The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-02-16
The
Golden Girl
By LlLLlAcE NJ MITCHELL


Tom sat moodily on the top step
waiting for Gladys 10 come out. lie
took OF his glasses and cleaned thehi
lhoughtfully on his new SIX hahaAef.
chief. Whether or not 10 propose TO |
GLADYS this Sunday afternoon as they |
walked in the park was the question
uppermost In his mind.
lie liked Gladys; he believed that
he loved her. He did wish that she
were a little "classier." as he termed
/ il TO himself. lie wished this now es-
pecially. for he saw coming down the
street the girl with the tiny pup on the
/ long chain, the girl whom he had
| called TO himself the golden girl ever
/ since he had first seen her. IL had
/ been three weeks ago today that she
4 had strolled by the boarding house
where Gladys had her half room with
one of the other girls, who worked
with her at the beauty shop.
The golden girl had been on the
/ opposite side OF the street, which was
| shadIer In the afternoon because OF
the tall trees that grew In the lar
row parking space.
Tom wished that she would walk
nearer. for though he strained ms
eyes he could not see her as distinct
IN as he would have liked to. She
was a small girl, not more than hNe
feet, and the tiny pup that pulled on
the chain suspended from her hand
seemed TO be about all she could man
age Tom knew that II she walked
IN the park she would hang on the
arm of the man she was with. GLADYS
never hung. In the first place, Gladys
was a full four or five inches taller,
and came up to Toms shoulder.
Before he had seen the golden girl
he had never thought much about IL,
but after that he noticed that GLADYS
happened 10 hold her elbow as they
passed through a crowd, asd ION
would have liked her TO be the cling
ing-vine type.
And then the clothes OF the golden
GIRL Every time he had seen her
on a Sunday afternoon she had had on
golden brown suit Of some silky ma
terial that shone in the sunlight,
gold lace hat, and even her stockings
had golden clocks embroidered on the
sides. But Il was her hair that seemed
10 Tom the most wonderful thing
about her. It was the goldiest golden
he had ever seen, and fuffed out as
tractingly under her hat Today she
was wearing a long dolman cape with
the same golden tints.
AT this moment In his raptures
GLADYS came out of the door OF the
boarding house, closed the screen door
without a bang and Joined him.
"Well7" she said.
Gladys always said well In just
the same way every time he came. In
that "welln she seemed to ask worlds,
and Tom wondered II they did marry
II she would continue to say well IN
lust that way for the rest OF their
lives. But Tom had not asked her
vet. and as he looked from her blue
tricotlne suit and tan oxfords back to
the golden girl IN her dolman and
high-heeled slippers he determined not
10 be hasty. He would not ask her
today. at any rate. There was al
ways plenty of time. and besides he
was fairly sure that Gladys never
went out with any one else, and SC
until he gave the signal there was
nothing she could do but wait.
"she's a pretty little kid. isn't shef'
he said, indicating by a jerk OF his
hand the golden girl with her dog who
was by now almost opposite the board
Ing house
: Gladys looked In the direction he
had pointed out and dropped hel
eyes 10 her glove buttons. She die
not reply.
Don't you think she's pretty 2
prodded Tom.
A pink flush ran up from her necl
10 her cheeks as she averted her eyes
Tom glanced at her brown hair viii
It's copper CLEANS through IT, III
stood up and stared down the step
beside her.
"You know, Gladys" he said slowly
Il can't stand catty girl"
She paused AZ the bottom step. Per
Z maps ANW u Ahtiift lAA ~ 10 AAit Rafh =
! she said quietly
Instantly Tom was sorry; indeed. h
had been so the moment the word
were out Of his mouth. for IN all o
the time be had known Gladys shl
z had never shown the slightest hin
z ~ the trait he had mentioned. And
/. anyway, the thought Of a whole lonl
= Sunday afternoon alone withou
!, Gladys. whom be had come % lo0l
I" upon as bis logical companion
seemed impossible
p. Come o. was only joking b
/, said trying % laugh it OF.
bar d spite Of an that De could 81.
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