Americus times-recorder., 1923-06-14
THE AMEEIcUs TfMEs-REcoRDER

Mind you''-Buddy's tone became
one of deeper admiration" she
amt blue, or anything. No stree
Her life's been sad, but you'd new
er know it. She's full of pep; alius
out for fun, anI-that's what l
like about her. Gee! You gotta
meet her, Mr.. Gray"
well, rather! But meanwhile,
we must telegraph your parents
not only that you have been found
but also the further good news"
"I-We better not say anything
about my getting married"
'Why not? They'd like to
know"
Buddy stirred uneasily. why,
it's this way: l haven't asst her yet.
Mebbe she won't have me. If she
says yes-I'll let 'em know"
Good! Wen make it, for the
time being, a mere message of re-
I. assurance. Tonight you and Miss
Montague shall dine with me and
Wen go to a theaer."
Gray was prepared to find his
young friends light o. love super
ficially attractive, and she was all
of that. He was not prepared, how
ever, to find her quite as good an
actress as she appeared to be. In
spite of the fact that she probably
took less pleasure in the meeting
than did he, she admirably covered
her feelings.
Gray's heart sank as he studied
Miss Montague. She was blond
to his suspicious eye a trifle too
blond-and she wore her hair
bobbed. She was petite and, both
in appearance and in mannerism,
she was girlish; nevertheless, she
was self-reliant, and there was a
certain maturity to her we'll
rounded figure, a suggestion of
WEAKNESS about her eyes, that
told a story.
Following his first critical ap-
praisal, Gray was vaguely con-
scious of something familiar about
her; somewhere within him the
chords of remembrance were
lightly brushed; but try as he
would he could not make himself
believe that he had ever seen her.
The elder man played host in his
best and easiest style, both at din
ner and at the theater; then he
passed the burden of entertain
ment over to Buddy, first cheer
fully declaring that he would not
be sidetracked and that he intend
ed to impose his company upon
the young couple whether they
wanted him or not. This was pre-
cisely to young Briskow's liking,
and soon they were speeding out
to a road house mentioned earlier
in the evening.
The resort was run on rather
liberal principles; a number of
flushed and noisy couples were
dancing to the music of colored
orchestra. 1t was a 'hip-pocket"
crowd, and while there was no
Ipublic during the high-pitched vol
Iqbility of the merrymakers was
Iplainly Of alcholic origin.
Gray realized that he was in for
an ordeal, for he had become too
well known to escape notice. Con-
sternation filled him, therefore, at
thought of the effect of his pres
ence here might have. But the
music went straight to Buddy's
feet; syncopation intoxicated him
much as the throbbing of midnight
drums and the pounding of tom
toms mesmerize a voodoo worship
er, and he whirled Miss Montague
away in his arms without so much.
as an apology to his other guest.
There was nothing conservative
about Buddy's dancing. He embel-
lished his steps with capricious fig
ures, and when he led his partner
back to the table where he had
left Gray, like a sailor marooned
upon thirsty atoll, he was red
faced and perspiring; his enthus-
iasm was boiling over. y
'Daw-gone" he cried. "Now, if
we had something wet, eh? These
pants is cut purpose for a brace
of form-fittin" fIasks, but | left