The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-07-06
Alice in the
Subway
By JANE OSBORN

ne WIS lile KIM Ol man WHO Seeineu
TO be holding a continual competition
for the 'prettlest girl" or "the most
beautiful girl" In this competition he
was sole judge and the contestants
were girls he CHANGED to meet or to
see anywhere. When he went into n
restaurant where women served he
cost his eyes about to find the girl
who, I'm his opinion, was the prettiest.
Then he took a seat at table that
seemed to be I'm her zone After a
glance he could tell you which Of the
girls was the prettlest, which the
most beautiful. In the Office of a
friend he would look about In search
of the best-looklng stenographer 1t
seemed to be n game that Interested
him immensely and that made even n
ride In a crowded subway car some
thing Of an adventure.
Thus he was engaged ore afternoon
when the offices of the business sec
tion had just poured forth their thou
sands Of young women to make their
way homeward. This time the laurels
were awarded without delay. The girl
who stood opposite him in the vesti-
bule of the subway car was so fresh of
face, so gracefully proportlOned, so
brown of eye and golden of hair that
she won with flying colors In fact
she was probably the prettlest girl he
had ever seen in subway train. In
fact she was perhaps the prettiest
girl he
Then the surprising thing happened.
The pretty girl, with quick color COM
ing to her cheeks, stepped over to
him with hand outstretched.
you're John Laurence aren't your"
she said with perfect conviction. 81
haven't seen you for ten years, I'm
sure. Yet | knew you in fash"
1t was surprising, because the girl
didn't look at all like the girl who
would respond so quickly to his look Of
searching interest.
"You bet am. John Laurence's my
name, all right"
"You don't remember me-" she
asked with a little disappointment.
II remember your face-couldn't
forget that" he assured. "But for
the minute the name has slipped me-"
"Allce," she reminded. ~ used to
sit In front of you In school. You
used to walk home after school, too,
and carry my books. And l used to
call you Johnny to tease you, and you
used to put the end of my braid in
your Ink WELL"
$50 l did, so l did. You look Just
the same. Let's see how many years
ago was that?"
"Ten, wasn't itf" she figured. 1--WE
were fifteen then and we're twenty
five now. That's ten, isn't it?"
Enormous satisfaction swept over
the man. lie was thlrty-two and
girl who didn't look more than twenty
thought he was her own age.
81 guess | look a whole lot older
than you" he flushed.
well, maybe, but then I suppose
you have worked pretty hard. l heard
you had graduated from Harvard and
had gone in business with your uncle"
she said, and again the man swelled
with pride. So he looked like Har-
ward man, did he? Weren't we fool.
ish?' she went on. you and used
to be such good pals, John. and then
we quarreled over some trine."
1--WE We're more than pals, weren't
weT" said the man, making success
full effort not to overdo the matter,
yet eager to know what role he was
entitled to play.
"Oh, you used to make calf love,
John, but that doesn't count. Wen
forget all that. But I'd really like to
see you again and talk over school
days" She put her hand out. "Come
and see me some time. / live exactly
where ! did ten years ago. The neigh
borhood hasn't changed. | am getting
out here tonight to see friend"
And there the man stood glued to
the side of the car. Why he didn't
follow the girl out of the car he could
not tell. When he came to his senses
and tried to follow, the subway door
In his face.
That night he took note OF the facts
on hand. Though he had no thought
at first that the girl was Just getting
an excuse to talk to him he was as
sured, as her face and manner had
assured him that she was not the kind
of girl to do that sort of thing. He
was sure Of her story. She had simply
mistaken him for some one else.
All he knew Of her was that she
lived where she had ten years ago,
that her first name was Alice, and that
she had gone to school ten years ago
with a man named John Laurence.
now twenty-five, who had graduated
from Harvard, and bore a striking re-
semblance to him, Jim Kelly. After
all. the clues We're not bad. As the
man thought II over, he believed that
the girl realized her mistake before
she left. Much as he admired his own
personal appearance he could not be-
lleve that she could have looked at
him as closely as she did and not
realize that he was more than twenty
FIVE
Jim Kelly took time the next dav