Middletown transcript., 1922-04-01
JACK FROST AIDS
BY RUTH W. BAKER

5666S65SSSSSS4SS9eS
g. 1924 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
Pauline rose impatiently from the
great davenport. Why should 1t be
80 dlnicult to make a decision? Sure
~ she could not love two men equal
~ wellf She could be happy with
one, of that she was sure, but, alas,
Jim's voice had great power to thrill
her
The sound Of his step on the stair
could cause her heart to beat suffo-
catlngly. Last night, at the country
club dance, both men had asked the
right to place on the third finger of
her left hand the shining circlet which
means but one thing. She thought
whimsically that 1t was unfortunate
that she could marry but one.
The girl was no coQuette She in
stinctively shrank from the thought
of bringing unhappiness to anyone. But,
which one should she marry? Chan
ming was coming this afternoon for
his answer, and she was no nearer to
knowing what that answer was to be
than she had been the night before.
Restlessly she wandered from room
to room, readjusting a chair here,
curtain there. She moved across the
room to the window. There she stood
watching the children who were slid
ing on the icy walk. Their hearty
laughter rang through the clear, frosty
air, and Pauline smiled in ready sym
pathy She would have liked to have
Joined In their sport.
ftlmiliar figure rounded the corner
and she caught her breath. 1t was
jim Oh, surely he wasn't coming to
see her now Surely he must remem-
Der that he was not to come until
evening! He must not be there when
Charming arrived Hastily she rang
for her maid.
Hester" she said, 81 am at home
to no one but Mr.. Claiming"
Every well, Miss Pauline
The girl turned again to the window.
The man was rapidly approaching the
house and she noted with sense of
pleasure the air of distinction about
mann. oiC llON DTbuu SIt
had been Of her handsome escort last
night. Claiming was a dear, but he
lacked the assurance, the clever wit
that made the other man stand out
from his fellows. A wave of pity swept
over her, and instantly she knew that
she had made q decision. She was
sorry for Claiming because she must
hurt him by marrying Jim!
AS the hurrying man reached the
stone steps one of the children with
a squeal Of pure JOY, slid along the
sidewalk and lost her balance directly
before jim. Pauline, watching from
the window, could not suppress her
laughter. The dignified James, Of all
people, to be sitting, crimson with
embarrassment on an Icy sidewalk
directly before her house A mo-
ment later her mirth changed to CON
sternation, then quickly to anger, for,
having struggled to his feet, Jim had
seized the innocent cause of his ig-
nominous tumble and was energeti-
cally shaking her.
"Now run home, every one of you"
he cried furiously, and like frightened
rabbits the children scurried around
the corner
Pauline held her breath as she
watched him straighten his hat, glance
furtlvely and somewhat sheepishly at
the windows, then stride up the steps.
"Oh, | hope Hester remembers" she
whispered, as she drew back still fur
fher from the curtalned window. 81 |
never want to see him agaln That |
poor little girl"
She heard the door open, then close, |
and Jim went slowly down the |
steps again. She felt no thrill now as |
she watched him. In a half panic |
stricken way she was thinking, And |
| might have married a man who didn't |
Hike childrenl"
As the minutes went slowly by she |
began to fear that Charming, too,
might fail her. AT last he came, but
not exactly as she had expected him,
for he almost-no, actually-rushed |
into the room, holding In his arms a
child whose grubby FISTS were making
strange marks on rear-wet face.
81 knew you wouldn't mind If
brought the little shaver in, Pauline"
was thannings greeting. You see,"
he burst into a hearty laugh I'VE had
a little mix-up on rhe Ice, and when
we got untangled this chap seemed to
pc on the casualty list. thought some
witchhazel might fix him up all right"
With shining eyes. Pauline ran up
stairs for the bottle. and together they
oathed the bruises. Soon the child
slipped off Channings knee. II gotta
go home now," he announced. A mo-
nent later, with a slice of cake In each
hand, he was ushered tremendously
out the front door.
Pauline turned 10 Charming. II
think you are the Incest man l ever
Knew, she exclaimed.
"Why, Pauline" stammered the sur
orfsed Charming, do you-will you
that Is, may L"
Yes" interrupted the girl, with a
,app. laugh, Il do, and will, and you
nay!'
Case In Point.