The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-04-25
CHAPTER Continued

--2L
She felt her horizon widening. What
a world men lived in! Papa had his
Quarries, and Will his curlicues, and
Loring his law! How wonderful to
tive in something, and for 1t! She felt
that her own life was dim and futile.
Now that she was out of school, she
was expected to. have good time un-
till she married. Will was the only
man she knew outside the old familiar
circle. How dull her interests were
compared to his thrill over twenty
five-dollar-a-week job.
"But, Will,"-she turned to him in
such a manner that it seemed their
faces would touch, drawn by the strong
attraction that brought them SO close
81 thought you were going to be a
real artist"
"Ho," he said, "that's why couldn't
stand the Art institute! want to be
a cartoonist. I've discovered that you
can do whole lot more with pencil
tine than make petunia. think you
can make a line stand up and howl.
You can make it do all sorts of things
Cor you, caricature, design-nonsense.
don't want to be color artist"
"But the birds you made for me,
when you were only ten-the colors,
and the way their heads bent-it's a
beautiful book, Will. I showed it to
my zoology teacher when was in
school, at Lake Forest, and he praised
it. 1 wouldn't take anything for it,
Will brushed the birds aside impa-
tiently.
''Kid stuff" he told her. .'Have you
seen these little shadow figures, just
straight lines for body and limbs?
You can get action into one of those
things. Look here" He had been
busy with a soft pencil on the edge
of the stiff menu card, and he showed
Ernestine now sketch of cat, sit
ting there looking at the fish list, lick
ing his whiskers-a predatory hungry
Tom. She laughed involuntarily, and
her eyes filled with admiration.
II see what you mean," she said
. ''Its a new kind of art, like jazz is
new kind of music. I know what
you're trying to get at, and you do it,
too. It's disrespectful though-don't
you think?"
He was entranced with her under
standing.
"Of course it's disrespectful," he said
robustly. "Why not? think the time
has come for little healthy disre-
spect. Well show them"
He was very compelling. Ernes-
tines look of admiration was extrav-
agant, and he was becoming a little
drunk with it.
1--WE done several column heads.
You watch the first page of the second
half of the Sun. always put little
cats head down in one corner of my
stuff. We're not allowed to sign our
things, but you can identify mine if
you watck the paper. The fellows all
encourage me, aud my boss does, too"
He hooked at her for a long moment
and then exclaimed:
Gosh, it's good to talk to you,
Ernestine. You always did get right
inside of my heart. l wasn't a bit
surprised to see you. You may not be-
lieve me but all these years I've often
thought I'd meet you. I never forgot
that day you came to our house. I've
often seen your shadow, sitting there
in the kitchen eating bread and milk,
and talking to nom. remember
wanted to give you all my things
every one. You should have taken
them. 1t would have made lonely
kid happy"
She was tender. remembering.
81 made an awful fuss because they
dragged me to the lake that summer"
she told him. II wanted to stay in
! Chicago with you, and the practical
difficulties of leaving child behind
did not interest me. We should have
been together more. We were real
friends"
"A boy never forgets Kindness" he
said soberly. "You were so good to
me and always took my part
''But, Will, you did something you
never knew, for me. You told me one
DAY thing I've never forgotten. /
thought your brace gave you a won
derful advantage, in the way of a
lever to get your own will, and you
scorned me for such thought. 1t
would be taking advantage, you said.
I'VE never forgotten that. You were
the one who taught me to be sport
ing"
The spell was cast. The mysterious
s bonds of spiritual understanding were
forged.
you're awf'ly pretty, Ernestine.
You were cute kid-but fat. 1 can
remember what round cheeks you had.
But now your cheeks slope down in
that perfect line" He Touched tbo