The Glenwood post., 1924-05-29

who could step.
Miss Hayward was class above
Wells. She had heard rumors Of the
and liked them not at all. The big
house had, for years, been "her very
own" Uncle Sandy, likewise. was her
special property, to be considered In
terms Of checks over and above tho
simple allowance he sent her. Which
was right. Hadn't her own father
been Uncle Sandy's partner Tin un-
productive years, before the Sander
son company occupied the top floor Of
the Sanderson building) and hadn't
Uncle Sandy promised her father that
Alberta would be as his own daugh-
teri Welll
Just as Wells was an integral por-
ton of the mems affairs, SO he fought
shy of the girls. Before he went to
his first informal" he must rehearse
his procedure carefully in his own
room.
"Look here" one of his mates
warned him. "What are you afraid
Of them fort I'll bet you'd edge OF
from a petting party. Don't be 10
stand-ofish, kid"
II am? Bob said, nonplussed. Then,
grinning: "Well, you watch me 60
after your little Margie. She won't
have cause to complain" He patted
the others arm. Arms around and
see. Is that what you msanr
Beyond doubt that was what he
meant. you attend to your Affairs"
was the answer. You know good and
well that the girls are cuckoo about
you. Leave my Marg alone" And
he swept away angrily.
Bob, dumfounded, cooked his feet
upon another chair for meditation.
The fellow was jealous, just because
he'd mentioned his precious Margie.
What difference did she make? Just
girl. Suppose that they were
all In Japan, where girls were sold in
punches, two for quarter, like as
paragus? And mad about it. too!
"Well, will be shot |" he muttered
aloud. Il WILL certainly will be
shot" And he began to laugh. Lord
'lmighty"
But presently. at the thought Of i'm
pending affair, his grimness returned,
and he wished himself well out of 1t,
he resolved upon line Of conduct for
the evening. For one thing, he would
nod carelessly to Margie when he first
saw her, and 1t would be a good idea
to do the same to the girls Of all his
friends, unless he were to accumulate
series of personal combats. He
would not dance with, them. He would
not go near them. No, sirI
Bob carried out his rehearsed prof.
ects with precision. He avoided each
known girl. He gave Miss Marjorie q
cool nod studied to perfection during
his lengthy rehearsal. Thereafter, all
cognizance of the girls evaporated,
nevertheless, many a demure eye was
flashed in his direction, to all of which
he was superbly Indifferent.
With Alberta it was different. Be-
fore he approached her, he was aware,
with a feeling of warm consciousness,
of her fiirtatious habit of never look
Ing up at her partner, but keeping her
eyes concealed beneath downcast
lashes.
Rather solemnly-and In accordance
with his outlined intentions-he danced
with her. He found that IS she
danced she talked, in a richly husky
voice that was . he had no adjsc-
tive to describe it.
1t was with bated breath that he Of
fered whole-hearted platitude as an
Inspiration. 1t was-he had never
used 1t before, nor heard it used-"I
:. T.. could dance with you :"
He got no further.
Alberta's huskiness increased. "Well,
do you mean-you want to dance with
me all the time-all eveningY
He had not meant that. Said 30.
She looked up gently. touched by his
sarnestness. Bob met hAr eyes, and
found in them something that caught
at his throat. She looked instantly
away and, turning, drew him out Of
the room.
Come" she said. Lets talkl"
1t came easily, naturally. He found
himself, under her able questionings,
explaining, taking her for a journey
to the East; he was ridiculously
pleased. and not at all in confusion.
he went SO far as to forget all of his
Oriental caution and tell of his hopes
for the future.
Be sure that Alberta missed nothing.
She was used to dealing with men.
Here were no imaginings. Here was
truth. She thought to herself, "If what
he says is so-and 1t must be-here Is
Uncle Snndy's"-she baked at the
word, substituting "favorite"-"and,
when the time comes. 1t will be Mr..
Robert Wells. :"
The few scattered illusions to her
Uncle Sandy. and Bob's place in the
great business. that had been dropped,
all unconscious of effect, brought up
vividly that she must arrange her