The Holly chieftain., 1924-05-29


ing through that pelting trl'fr
He told her in his kindes; way not
to mind. There was no hurry.
She threaded the little car through
the southbound stream at the mouth
of his street, and pulled up at the carb
before his door. Then she folded her
arms over the wheel and for mo-
ment put her head down upon them.
"I'm all right" she told him. "Only,
you gave me sort of shock, Henry"
"Why. I've been getting around to
it for months" he protested. You
mus, have seen % that!1s !,s--., saz,..s-'
She owned she'd thought of it
once or twice. But only as thing
that couldn't possibly happen. l guess
I'm as great fool about this sort of
thing as"
"As 1 am about business. Well,
then, that's all right"
She said Indignantly this wasn't
what she meant. 1t was the woman
In the play she had been thinking Of
'All the same" she went on, getting
herself together, II think I'm right
about this. You've never had much
well, romance. You've had no chance
for it. Not since you were a boy and
fell in love with your cousin Violet
Now. with your own income, and your
job at the bank, you're free. You
ought to fall In love with somebody
ten or fifteen years younger than /
am; pretty and mysterious and excit-
ing and all that"
He laughed. when 1t comes TO
mystery-for me-you leave this crop
Of fiappers nowhere. You're the most
wonderful person I've ever known,
Jennie"
She caught her breath at that, and
laughed in turn, but he did not con-
tinue on this tack. His own feelings
were clear enough, he said. He knew
what he wanted. But the point was,
what did she want1 How did she feel
about him1
II don't know" she said soberly. II
like this pretty well as 1t Is. I don't
believe could ever want anything
very different unless-well, unless l
was sure you did. Unless you wanted
something Internationally.
II don't believe I'll have any trouble
convincing you, Jennie" he told Ter.
And then, with his familiar consider
ateness, since he saw she was shaken
and distressed by ioubts, he covered
her hands with his, and said she wasn't
to worry about it, anyhow She could
have all the time she e,wanted for max
ing up her mind.
you're a dear, Henry" she said,
with catch in her voice. "If ever
marry anybody it will be you"
He was well pleased with the begin
ming he had made, and he looked for
ward to going up to her fiat to lunch
with her the following Sunday, in the
fearful hope that the matter might be
explicitly and finally settled after all,
before Margaret got home.
But on Saturday afternoon within
few minutes of his homecoming from
the bank, she amazed him by appear
ing, in radiance of unsurpassed ex-
element, at his own door,
Il couldn't wait for tomorrow" she
said. II could hardly wait to get here.
I almost spoiled it by telephoning.
Henry, I've heard from Joe-a long
letter. He's all right again; just AZ
I've always said he'd be-"
1t was strange that Henry's heart
should have sunk at that, but 1t did.
"Oh, that's wonderful" he said. "Come
in and sit down. and tell me about it."
II don't believe l can sit down. she
confessed. But she made him do so,
In an easy chair, and light his pipe.
Impatiently, she squeezed the tears
out Of her eyes. II don't know II
can talk either. You see. he's the old
Joe again, as he hasn't been-oh,
hardly since you've known him, Henry.
That letter, 1t was like boys letter.
schoolboy's. Some Of the things in
1t, you don't know whether to believe
or not. He never cared whether you
did believe him or not. Only laughed
HE told me the way he disappeared
from that place where Doctor Ben