The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1929-03-22


hair positively red"
1t was a perfect dream Of night.
Such night as would happen to
girl once In thousand years. Beth
was thinking this as she stood on the
balcony with Mr.. Cramer by her side.
The sobbing of the native music In
the ballroom and the movement Of
many feet came to her ears like an
echo from the past. Already she was
thinking of Mr.. Cramer as Jimmy
(His aunt called him James.) Jimmy
had been unutterably lovely to her
His little thoughtful attentions
/. his perfect manners. 4.
She thought with little twist Of her
heart that she would have to say
good-by to him when she sailed. OF
course they would accept her-after
this. The ugly little doubt crept in
, TO spoil the moonswept night.
1t would be nothing less than black
tragedy to her-d they didn't With
that expensive gown she had bought.
! She began to feel little sorry
| that she had bought it. She might
! have made her old one do
| But there was the wall of the guitar
| and the thrOb of musical voices back
there, and here the splendor of the
moon-washed island before her. She
couldn't be sorry for long.
"You are q sweet child" Jimmy was
behind her there and his arms creep
ing slowly about her. 81 envy aunty
her trip-In fact, | think / may go
along. :" She felt more than
saw two blue eyes, rather darker now,
peepng into her face. There was q
family sweet breath on her cheek,
then 1t was pressed suddenly into a
button Of mans coat.
She wasn't thinking of the pain the
button made. She was exulting that
! the doubt of moment before had
vanished They would take her now.
Hadfi't he said so? Something, though.
caused her TO ache duly in some spot
or other. 1t was like no pain she had
ever experienced.
They danced a while then. No need
70 talk. Perhaps il was the cadences
OF the music
She was just slipping through the
living room TO the balcony-all alone
this time-when she heard voices. She
knew them both. One was his and the
other was the soft. cultured voice OF
his aunt.
'I don't see how | can find another
at this late date" she was saying.
James, you should have told me be
fore"
We'll, aunty, dear, didn't know II
before. either" he laughed slightly.
But you Wouldn't think of sending
her with you"
NO. but-tomorrow will do"
There was his laughter again.
The blood in Beth's body seemed
frozen The scoundre She could
have scratched him. To keep her
hopes high when he knew all the fine
she wouldn't be hired. Tears burned
her eyes. She tried 10 keep them from
falling on the new gown. Yes. and
there was the 2own-her money
She turned and ran out then They
wouldn't need 10 tell her. She ran
down the front steps and crossed the
lawn, keeping within the shadows.
Down the hill, her delicate tissue
slippers crunching the gravel and the
dust mounting over her bronze head
What would she do? The words sang
themselves over and over i0 her brain.
Suddenly the lights of a car flashed
upon her and it came 10 stop with q
screech of brakes.
Beth babhled the excited voice
OF Jimmy as he swept her, tears and
all, into his arms and carried her TO
the car "Why-what does-why did
YOU do ths?" he asked as he took
ont n handkerchief and wiped the
tears away.
al heard what you told your aunt
!" she sobbed. "And | didn't
want to wait-let me GO" she
begged You don't need to try to
make il easy
He drew her resisting frantically
to his breast and held her there,
"It's true" he said after she was
quiet. II don't want you to go away
with aunty-that ts-unlesS | Will De
able TO 20 along and | don't know just
VET whether ! shall be or not
Il thought" he hesitated. "l
thought If could get away we might
both go and call II a-honeymoon =
would you, BETH
He didn't have to hold her then In
fact his arms had relaxed and still
she lay there, hiding q happy smile In
the sleeve of his coat.
, "What does aunty say?' she asked
finally.
. "She is very much In favor of the
) honeymoon idea" he smiled. "You
see she doesn't want anyone now but
YOU either, and" he turned her face
to his. 81 know ] won't have anyone
else"