necessities Of his life. yet in his days Of struggle
he had learned one lesson surely. Money was
to be got by working for It He strolled about
the town and found . pile Of bricks that was to
be moved q half block from where they had
been dumped off the flat cars to the spot upon
which they were to be built into pottery kiln
1t was wheelbarrow job, and the contractor
confessed he was in no hurry to have the bricks
moved. construction being delayed by other ele-
ments. Joe engaged himself to move the bricks
working two hours . day, for the sum Of $110
How the unusual toll tired him! And how
his fingers stiffened until he was no longer
successful jugger Once he was nearly detected
by the Jap at the ice chest. Another time he
capsized q pitcher OF maple syrup in his pocket
and had to 60 through the duties Of the break
fast hour with the goozy stuff saturating trous-
ers and crawling maddeningly down his leg.
Pride, of course, kept him from disclosing a
mishap like this to the only person who could
have regarded it sympathetically and not hu-
morousy.
But the greatest disadvantage Of all was that
the brick contract made such inroads upon his
already overmortgaged hours as left him now
no time at all for Leila except on Friday nights
Moreover, his strategy Of the ring which in