Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1925-06-20
Archer's Cool
Streak

THE white-robed figures filed slowly
= In from both sides Of the transept,
and Archer, sitting we'll back in the
body Of the pews, eyed them with lam
guid interest. He commenced to try
and count them, but abandoned the
operation presently. 1t was a female
choir entirely. Archer took to study
ing their faces.
Two In particular arrested his fancy
the dark girl in the back row and
the fair girl in the front row with
the laughing eyes. The dark girl be-
hind, although solemn, seemed restless
and Ill at ease. The fair girl had now
settled herself to the business in hand,
and did not laugh any more, She took
part in a quartet later. and Archer
discovered that her voice was q rich
mezZO-soprano.
After service, as Archer stood idly
on the steps, voice hailed: "Well.
say! I thought it was you. What are
you doing in these parts" and he
turned to find Dick Harris, an old
college chum. The fair girl from the
choir was with him. "Mr. Archer
Miss Warner" said Dick, and then ex-
planned: "We came through trouble
together at school," Archer gathered
they were sweethearts, although he OBJ
served she wore no ring. Better
bring your friend along" said Alice to
Dick. "We might be able to find a
cup Of tea for him." They went off
together to the Warner home.
Later he met the dark girl of the
back row of the choir at social gath
ering in the church. Her name was
Catherine Wells.
Archer decided. as the months
passed, that he could get to like Cathe-
rine, but hesitated, as he had always
hesitated about getting to like" girls.
Still he was tired of wandering, and
saw no good reason why he should not
settle down.
"Why don't you get married?" Alice
Warner asked him. playful. Not long
afterward he fancied there was the
hint of challenge in her eyes as she
sat across from him at the little mar
ble-topped table. II can't just find the
right GIRL" he said challenging in turn.
"Have you tried very hard?" she in
Quired softly.
Again the GOODNESS came upon Arch
er. "She is ready to drop poor old
Dick right off the bat" he thought
with some bitterness. "That's a wom-
an all over. It's simply Internal"
Aloud he said: "Well, keep on
searching. I seek very persistently,
but I do not seem to find. There's
something slightly wrong, think, with
the Biblical Injunction"
That night Archer did cynical
thing. In the secrecy of his chamber
he tossed coin-heads, Alice-tails,
Catherine. 1t fell heads. He mused
for time, and then something which
he hoped vas his better self caused
revulsion Of feeling. Without see
ing either Of them again, he asked for
vacation. and went back East to
see his mother. She understood him.
Perhaps he could now settle down at
home, as she had long begged him. If
only she wouldn't bother him about
Ann Sylvester. ).
But she did bother him about Ann
Sylvester, and six months later he
found himself again headed west
bound for the town that contained the
dark and the fair choir girls. When
he emerged at the junction, where he
had to change trains, one of the first
persons he saw was Alice Warner. She
seemed tanned and Travelled. "Well ="
she said, offering her hand. He
thought she went slightly pale below
the tan-but 1t might have been simply
fancy. 'We heard you had gone for
good. Have you changed your plans?
I suppose you didn't hear the news"
"No," he said, with faint forebod-
ing of disaster.
''Dick and / were married three
weeks ago." she said with brightness
that struck him as forced "We are
just on our way home. He is over at
the Office seeing about the tickets" He
found himself congratulating her re
chanically, and later shook hands with
Dick, who appeared to be in the sew
NAAeAA AS0VOA' 4ACJ lAdFSlSO 1IO1u LuG
junction together.
Archer was left alone with Alice for
a few minutes on the platform at
their destination, while Dick went off
to look after the baggage Conversa-
tion Jagged, and by and by silence fell
between them. "I've been thinking
about your advice again." something
prompted him to remark. II have
taken up the search for the girl once
more-in earnest this time"
Earnest" she burst forth passion
ately. 1T isn't In you to be earnest.
Don't you know what you are doing?-
trifling with the most solemn sacred
things in the world-idling !-dallying!
OH" She stamped her foot in anger
and impatience. mo woman will stand
for that How dare you be lackadaisi-
cal! Do you understand The
seriousness of it?" Archer stood thun-
derstruck, rooted to the spot, while
Alice turned aside to hide quivering
| Inns