Evening star., 1927-08-26
THE EVENING
STORY
A Bad Bargain.

TO BRANNING was the leader of
the young set In Hillville. She
was a tall girl whose dark hair
~ looked like bronze luster in the
sunshine. Her eyes also were
dark. her cheeks full of color. her
voice deep and full. An honest girl,
a vigorous, sensible, intelligent girl
with a warm heart and quick sym
pathy for all who needed it. 10 had
no trouble to make friends and keep
Them. 1t was marvel how she ever
found time for fun, for she helped her
father in his small printing office.
working a hand press, waiting on Gus
tomers and looking after the books.
Besides this she kept house, for her
mother was dead. Thus. even though
JOS day began at 6 and ended at 10
or later. she had to make the most of
every minute.
1t was expected that Jo would
marry Cyrus Boyd. who was as pop
ular as herself Cyrus earned good
salary, he was fine looking, steady.
prudent and bound to reach the top.
10 suited him and he wanted her.
Her father favored Cyrus and her
friends urged her to take him before
some other girl got him, for competl.
ton was strong. But 10 only smiled
and continued to be friends with Cyrus
without being anything more.
In the joyous. lively lot of young
people known as Jos crowd" was
Dan Jenkins, a pale, quiet young fel.
low with dreamy blue eyes. The most
that was ever said Of Dan was that
he was a nice boy. He could play the
piano a little, sing a little, dance
little, and was always glad to be USE
full in any way he could. If there was
any work. Dan was always called upon
because he was willing. He adored
.Jo at a distance. She was the only
girl to whom he ever paid the least
attention. And because he was alone
in the world. did not earn much, and
always seemed a little sad and bereft,
10 was kind to him.
or course nobody ever dreamed she
would marry him, but she did-unex-
pectedly. CONSERVATION fell upon her
friends.
.'Oh, Jo"' Mary Briggs half-sobbed,
you've made a horrible mistake.
When you might have had splendid
Cyrus"'
''I know Cyrus is splendid" 10 an
swered gravely. Therefore, he does
not need me. But Dan does. Dan
hasn't friend really but me. He has
never had a home or loving care or
disinterested direction. He has just
stumbled along, keeping his troubles
out of sight and doing the best he
could"
IL II suppose when he proposed to you,
Jo, you accepted him out Of pity?"
Mary said sadly.
HE didn't propose to me at all,
Jo flushed. Il couldn't make him,
though 1 tried hard enough. So /
L 1nnr
year, either she laughed. ''As for
plying Dan-I just loved him"
''Oh, 10, How queer you are. And
how dear. But I'm afraid you've made
a bad bargain
Jo heard that a dozen timeS-that
she had made a bad bargain in mar
rying Dan Jenkins. Her father was
angry. He refused to allow Dan to
enter his house; he hired somebody in
JOS place. 10 quietly went into
new home. which consisted of two
rooms over Dryers barber shop. just
before : each morning Dan was seen
to run down the outside stairs, din
ner-pail in hand. Just after he
climbed the stairs again, 10, was al
ways there.
:. She did not drop out of the social
affairs of her set entirely, but she
Was llO lOI6Sl luO ISciNiilS SPll ~. w AiCh
after a little time Dan set up a print
ing shop of his own, it was understood
that 10 had furnished part of the
money with her savings and borrowed
the rest. She began work at her hus-
bands side, giving him the benefit of
what she had learned. Her. father
laughed. but others sighed. Dear.
good 10, what a very bad bargain she
had made! Dan knew nothing, of
course about printing and she GER
tainly knew all too little.
A time of struggle ensued-two
years all told. But 10 kept her color,
her smile, her dauntless brightness.
And strangely enough Dan seemed to
be picking up a little. Dan was de-
veloping mental muscle somehow. The
dreams had left his blue eyes and in
them was a deep purpose and deter
The launching of another news
paper set Hillville buzzing with
speculation. JOS father had tried the
newspaper game and failed in it
even with JOS help. This was
modest sheet full Of stale news Dan
was the editor. Think of Dan as an
editor. OF course nobody knew much
about Dan. He had drifted into Hill D
vile a few years before from an in
determinate past. Dan had never said