Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-05-19

answer to her advertisement.
81 never wrote it. / thought
of that. 1t must have been"
1T was that scalawag Durand'
y'betcha. 1 amt still wearin' my pin
feathers none. He was sore because
Clay had fixed his clock proper"
1--WE got no place to go, except back
homeland I've got no folks there but
a second cousin. She doesn't want me.
/ don't know what to do. If l had a
friend-some one to tell me
what was best"
Johnnie slapped his hand on his
knee, struck by a sudden inspiration.
"Sayl Y'betcha, by jollies, I've got 'er
the very one! You're d-n-you're
sure whistlin'. We got a lady friend,
Clay and me-, the finest little pilgrim
the gong strikes. You'd love her. I'll
fix IL for you-right away. 1 got to go
to her house this afternoon an do
some chores. I'll bet she comes right
over to see you"
Kitty was doubtful. maybe we bet
ter wait and speak to Mr.. Lindsay
about it," she said.
mo, ma'am, you don't know Miss
Beatrice. She's the best friend. Why,
l shouldn't wonder but that she and
Clay might get married one O. these
days. He thinks a lot of her."
"Ohl" Kitty knew just a little more
of human nature than the puncher.
Then 1 wouldn't tell her about me If
l was you. She wouldn't like my bein'
here"
"Shoi You don't know Miss Beatrice.
She grades way up. I'll bet she likes
you fine"
When Johnnie left to go to work
that afternoon he took with him a res
oIution to lay the whole cast before
Beatrice Whitford. She would fix
things all right. If there was n per-
son on earth Johnnie could bank on
without fail 1t was his little boss.
1t was not until Johnnie had laid the
2se before Miss Whitford and restat-
! it under the impression that she
Juld not have understood that his con-
ience ebbed. He had expected an
ger interest, a quick enthusiasm.
.istead, he found in his young mis-
ttess a spirit beyond his understand
ing. Hell had a touch of cool
disdain, almost of contempt, while she
listened to his tale.
She asked no questions and made
no comments. What he had to tell met
with chill silence. Johnnie's guileless
narrative had made clear to her that
Clay had brought Kitty home about
midnight. had mixed a drink for her,
and had given her his own clothes 10
replace her wet ones. Somehow the
cattleman's robe, pajamas and bedroom
slippers obtruded unduly from his
story. Even the Runt felt
this. He began to perceive himself a
helpless medium Of wrong impressions.
II suppose you know that when the
manager of your apartment house finds
out she's there he'll send her pack
ing" So Beatrice summed up when
she spoke at last.
mo, ma'am, l reckon not. You see
we done told him she is Clay's sister
jes' got in from the West" the punch
er explained.
"Oh, l see." The girls lip curled and
her clean-cut chin lifted a trife. "You
don't seem to have overlooked any
thing. No, 1 don't think 1 care to have
anything to do with your arrange
ments."
Beatrice turned and walked swiftly
into the house. A pulse of anger was
beating in her soft throat. She felt a
sense of outrage. To Clay Lindsay she
had given herself generously in spirit.
She had risked something in introduc-
ing him to her friends. They might
have laughed at him for his slight so
cial lapses. They might have rejected
him for his lack of background. They
had done neither. He was so genuine
iy a man that he had won his way in
stantly.
Pacing up and down her room, little
fists clenched, her soul in passionate