Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-27

frcck that Bertha had bought for the
great event. Silver clippers and stock.
ings lay beside II and the band Of pink
rosebuds that were to hold her hal"
curls low on her forehead.
The whole house was in an air Of ex.
pectancy and even the cows and chick
| ems in the barnyard and pasture must
have suspected that something was IN
the Air from the harry, pre- occupied air
Of Bill DENLY, gruf and usually IN
different, as he went about his daily
chores. Bill DENLY was Bertha's broth
er, her elder by ten years, who, though
he avoided society himself. never
seemed more content than when his
pretty sister was included in the fes-
tivities at nearby Tilton College.
Then George Fulton came with the
news that changed all this air Of pleas.
urable expectation to one OF gloom ana
! detection, George found Bertha in the
kitchen of the farmhouse mixing q
cake batter. He sat down morosely on
a stool beside her and kept his eyes
upon the mixing spoon rather than on
Bertha's face.
eve done the thing that seems most
honorable" he announced. 1T means
that j can't take you to the ball. And
with much faltering and many hesita-
tions he proceeded.
Last summer met q girl who lives
out in Wyoming. She was little
older and I didn't even care for her
except as good pal. We, played
tennis together and went swimming
and sailing and--well, before we
parted I asked her to 20 to my junior
ball with me. That was before l had
met you. I just said 1t that way.
You must 60 to my junior ball with
he,' and she said All right. Wen,
we wrote once or twice and nothing
more was said about the ball. and then
we didn't write any more. had met
you and she didn't seem to care whether
I wrote or not. This morning had a
letter from her-you may read 1t II
for the ball. VIII arrive at 8 Friday.
Arrange somewhere for me to stay for
two or three days and meet me at the
station. know you haven't forgotten
your invitation
''It's too late to prevent her coming
she is almost here. l didn't know
what to do. OF course, want to take
you moro than anything alse. But
made UP my mind that the right thing
| for a fellow to do in the circumstances
was to 70 to the girl he really cared
for, the one who-well, the one who
trusted him and understood him-and
tell her. There will be q lot more
dances for us to 60 to, and as I'm
chairman of the Ball Committee we
couldn't have a very good time anyway
I'll be SO busy thinking about the mu...
sicians and caterers and everything.
| Bertha had not quite come up to the
part George had given her to play. SO
we'll as he expected her to do. She had
assured him that he mad done the right
thing and that she didn't care about
the dance. But there was an air or de-
\ fiance in her tone, and when she
snapped her fingers to show him how
little she did care George saw only the
FIRE that lighted in her eyes and not the
tears that were ready to burst forth be-
hind the fire.
1t was not till George had gone and
Bertha had gone to nurse her grief II
sight Of the pink frock laid out sc
neatly that she reafIy did permit thos'
looked in vain for his sister down
stairs, found her there in the spar
room. Bertha explained.
''It's lucky I wasn't there said Bill
"I'd have broken, his neck for him. Th'
coward, the dog"
Bertha clapped her hand over Bill
mouth and would hear no more.
II don't care so much about goini
with him. she fibbed, "but I wanted t
wear the dress. I never had such ,
pretty dress before" She raised th
filet Of pink rosebuds to her hair
Aren't they pretty?" she asked. Ant
then Bill was ready to shed tears him
self
$50 with some one else he said
There were other fellows that woult
have taken you"
"Yes, but they all have girls of theil
own now. There isn't a junior or ,
senior who hasn't got some sort of girl
and the underclassmen aren't allowed
to e." ~, s,., Nil,
"Not unless they are graduates o
!Tilton. They don't mind outsiders. onl!
there isn't room enough for everybody
anyway. Men are so scarce nova
days"
"I'm a. man." announced Bill, ant
it was all Bertha could do not to ex'
press her dismay at the thought tha
this big. heavily booted. callous fin
gered brother of hers, who had nevel
gone TO college and who avoided al
society. should think of himself as 1
possible dance escort.
T'll take you,' he said firmly.
"But they, won't let you in--you'r'
an outsider
'See here" said Pill, shaking q de
iiant finger in her face, you said thi
George is the boss Of the dance. II
show him I'm no outsider this time
I'm going and he's going to let me in
That's the least he can do
In the thirty hours that were to elaps,
before the dance Bill found only few
for sleep. There was a hasty trip b,
motor to Tilton in quest of evening
clothes. 1t was eight years since Bil
had worn evening clothes, and he wOul'
not listen to Bertha's suggestion tina
the old ones would do. But Bill. il
spite Of his hard labor, possessed n bod.
that seemed to have been made fo
ready made evening clothes.
He came back with numerous bun
dies. Here's everything from soup t.
nuts" he announced, dancing pumps
silk socks and everything. Now star
IN an show me the steps. ! left off tn
year they were dancing the barn dance
and the Spanish fandango. I CUES
thinos have changed n littlc since thnn ,