The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-14


 sky above, it's clouds, and the blaz- ing wondrous sun that scattered crimson and yellow and orange upon | flawless sky.
 The scout who was so anxious to be good scout, sat down at the | foot of tree to map out plan | of action. If he had suddenly en- 1 countered the red-haired girl, he might have been still frightfully em- barrassed and at last been able to | tell her nothing at all. If he could have easily visited her house he might have forgotten the tremen- dous importance of becoming really ] great.
 But she was lost And yet she was 1 expecting him to find her and to make good his every boast and promise!
 There wasn't anything he could do but to find her-and after that make good.
 | Bob was too much of a kid to be in love with any girl. He did not know the meaning of the word. She | stood to him merely as someone who had lighted a candle in his mind.
 After a few minutes Bob got up from the foot of the tree and again started out, He would begin his | search for the red-headed girl back at the vacant house again. He would try to find if there was anybody around there who knew her.
 Roses were still blooming in the desolate yard. No hope was there. Next door a Greek stand did busi- ness and Bob, after attempting with out avail to get some enlightening information from the occupants, was told by one of the members of the family that she knew 800 red headed girls. Which one did he mean? He made later inquiries from groups Of | boys hanging around street corners and once or twice was bold enough to press his query upon house. holders.
 He Alone.
 Bob finally decided that no one but himself had seen the girl at all. i But he did not despair. Eventually | he meant to visit every house in Birmingham and some time he was going to all the schools and hang aroundi
 It must have been after at least four hours of search with eyes and | inquiries that he began to realize l the size of the task he had picked | a million houses. He ight visit all of them and still accidentally just miss the little girl he so earnestly desired to see again.
 The thought was so overwhelming that he sat down on a park bench, this time with a feeling of desper- ation.
 Still it was only the first day and he must not lose heart even if 1t took 40 years, He must find her. Hadn't he said he would If it was at the end of the world? And this was only Birmingham. | All suddenly a brilliant thought struck him. He had heard someone say once;
 If you want to see anybody in | tons corner The person is bound to pass there sometime during the day"
 Bob got there as fast as his feet | could carry him. He picked out the most inconspicuous part of the street and here leaned himself against a | telephone pole to wait for results. They were not long in coming. Firs, | there came a fat man; then a lean i one three couples rounded the cor ner at once; a blonde girl with a hole in her stocking ripped saucily by. A gentleman with whiskers and a cane hurried north; two negroes | drifted south. A man in overalls | stopped to buy a package of che roots; bevies of young men and women went in to purchase ice cream. Children, dozens of them of every description, were hustled hither and thither by the fondly clinging hands of their mothers.
 That was all-all
 Moments, half hours and hours went by as Bob shifted from one foot to the other. Finally he sat down upon the curbstone. His eyes ached. The sun of a hot Sunday was going down.
 Gro He Continued Next Week.)