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Show . Agree to Disagree By R. RAY BAKER McClure Syndicate WNU Features. "HO YOU think we were made -J for each other, Fred?" Fred Hamilton's lip curled in scorn. "Hardly. I have never thought so except back in our school days when I used to carry your books and share my jaw-breakers with you." "Then why carry on this farce any longer? It's making us both miserable. We don't love each other; in fact, it's quite the reverse. re-verse. For one thine;, you're terribly selfish, and there are other things about you that I do not like." "Thanks for the compliment," he said dryly. "Perhaps I am selfish, but remember I am an only child. To be frank, I have much the same opinion about you." She lifted, the vase and inhaled the fragrance from the flowers. "Thanks for the compliment," she mocked. "Perhaps I also am selfish, self-ish, but remember I,' too, am an only child. It's nice to have an understanding, un-derstanding, isn't it? It appears to be mutually agreeable for us to disagree." dis-agree." "Decidedly," he acquiesced. "It was foolish for us' to become engaged en-gaged in the first place." "We wouldn't have," she reminded re-minded Fred, "if it had not been for our parents. Just because they had all been friends they tried to settle our destiny for us." When Fred left the apartment occupied oc-cupied by Eva and her aunt he was not in the best spirits imaginable. He was as glad to be free of Eva as she was to get rid of him,, but that remark about selfishness rankled. ran-kled. He had been driving abstractedly, when of a sudden a cry distracted him. A big touring car ahead had come quickly to a halt, but as abruptly it started off and disappeared. disap-peared. Jamming on the brakes, Fred managed to avoid striking a small, huddled human form on the street. He looked with a feeling of curiosity curi-osity for a moment. It was no concern con-cern of his, was his thought, until suddenly the trend of his recent recollection flashed back to his mind. "You're terribly selfish," were the words that echoed in his ears, and they prompted him to leave the car and join the group. A man held the limp form in his arms. Fred recognized the pale face as that of a diminutive newsboy familiar to this busy cornery . "Poor kid," said the man. "That big car hit him and hurried away. What had I better do with him?" "Take him to Doctor Wilson's office of-fice across the street," Fred directed. direct-ed. "He will get along all right," said the doctor, "but he ought to be taken home at once." The boy looked up wildly. "No No!" he exclaimed, in a plaintive little voice. "I can't go, I haven't sold my papers my papers! pa-pers! Where are they?" "That's all right," said Fred. "Come on with me and I'll take you home. I have the money for your papers right here. You see, I I sold them for you." The lad lived with his father in a hovel in the worst part of the city. The father was an invalid. "You are very good to us," said the father on the occasion of one of Fred's visits." "And I like you best of anybody in the world," Little Jim told Fred, "except daddy and one other." Came a day when Fred called to find Little Jim in tears. His father had suffered another stroke. The sick man smiled sadly and raised his eyes appealingly to Fred. Then he uttered a deep sigh and lay back, closing his eyes. Little Jim's father had gone to a place where there are no invalids. A little later Fred took the orphan in his arms and carried him away. The door at the foot of the stairs opened and a young woman started up the flight. Fred stepped aside with his burden to let her pass, but she came to a stop. "What has happened?" inquired the voice of Eva Marlow. "And where are you taking my Little Jim? Why, it's is that you, Fred?" "It is," he said calmly but somewhat some-what aggressively, "and I'm taking him home because his father is dead. And what do you mean by 'my Little Jim'?" She appeared indignant. "Why, I've been coming to see these people for some time. It started by your calling me selfish. self-ish. That very day I came into this district to see if I could discover a way to become unselfish, un-selfish, and I found Little Jim and his father. I love the little fellow, and I am going to take him home with me." Little Jim smiled through his tears. He reached out with one arm and encircled the girl's neck, while the other clung to Fred. It brought the two very close together. "Eva." said Fred, clearing his throat. "I don't believe I dislike you after all. You are not stfish. and ar.d after all, our parents' wishes" "Yes." she agreed, "our parents' wishes " |