The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-10-30

''What a day!" she murmured
as she ran forward to see what
disaster she had caused. She saw
low swung roadster standing in
the road. A man was standing
with his back to her, staring at
the windshield. Peggy spoke in a
shaking voice.
I'm awfully sorry. I hope no
ones hurt"
The man turned on her angrily,
but lost some of his belligerency
at the sight of an antagonist so
undeniably pretty. He smiled, and
Peggy decided he looked rather
nice when he smiled.
"No, no ones hurt" he an
swered. I'm alone, and the non
shatterable glass did it's stuff. 1t
looks funny, though, doesn't it?"
Quickly, if awkardly, Peggy
climbed the old cedar fence. She
had difficulty finding a footing
through the clinging tendrils of
honeysuckle that covered it. But
at last she was up, and the boy,
for he was scarcely more than
that, helped her down. There were
leaves on the gray tweed of her
skirt. and splinter from the rail
fence had broken a stitch in her
green wool sweater. The brown
braids of her hair, coiled about
her head, were somewhat awry;
but her brown eyes thanked him,
and the uphill Of her little nose
asked questions as she followed
him to the car. Silently they eX-
amined the maze Of lines upon
the surface of the glass.
The boy broke the silence 'That
was some Wallop you gave that
ball. What were you doing? Prac-
ticing for the golf tournament at
Lockton? I'm on my way there
now"
Peggy shook her head. "No, I
wasn't practicing for anything. I
was trying to work off my tenn
per-"
do you hit things, too, when
you're mad?" he asked, growing
friendlier in the discovery of a
common trait. II always do. It
used to be my nurse-sometimes
my own head-then other boys,
and now the first thing that comes
handy"
Peggy smiled. 81 don't believe
I'm quite that bad. But when
you've made a fool of yourself
you've got to do something. So I
took my driver and a pocket full
of balls and just began banging
them around"
"You don't look as if you'd ever
make fool of YOURSELF the
young man told her, cycling her
appraisingly. 'Now I do-often.
That's one reason I'm on my way
to Lockton. To forget I was fool.
The cause of my being fool was
a girl. I suppose yours was a
man." he asked.
Peggy hesitated before answer
ing. eyes, and no. There's no use
talking about it. I got myself in
a mess, and that's all there is to
it. But I hate being made a fool
OFF, she finished, bursting into
angry tears. Don't pay any at
tention to me. I'll be all right in
a minute"
''Sit down here on the running
board and cry all you like. The
girl I was engaged to was always
crying when she got mad, which
was pretty often, so I'm used to
tears. While you weep I'll intro
duce myself so you won't feel
that you're crying with a strang-
er. I'm Harry Wilson-just grad
uated from Yale. No job, but the
old man has enough, so I'm not
worrying. Until yesterday I was
engaged to girl who is honey,
OoL SOO14Co W OSdIIl Nv Gill O141J
I admit it. and she won't. I got
jealous because some visiting guy
was paying her too much atten-
ton, and like a darn fool I init
mated that there was an out of
town girl thought was pretty
swell. She got sore and gave me
back my ring and here I am try
ing manfully to hide my broken
heart"
With a final sniffle Peggy
wiped her eyes and her nose, and
smiled at him. Don't" she plead
ed. 'I'm all through. I do feel bet
ter although I'm frightfully as
hamed of myself"
Forget it," Harry advised. 'But
60 on and tell me your life his
tory. I'd like to know something
about the girl who tried to kill me
before she even saw me-"
Peggy hesitated. She did not
like talking about herself to
strangers, but this boy had been
so nice about the damage she had
done to his car, and so tactful, she