Smyrna times., 1926-09-08
She Had Freckles
on Her Nose
(copyright)
By JANE OSBORN

| by the rail and wondered whether lips
| like that left tell-tale streak of red
when they kissed. Some men might be
deceived by their color, but John Cros-
by was a doctor and knew that nor
NAL lips were never of so deep a
vermilion.
1T must be wonderful being q ship
DOCTOR the pretty girl was saying
with a little giggle. John Crosby
looked at her with amusement. Funny
why 1t was that he had no desire to
kiss those lips and see how much Of
the red came off. There was no one
anywhere about on that side of the
deck and the girl was standing very
close beside him. Why was 1t that he
could stand there with such an un-
deniably pretty girl and still feel
rather bored?
1T must be really wonderful to be
doctor at sea-" she repeated.
"Why-why yes" was Johns be-
lated reply. THAT is-it isn't really
very wonderful It's rather dull look
ing at the masts and the sea-"
II should think there might be
good deal more to look at said the
girl with little pout. Some people
would think SO. Besides it's so ro-
mantle being on the ocean-so far
from horrid smoky cities"
II don't like cities, either" John
Crosby assured her. 'I wasn't think
ing of that. But right now. do you
know where I'd like to be? I'd like to
be sitting under an apple tree, some
where In the country-drinking glass
of nice fresh milk"
What a dreadful baby" taunted
the girl Really, I think you are
very childish" She drew away from
him a very little, then looked up at
him with a funny little. shy, defiant
expression. and then left him. I'm
really quite disappointed" she called
back.
For a second or so John Crosby de-
bated whether or not he ought to fol-
low the girl Obviously she wanted to
flirt with him. But after all, con-
cluded John Crosby, he didn't feel the
slightest interest in her and to fllrt
with such a really nice sort of girl
when he didn't care about her didn't
seem fair. He stood looking out at
the line where sea and sky met as
she walked down the deck and wished
devoutly that some one of the passen-
gers would need his professional serv-
ices. 1t was dull having such hale
and hearty lot of passengers. And as
Jane Thompson walked down the deck
she was wishing devoutly that she
might slip and strain her wrist or her
ankle so that that very unfeeling
young doctor who looked so charming
in his uniform would have to show a
little interest In her. Jane felt sur
prised at her own boldness. Nice,
eighteen-year-old girls, she was sure,
oughtn't to feel as bold at that.
Now as she walked into the salon
Of the ocean liner she was determined
never to speak TO the young doctor
again. She had talked TO him and
given him every opportunity to talk
to her, because she considered him by
all means the most attractive and In
teresting man on the ship. Never in
her life had she been treated with such
complete Indifference.
After landing In the States Doctor
Crosby had a weeks shore leave, and
he turned with considerable eagerness
from the sea and all that smacked of
II. One Of his sisters urged him to
spend the time with her at her sea
side cottage. promising him plenty Of
dancing and pretty girls, sea bathing,
boating.
But John refused. "A1l want to do
now," John wrote, "is to go somewhere
miles away from the sea and sit IN
der an apple tree. I can get pretty
girls enough on the boat I'm not
susceptible"
A day later Doctor Crosby was reg
istered at a small country hotel two
hundred miles inland He could smell
the freshness Of clover from his win
dow and woke to the mooing of the
cows and the Growing of the roosters
instead Of to the endless roar and wall
OF the sea- He planned that day to
walk through the lanes until he could
find an apple orchard There he
would sit himself down under an apple
tree and feel content Perhaps ON bis
way there he would be able to get
SONS fresh milk and doughnnt from
farmers wife.
And there, 1t chanced. In the apple
orchard he saw little figure sitting
beneath tree. II was Alice Gray, a
girl be had known In chfldhood-a
plain enough sort of girl he noticed
as be stopped to speak 20 her that she
really did have a nice sort Of mouth.
Preckles on her nose-but freckles are
not real hlemishes. John sat down be-
meath the apple tree with his old
friend For half hour they sat while
each told the other of what interested
them most. Then as John turned to
his old friend 1t seemed to him that
she was the most charming little wom-