News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-12-27
THE TIME TO DANCE
BY |. WRIGHT
90 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.).

the ground, unbuckled the CAMPERS
stove from her shoulder and loosened
the roll that made up her bed and
blankets 1t had been heavier than
she had anticipated and the hike
through the woods to the lake had
been easily mile longer than she had
thought.
Working in an office as she did for
eleven and half months Of the year,
1t seemed good to think o. being alone
and quiet for these two weeks More
than that, the spot had certain at
traction for her, inasmuch as she had
once mot0red out there on an early
Sunday morning when John Smith had
been one of the party. She thought of
John Smith now, and tried to make
her lip curl derisively as she thought
! of her name had she married him
Mary Smith, the wife of John Smith.
The lip would not curl in the approved
manner for Mary Wilson knew that
had John Smith ever said the least
word she would have leaped at the
chance of being Mary Smith
He had taken her to several dances,
had invited her out to dine four times,
had bought tickets for the theater
some half-dozen times.
AS she set about making camp she
wondered If she had been foolish to
come off here by herself. The other
girls in the office all went to gay sum-
mer resorts where they would meet
men.
you're foolish, Mary Wilson," So
phie Shonman had told her. "1f John
Smith doesn't speak up and 'spress
| himself-well, the best thing you can
do is to get another sweetie.' No girl
wants to reach thirty-unmarried."
Mary Wilson had opened her mouth
to speak, but Sophie had raised one
hand hastily.
Don't try to lie out of 1t, Mary.
I'm q woman and I've seen that you
love him. It's nothing to be ashamed
of, is it? The thing is this-many a
girl has not made an impression on
the man she wanted-and she took
some other. After all. marriage Is
much the same-full of fights after the
first year."
Mary Wilson had been silent. 1t
was nothing to be ashamed Of she
mentally agreed to love John Smith.
: But to marry some one else just to be
Mrs or for the sole pleasure of show
Ing the world that she had captured
nd had
set about making preparations to
camp alone at the spot where she and
John Smith had gayly cooked fish over
an open fire and eaten them quickly
while they were hot from the pan.
Going over TO the stove she began
to set ii up to get supper. She heard
car on the road and wondered idly
who could be stopping. She did not
turn, however.
81 beg pardon" came mans voice
behind her.
She whirled about; there never, she
knew, was another voice besides Johns
which was just like that
"Why, Mary" he stammered.
"Wh-hy-"
She laughed at his amazement.
whats the matter? Men, go camp
ing, don't they. without anyone max
ing such a great TODD about It, Why
should I"
ITS not that" he said. "I-only l
thought you didn't care about anything
except dancing and dinners and the
aters. supposed your main aim in
life was to dance"
She turned TO put slice of bacon in
the hot frying pan. II do love to
dance" she said frankly, "but there is
time to dance and a time to camp
This is the time to eat. If you're
hungry"
"You bet I'm hungry" he said sud
denly I'm starved. have my two
weeks vacation and my uncle lent me
his car for it. | thought I'd camp
here. Why, I have a cooking outfit
and box Of fishing tackle" He was
eating now, cutting piece after piece
of bread and spreading butter on hers
for her rapidly. Deity she saw him
lift the hot bacon from the pan and
put il on the bread.
1--we been fool, Mary. l
thought you wouldn't care for this sort
Of thing and, you know, coOped up in
an office all year, just have to get
away like this on my two weeks. |
wonder if all this stuff would be safe
here-if we left for an hour or so?'
"Why. why?" she gasped, her heart
humping.
well. / was sort Of thinking this
would be a jolly sort of honeymoon
! have an extra fishing pole-and we
could be married up in the next town
If we hustle before the clerks office
closes"
He was standing now, looking at
her
Besides. that's a peach Of stove
you have there-that bacon was
Al"