Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-07-24

Miriam's prayer when she had tucked her.
self away beneath her coverlet. And all Of
the way she was thoughtful as she rode in
the train toward the little junction where
they were to meet. Not that she'd any real
regret at what she'd undertaken. In fact,
it was the lack Of 1t which now began to
intrigue her. Never before in all her life
had she felt so nicely wicked A spirit of
diablerie held her in its spell. She feared
and rather liked it.
Nor had she forgotten the sudden fame
which had fared in Tommy's eyes, the look
on his face when he'd gazed at her, back in
her apartment, nor the rather surprising re-
action it had stirred within her. Neverthe-
less, she wondered it, in her desire to tease,
she bad not been too hasty and overstepped
the bounds. But that, of course, was abb
surd! She was she and she knew it, and
Tommy was only Tommy.
Just the same, a desire to firt persisted
in her mind, and before she left the train
she consulted her vanity case. And she
quite agreed with the mirror that she was
looking her best. Tommy apparently thought
so, too, when he joined her moment later,
calling to a rustic guide to attend to
Miriam's bags. And Miriam was elated at
his obvious confusion. So in spirit of
rougishness she held out her arms to him,
pickering irresstibly the red of her luscious
lips.
Aren't you going to kiss me at all?"
she pretended to be hurt, and almost gig
gled with glee when he stared at her in
amazement.
oh" said Tommy confusedly. II
u. - L.
up for the lack with ferceness which left
her eathless
DUT Miriam put him in his place when
- they reached the island and the two were
standing alone on the porch Of the pictur-
esque old cabin. You overdid it terribly"
she laughingy reproved. Men don't kiss
their wives in any such fashion as that.
If you can't behave more like an old mar
ried man we'd better pretend to quarrel.
So while they sat at supper. and later
down by the sea. Miriam held herself aloof
although she tried to be natural. Smoking
in the silence of the slowly fading day, she
chatted with him casually. just as she
might have done if they had been together
in her tiny living room. And Tommy APP
peared to be quite content with mere COM
partnership. He'd regained his poise and
was putting his pipe in truly platonc fash
ton-at least so far as she could observe
from careful observation.
But after they had said good night outside
the little cabin. and Tommy was snugly
rolled in his bunk, he had haunting vision
of pair of entcing eyes behind long,
curving lashes. And in his sleep he NUT
tered. How does Miriam know how hus-
band kisses"
But when Tommy awoke with the dawn
and slipped out of doors for plunge
in the sea, he had quite forgotten the prob
lem which had perplexed his dreams. In
fact. as he frolicked in the surf his thoughts
were tnged with resentment rather than
sentiment. He'd been dub to regret the
kiss he'd planted on Miriams lips with
never thought of the harvest. And if she
were really angered a the ardor he'd dis
played. why. she could remain that way.
1t served her right and he didn intend
to permit the incident to spoil his brief vaca
ton. In any event what was a kiss between
couple of pals? Anyway. it had been
make-believe--a sop to Miriam's foolish wish
to masquerade as his wife
Hang it ALL He dived through a
wave Women don't know the meaning
of being just a friend The minute girl
fancies A man. she sits up nights to think
of ways to make fool of him They pirate
about independence, freedom and equal
rights. but when it comes to showdown
they want to hide behind some pretense of
convention ~
And now she waved to him. Il m coming
in" she called, and the curve of her dive
was as graceful as the contours Of her hg
ure But siren-like as she seemed as she
swan with graceful. sinuous stroke, her
proves in the water and her camaraderie
excited his admiration for her aquatic skill,
and made him forget for the time how ut
terly alluring a mermaid Miriam was. Yet
when they went for a run on the beach and
raced to the cabn porch he could not help
but remark to himself that she was remark
able.
AT BREAKFAST they were ravenous so
"A the cook decided that he had been mis-
taken, they weren't bride and groom. Yet
in spite of the close attention he gave to
the gridde cakes, Tommy didn't neglect to
observe the ingenue effect of Miriam's boy
sh knickers and swanky, woolly hose. And
he fully approved her effort to attain
masculine status: so when they had finished
coffee and had lit their cigarettes, he an
nounced that his morning program was
hike about the island.
He purposely didn't suggest that she &C
company him, but after he'd strolled about
for nearly half an hour, he found her at
his side. conscious, of course, that she d been
there since he started out. Well that was
the way that he meant to treat her all
the time. She could come along or stay
behind or do whatever she pleased. He
wasn't going to seek or evade her COM
pany. Yet he liked the way she'd entered
into what he elected to do That was
true companionship of the sort that appealed
to him. She didn't even attempt to talk
this Jewel of a woman pal. But, although
he speculated. Tommy couldn't fathom what