The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1933-05-26
Peter
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS
9. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.
WNJ Service

Pete, was big and square shoul.
dered with that kind of red hair that
seems always to have been rumpled
by q stiff breeze. He was stubborn
and pugnacious when there was any
thing to be stubborn and pugnacious
about, but usually he was easy going
and gentle.
Pete was as putty In the hands or
Daphne Baker, but no one but he
knew 1t. Daphne was so fragile that
he thought she must have stepped
from a Vatican canvas-Pete had
once seen Watteau canvas In London.
Her hair was like spun gold.
Sometimes Daphne treated Pete
with all the sweetness In the world
and sometimes she seemed to regard
him as just big, solid doormat Pete
absorbed her klndnesses and forgot
the rest. He felt reasonably sure that
in the end Daphne would give herself
to his safekeeping, and he waited pa
tiently.
Nobody but Pete knew that just out
side the city limits on sunny hill
there sprawled bungalow, with wide
lawns and flower gardens and foun-
tain playing against the glorious dis
tance Of great trees. He pictured
Daphne there, and, Of course, himself
somewhere close by.
Daphne had heaps Of fiirtations.
What pretty girl has notf But always
she drifted back to the great bulwark
that was Pete
He had not worried much about
these affairs until the advent, on the
screen, of the handsome, soulful-eyed
Geoffrey Collins. Daphne simply went
wild about him.
During these fascinated days
Daphne looked at Pete's unruly red
hair and his big useful hands and his
broad grin with comparisons In her
mind that did not bode well for Pete.
When Pete took her across crowded
street, he simply took her arm In his
| strong hand, guided her swiftly and
surely to where he wanted to take
| her and then let her go. Now, Geof-
| frey, on the screen, of course would
| look questionably and most soulfully
into the eyes of his ladylove, take her
arm gently and wait most gracefully
| for the traffic to clear before risking
his own and his ladylove's life IN
| crossing
| And invariably when Pete took her
| to dinner he did all the ordering. He
made her eat huge steak, some fine
| vegetables and good pudding.
NO" he declared at her protesta
| tions. "Girls require more than hearts
of lettuce and sardines for dinner.
| You eat that-all of It." And Daphne
| did,
On the other hand, Geoffrey would
have toyed daintily with some tid-bits
| that might have satisfied Persian
| kitten
So, when the great announcement
| came that there was to be combined
society and movie garden party for
| the benefit Of the unemployed, and
that Godfrey was to dance with all
| and sundry, Daphne knew that the
| great moments of her life were ap-
| preaching. But just to make sure,
she got herself appointed on the re
| freshments committee 1t was to be
| tremendous affair and the whole of
the city would flock to see the favor
ties OF the screen in varied forms of
charitable performances.
NO" declared Pete, adamant in his
| decision, I'D rather go fishing than
doll up on a hot day like this. You
| put on your best frock, look your pret-
| tiest and have dozen or so dances
with the great Godfrey" He knew
| Daphne was annoyed, but he wanted to
| feared for the first time, for Godfrey
| seemed like a man of real charm.
Pete felt that his castle of dreams
might tumble that day, and he went
| off to fish, far up the river.
Daphne was exquisite In a silvery
| wisp Of dress, and wide droopy
| hat shadowing the deep violet Of her
eyes. No wonder that Geoffrey glor-
| ified In his partner when it came
| Daphne's turn to dance with him.
| Daphne's heart had pounded when she
| stepped forward to meet him, but no
dancing than she became her normal,
level-headed self
Godfrey was delightful. He was a
wonderful dancer. He gazed soulful
ly and respectfully into her eyes but
there was the faintest bit of make
up beneath his eyes and a becoming
tint Of sunburn that the sun had not
produced on his face. Daphne smiled
softly as she finished her dance with
him, then fed swiftly from the gar
den party. She didn't take time to
change her clothes but hurried to her
little roadster and drove recklessly
far beyond the city limits. Then,
parking her car, she walked quickly
along the river bank to a tiny grove
Of trees with some great rocks that
lay out on the river. Pete sat there fish.
Ing, but even If whale had been on
his line, there would have been no
Joy In 1t. For Pete was seeing Daphne
In the arms of Godfrey Collins.
''Pete-dear" Daphne hurled her
self into Pete's arms. There wasn't
soul in the world In sight and her
white, silky arms went up clingingly
about Pete's neck and she lifted her
lips to be kissed.
The fishing rod foated down the riv-
er while Daphne gloried In Pete's
strong arms, his rumpled hair and his
rugged face with It's broad grin Pete
knew his voice would tremble If he
smoke so he Only ffphtanad hiS grin