Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-08-02

and an hour when he was certain to
meet their neighbors going to church.
strolled down the street in the direc-
ton of his office.
1t was seven o'clock that evening
when she stopped their car at the curb
after her return, alone, from the
f1fteen-mile drive to Rockport. George
was reclining. very much at his ease,
upon the Gloucester swing on the
veranda.
"Hello!" he called to her "You back
already? Had good day?
She chose to regard his second ques-
ton as of a piece with the first, and
she came up the front steps before she
spoke at all.
Il suppose you're famished for sup
per-" she remarked, 81. If you've
been working all day."
"Oh, l got home about an hour ago
and scrambled myself some eggs. How
about your"
"Fm not specially hungry" she said.
"I'll get myself a glass Of milk by
and BY"
She sat down facing him. George"
she demanded, "why did you send for
those three plays of Charley'sY'
He sat up "Why did send p
ut was either you or Anna who sent
for Them" she Interrupted. Charley
swears he didn't send them and that
he didn't say anything to a soul about
coming out here"
He lay back again. "Oh, all right,
he conceded. II telephoned to Chi
cago for 'em the morning after found
out he was coming"
"But why?"
"Oh, don't know. How could
know what he was going to be like1
didn't know what he was coming for.
So-well, I wanted you to be-ready
for him."
She took a minute or so to digest
this reply. II suppose you mean," she
unused, that you thought he might
be coming out here to see how much
Of a-hick the girl was that he wanted
to marry once. after she'd lived
twenty years in Avonfa. And you
wanted to-fix me up so he wouldn't
laugh. 1 suppose that afternoon dress
Miss Maitland made for me doesn't
look like much"
"Oh, d-n" he said, and got to his
feet. Look here, Emily! You're all
right in any dress. It wasn't You ]
didn't feel sure about. But he might
have been any sort of ass. OF course
l saw he was all right before I'd talked
with him ten minutes"
"No," she said, you needn't have
worried about that"
She let the voltage accumulate dur
ing longish silence. Then she added
"He kissed me this afternoon. He'd
been rather-sentimenta all day, and
when l said good-by to him he kissed
me-"
"Well," said George, after silence
of his own, "he certainly is a darned
nice fellow"
She stared at him, speechless.
"Oh, I'm not much surprised" he
went on. You see. ne told me about
1t last night"
''Told you, last night" she echoed
ale didn't say he was going to kiss
you" George exclaimed. "Said he'd
always been romantic about you and
all the more after he'd got old enough
to realize how kind you'd been to a
ridiculous, priggish kid. He said you'd
contributed more to his education thar
anybody else he'd ever met, and he'C
always felt grateful to you. Beer
wanting to come to see you for years
but was afraid to. Scared to death
he said he was, until he saw you were
just as you had been; hadn't changed
hair Actually wrote a telegram t.
say he wasn't coming and then tore
1t up.
"Well, then, VIII. shouldn't he hav,
day in the country? hope
you showed him a good time | CUES.
you did, or he wouldn't have kisseC
you"
He perceived now that she was cry
ing. Il don't blame him for that,
bit" he went on. 81 think he showed
darned good judgment. Because yor
are a peach, Emily, and that's thu
truth"
He patted her. awkwardly on the
shoulder. "Come on in. old lady" he
concluded. "What do You say to some
scrambled eggs? You're hungry, that's
all the matter with you