The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-17
THE "ALMOST" GIRL
Rr l. Nj. MCARTHY

his money about three weeks before Barbara Holton came into this world. Or perhaps it started when the eager watchers discovered her hair to be almost red and her eyes to be almost gray. AS she grew older her engag- ing little nose came nearer and nearer to the angle called Irish, and the points where her smiles focused in her cheeks came nearer and nearer to being Cut-and-out dimples. And Barbara. in due time, was almost short, and almost plump. So, no mat ter how the thing started, it was natural enough that her best friends should come to call her Almost Bar bara" and that people to whom she harely nodded on the street should come to Knew her as the Almost Girl"
 The name came to her so early and firmly that it may actually have ex- erted an influence over her character. There was the time she came within an ace of pulling the teachers hair. The provocation, a shaking, was great, and Barbara had lifted eager hands to within an inch of the tar- nished blond locks when suddenly, perhaps without knowing exactly why, she let her hands fall. People who witnessed this incident marks it down as quite characteristic of the Almost Girl.
 But the day she nearly kissed Jim Brown, the tall young man, her brother brought home from school for a holiday-that was the begin ming of a new life for Barbara. It was that day, or rather that starry evening. that her nickname, Al most" began to take on new and vital meaning.
 It was just Barbara's personal rem dition of the old story, the stuff Of old songs. Intermission at the dance, satin slippers on velvet lawn, ma pie shielding from faint, but inquisi- tive starlight. The strong arm was around her waist and seemed for an instant quite properly there It turned her half-round and drew her close. A firm hand touched her chin. She was 17-no wonder her lips quivered as her face lifted uptoward his-Jim Browns. Time had nothing to do with it, nor dis tance. The kiss was within mere shadow of a thought of happening. The moment couldn't have continued so much as a flash without becoming, what it did not become, a kiss. For Barbara turned her face, pulled des- perate1y and was free. The KISS had Lnly almost happened.
 Barbara was a little flushed and Jim Brown a trifle flustered when the pair returned to the dancing floor. A sharp observer could note easily that something was amiss And there were sharp observers enough among the dancers.
 It was 10 minutes later that two of the fellows got Jim Brown cor nered on the porch.
 Had a walk with Barbara Heltam' didn't you?"
 "Yes."
 "she almost kissed you, didn't she?"
 Riff, bang! Jims long arms shot out. Riff, bang, bump
 One of the fellows was down, call ing "Enough." The other was max ing a record across the porch. Jim Brown himself wore curious eX- pression, mixture of rage and mys- tification. ,.,
 A half hour later, evidently with less rage and more curiosity, Jim sought out the two fellows where they set smoking on a bench. They looked up at him uncertainty, but hls first words stilled any fear they might have had as to his intentions
 
 a bit hasty. You sounded disrespect- ful, and there's not going to be any disrespect shown Miss Holton While I'm on my feet But maybe yot didn't mean it like it sounded. what did you mean|
 So they told him about the nick name, and the reputation. And within an hour everyone in the crowd knew the whole story. It was a great ]oke, everybody thought, and a natural climax to Barbara's seventeen years of living up to her reputation.
 Barbara blushed when she founa the story was out. Anybody could live" she announced. IH never speak to anybody who calls me that awful nime."
 . As for Jim Brown, she refused even to look at him, no matter now many people, including her own brother, explained to her that Jim haun said a word. Indeed they told her that he had punched the two fellows who started the whole thing. These fellows themselves, contrite, came up to show their marks, and to eXplaln that the truth was jumped at, ana came out without being told St all. Rut nothing mattered to Barbara eX- cept the obvious facts. She hadn | toid-evidently Jim Brown had.
 There was an end to 1t, and Jim Brown, whom everybody had grown to like, left town the next morning, looking as though he were stepping off +he edge of the earth. And peo- pie Say he gave Barbara's brother a fine talking-to for not telling hlm more abort his wonderful sister anu warning him about her nickname.
 Of course, Barbara. having been known all her life as the Almost Girl, couldn't get rid of that name ny a mere rash assertion. People were carefrl to call her Barbara for a week or two. Then one by one all her friends went back to the old nickname. and Barbara, Tn spite oi her declaration, went right on speak ing to them.
 But during the year that followed there was a noticeable change In the Almost Girl. She grew up. mind ana sll. And Barbara, grown up, was quite a delightful person. TWO or three of the young business men found her so, and must nave toiu