Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-02
The Daily Nouelette
Clinsing Vine
Rv r. Roy Baker
TIM REYNOLDS was in a quandary

II y,
- and it was because he loved a girl.
The quandary arose from the fact
that she was not Of the type Of modern
woman he always had admired. the
kind he had set his heart on marrying
If he ever married. Indeed. she was
the reverse; she was the soft fluffy.
velvety.. clinging wine sort. and for that
species he never had had any time.
Jim admired the capable, practical,
striding, self-reliant type Of girl who
can stand up to a man and read him
the riot act' (Jim's own term for it) =,
and, II need be. give him a punch on
the nose: The young woman that
fowed. skated. swan and performed
gymnastic feats always had appealed
to him whenever the idea feminine re-
ceived any consideration from his ac-
| tive business mind.
He was a bachelor Of thirty. not
versed in the ways Of the fnir. and not
| particularly interested. lie was ns.
sistant manager Of the Wells Electric
Pump Company, and his duties kept
him busy from breakfast to dinner.
But In the evening newspaper he would
read about some woman sticking n
hatpin into footpad. another routing
a porch climber with a rolling pin, or
another knocking n ''mashcr" off the
sidewalk. and he would exclaim !:
Bravo" That's the kind of girl for
mel
But ns Jim was neither a footpad
porch climber nor masher. he never
came IN contact with, such an ad.
pied, fluffy haired girls who played en-
gincer to typewriters In the pump
Office were his only feminine asso-
ciates; and, like fool" as he re-
buked himself many times, he went
and fell hat over ehoes in love with
one Of them. Maize Holmes BY name.
Jim fought against it. but to no
avail. He was not master of his own
destiny. Maize was to all appeara noes
soft. fluffy, velvety. clinging vine,
but also she was pink checked. grace.
fui. smily and altogether charming.
Against his better judgment, Jim
just couldn't help taking Maize to
lunch occasionally, and once he over =
stepped all bounds Of reason and en- :
tertained her at a theatre. When he
terms all the time he was undressing,
and all night long he tossed and tum :
bled and hated himself. And in the
morning went down to the ONCE with
q Crouch against the world-and lost
1t when Maize tripped into the room.
Hence the quandary. Jim's heart
said. Marry Mazie." and his common
sense. bolstered by that long -nourish he'd
desire for a capable, self-reliant mate
said: Have care; she's a clinging
vine
% course, he did not know that he
could marry Maize. but he believed she
cared for him. Indeed. they were
quite chummy,' and twice Jim had
been on the point of proposing. only to
be dissuaded by that cold, calculating
business man. He was rather nice
looking himself, and. although he wa.
not conceited, he was quite sure that
Maize would have him II he pressed
his case. Between you and me, ht
was right; she loved him. too.
Along came n two weeks vacation
and Jim decided the opportunity wa.
at hand to escape the clutches Of the
clinging vine. He went fishing with q
friend, dressed in old clothes, smoked
strong tobacco, and had a rough rest
When he returned he was confdcn,
that the. spell Maize had cast over him
was broken.
The night before returning to wori
he had dinner with the companion o
the fishing excursion. and was invited
to spend the night In the spare bed
The friend lived in a big apartment
house all by himself. not a great dis
tance from the Office.
Seated in a comfortable chair. Will,
the friend played music a la disc. jim
eagerly digested paper. He had beer
separated so long from the busy worc
that news acted on his brain like por
terhouse on an empty stomach.
That's the stuff :" Jim suddenly ex
claimed, in the midst of n grand oper,
concert. Here's a girl found a burg
lar in her apartment, held revolve
against his ribs with one hand. calle,
the police with the other, and brough
about his arrest. That's the kind Of
, girl for you Why can't I get ac
quainted with one like that?"
This brought Maize into his thought
and there were some peculiar disturb
ances in the region Of his heart. Yes
he loved Maize yet, but he wouldn
yield. II only she were not a clinginl
vine!
About o'clock Jim became thirst,
and went out IN the hall for a drink o
water. The friend kept supply in I'll,
refrigerator. which was located in tn,
hail. and Jim went after it himself. no
wishing to disturb his host, who wal