The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-02-28

III OCluSH pigs, dlWdyS CdtiluS
every fellow 'Gimmel Gimmep
But they aren't going to call me that !"
Philip Cross could well have an
swered their calling and never missed
be filed on large-sized blank by an
auditing firm that made speciality
Of this type of work Philip Cross
paid but scant attention to the income
tax business or any other business for
that matter.
A tall, spare young fellow, Philip
was the epitome of red-blooded he
man, lover of the great out-of-doors.
He was all of that More, he was a
shy lover of romance. And romance
had never come to him. Nothing had
ever come his way, as he himself said,
except gimme girls. Oh, they were
quite, quite delicate about it'll Yes,
indeed! But people, especially of the
feminine persuasion, cannot talk for
any great length of time without re-
vealing their inmost souls and person
alities. And Philip had found only
greedy souls.
He treated it in a laughing fashion
that completely and successfully hid
his disappointment. He wanted a
home Of his own, wife who watched
for his coming, rose hedge, a dog or
two with faithful eyes and maybe
who could tell-little ones running
with outstretched arms to meet him.
And so far he had had only dreams
that were growing fainter and fainter
with the passing of the years.
"But what do you care, anyhow"
asked his best friend, Ralph Donald
son. you've plenty Of money. You
can afford to give and give and give
and still never notice that there's any
thing gone"
But Philip Cross shook his head
stubbornly. He would have what he
wanted or nothing at all.
Then one day he read in a magazine
article about woman who, far from
the center Of civilization, had started
a library. At the start she had only
her own newspapers, magazines and
very few volumes Of books. The neigh
bors had felt free to borrow these.
In time tourists who passed and paused
sent few volumes to her upon their
return home. The volumes grew so
numerous that little one-room shack
was erected by the neighbors across
the road from her house. 1t was no
thing of beauty but it was certainly
destined to be joy forever out in
that prairie country. Boys rode fif-
teen and eighteen miles on horseback
over the rough roads to borrow book
for grandparent or some one who
was ill. She had never, so the article
said, bought book, so Philip de-
cided cynically that she was getting no
rake-off of any sort from publishers
or book stores.
'I've nothing to do for a month";"
Philip told Ralph, $50 I'm going to
drive out there and take the old lady
a couple Of hundred volumes Of science
and economics and heavier stuff. I
suppose the major part is light fic-
ton. Anyhow, I'll like to look over
the library shack and see what they
have"
"How old is this old lady?' asked
Ralph curiously.
Philip shrugged. "How should
know? Miss Lavinia Hill is her name.
Lavinia She must be eighty or
ninety from the name alone. And
people don't get so big-hearted until
they're well on the shady side Of life.
If she were sixty or seventy years
younger she'd certainly be- the girl
Of my dreams"
"Why under the light Of the sun
don't you express the books instead of
driving way out there on rutty roads %
asked Ralph.
Again Philip shrugged. 'I've a
fancy to see the place-and the old
lady, too. Besides, who can tell? l
might happen to meet the girl I've
dreamed about, Ralph. Maybe they
make 'em that way out there"
Within hundred miles of his goal
Philip very nearly decided to return.
The roads were far worse than any
he had ever encountered. Indeed, in
some places there was 40 road except
where horses hoofs had beaten down
the long grasses so slightly that he
could hardly discern any path at all.
He kept going along, mile after mile,
until boy came out of an implanted
shack to talk. Philip genially stopped
the motor and leaned back for chat.
$50 you're going to see Lavinia
Hill?' the boy said. Then he sighed
He would not explain that sigh to
Philip in spite of repeated coaxings,
and so Philip went on after a few
moments, wondering why the boy had
sighed.
He came upon the shack with its
sign "Public Library" much sooner
1 than he had expected to. 1t was
wholly unlike the grand city libraries.
A girl dressed in fluffy pink clothes
was going in the door and with keen
masculine interest Philip jumped out
to follow her. She had evidently not