Show Daily Short Fiction Story JANE AND THE NET By MOLLY Copyright 1915 by the McClure News Naw paper Syndicate Jane gazed wistfully after tho the retreat retreat- ln lag Ine figure of ot her lifelong friend They hey had haJ and It did d quarreled over a man not l seem possIble to Jano Jane that any ary man could ewer ever take the paco of or Polly Folly Warden Warden War War- den yet jet et Poll Polly was out of ot her life fife forever tore Jane Jano heaved a n. sigh and returned up Ip tho the garden path and In the the- therose rose clad cottage She had hul walked all tn the way Va to tho gate In a n continued effort to mako amends with Polly for Cor the tho ha hasty ty words that had passed between n them But Polly PouT had hiI re reI refused reused re- re used fused to take up tho the cord of or friendship I to so rudely rudel ana snapped ped by what she ahe called Jane's Janes Insatiable desire to flirt with every very everyman nina man she mot met Polly Poll W wa wac th the thEl old fashioned fash tuh lone toned typo type of ot girl who believed that love 10 was a n sacred emotion and not to bo ho Jostled about and played with while Jano's Janos Ideas Ds were rather vague guo on tho the subject Her propensity lh for flirting was not vague ague however and never nover a 11 man camo came within range of ot her lovely eyes but Jane Jano lured him Into her net If It ho he e sprawled about In tho n net t an end and made himself ml miserable Jano JaDo only laughed softly and told him It was wa his own fault for being caught FoU Polly Folly hid had scolded her soundly from to time but never until Jane cast cut Inviting eyes at nt Willard Wright dl did tho the mild old fashioned Polly become becom really Infuriate You ml might ht h have he e a little modesty about you sh she eho had said raid In a burst of ot anger Willard rd lIl loves me me- and youve you've no rl right ht to flaunt yourself in front of ot him Even Evon the best of ot men are ue not proof against such charm as youre urs I hope the day may come corns when you will see nee tho the man you ou love turning from you oU to some tome other womans woman's beauty It will servo serve you right to set get a great rent bl big dose of ot your own medicine pony Polly had it turned then and none gone olle quickly out of or the house Jane had followed In 8 a tardy effort to apolo apologize apologise ze for tor her s flirting with Willard but Polly had continued her determined way And now as S Jane Jano sat at alone Jone in the cottage cot cot- tare tage she ho told herself herselt defiantly that th t Polly Folly wa nl was narrow nod and that such uch friendship was better severed She repented her efforts to conciliate Poll Polly Folly She Sho would Amuse I herself to her hearts heart's content now that Pollys Polly's would not follo follow Jane hated bated to admit to herself that th sho ho missed the habitual lectures on her frivolity Crl an and that nothing seemed Just complete to without Poll Polly Folly as hor her constant companion It was not until John Guthrie entered her life that Janos Jano's heart wa al seriously 8 affected All unconsciously while turin luring the big Scotchman Into her net Jane tripped anti and fell tell headlong Into It her herself The sensation was alt tt first startling and finally h mot most alarming for or the Scotchman seemed perfectly oblivious t to th the fact that Jane was hie his for tor tho the askin askI Old fashioned Polly Folly sitting back completely com corn enveloped In the love lovo of ot Willard vi Wright right watched th the proceedings with In In finite enjoyment She and Jane had n never vcr broken th the silence that 2 spanned an Interval in interval interval In- In of ot three months month yet Polly wa was perfectly a aware are of ot all that transpired in inthe the tho life lite of or hor her erstwhile intimate friend The two girls were ere often orten in the same ballroom attending tb the same sam dances yet neither seemed so much as M to know that th the other was there and never b by word vord or look Jook conveyed re the secret sl n kno that t each th bore bora a gnawing pain the the pain of ot severed d friendship Jan Jano tried tn to her interest In John Guthrie but her ey eye fol tol followed fol- fol lo lowed ed hla ovary every movement Ho He flirted lazily and mildly with most of ot the girls g bi but most of ot all he hovered over tho tio old fashioned soft toft eyed Poll Polly Folly And polI Polly Folly looking swiftly across at Jane smiled In such euch a w way y as to make matte Janes Jane's blood stand still PoUr Folly was going to break h her r lifelong habit Of ot domun- domun maiden maidenly modesty modest and flirt openly and with the Scotchman Janes Jane's lips curled in scorn In spite of tho tha fear and pain that was gripping her Bho Eho knew that Poll Polly with her absurdly tru trusting Uni cyas 3 of or blue her gentle persuasive per per- 1 manner together with the o touch of ot alluring coquetry sho she was S now employing employ employ- ing would bre break k the toe heart of any man mOon However Howe Jane h had of pride and Calf control to carry earn on her own flirtations with a a. very appa apparent ent supply of bUn blindness nus to Poll Polly maneuver n Her I smiles were plentiful and no one OM In hi the ballroom bi suspected that hat her heart hert was WIlS well e nigh breaking She had only re regretted re re- gr the fact that Guthrie found In Interest interest in in- terest In other women omen but more than that she eho Hr n d d the fallen I 1101 ot that th t Polly olty represented It tilt is all for me rue to to-to to to to flirt Jane told he herself elt But Polly Folly Is different nt Folly Tolly Is far tar too precious a Q type nowadays to lose Iou GI sight eight ht of Sho She simply mph must not bo be allowed to smear sale h her bar r beauty with such modern modem characteristics Jane smiled wl at her own shortcomings ands and api s sent nt a swift lan glance of something akin to I lov love into Polly's Pollys oye eyes Jane w was p frightfully fright I fully ullY hurt and d she sM wanted Polly olly to know mow it IL Polly Folly was arI oblivious however and nd continued con con- n- n h her r tact tac cs with renewed j vim Guthrie followed her hor It lead ad until the entire number of d r in the tho room realized that something unusual was in the air For the tho most ost part they thay were ere of ot the opinion that It was Willard Wright who was suffering by the flirtation eo so clover was war Jane Jang at Juggling with her herl emotions Sh She lied had at least concealed her hurt from the tha public I She spent a Q sleepless p s night however thinking of ot tho the lost Ideal In Polly Folly The next morning true truo to the tho Inborn beauty of at character that lay Jay deeply hidden hid hid- den b beneath neath the surface of or lightness Jon Jane went Vent Into tho the garden ga and selected a a. wonderful won won- clutter cluster of ot pink roses Having arranged arranged ar ar- ar- ar ranged them to her satisfaction eh she donned h her r most lovely frock CrocI a. a and d went wont forth to Poll Poliy cottage P Folly Hy peering from behind the casement casement case case- ment curtains to see who entered her ber Barden garden gar gap den path caught a swift br breath ath and d a wondrous smile She Sho flow low down the stairs and nj precipitated hereof Into Jane's Janes arms arnie Neither girl spoke 1 oke for far a a. few seconds seconda pony Polly was vas t tie e first to smother h lien her T emotion and find voice volee I You are arc m my dining darling old J Jane ne after all arent aren't aren't arent you Not r-ot r If It you are gol going to turn tun flirt Jane Jan said eaid quickly with a soft glan glance s Into Pollys Polly's blue eyes I I cant can't stand It it to 50 see SEse you making Willard miserable PolI Polly Folly laughed softly and together T they went into the cotta cottage e arms entwined What about yourself she eho queried and what about a certain bi big big- Scotchman with a a. heart of ot gold doesn't old doesn't he county count Jane looked questioning t at Polly Folly He does not love lova me le J Jane Je ne said aid He loves you T Polly Folly laughed he arid nc Willard and I planned the campaign against Inet your OUT heart It was the only way war little flirt tUrf to give you OU a a. good dose se or of ot your own medicine The dose does dore was too big Jane said aid un un steadily I nearly s died from It tt be because luse I thought I was onas losing you for tor au all time as well ell as my power t to flirt As s an n afterthought she s-he added addad A uA girl tirl cant can't flirt when she h l is If really in tn love Jove you kno know Polly Jolly Tile The blush that thet flew tIe without shame Into Janes Jane's cheeks checks h k brought a. a swift J h bus from rota Poll Polly's Pollys s arms az She Sho Jook looked d happily Janes Jane's head bead and out alon along the path where two otal- otal wart men were o toward the cot cot- tage It m means ns an n early double wedding sho she told Jan Jane Jant it wonderful wonderful-to to he s friends again We were never nover anything else r any re-any Alb Alb- Jape Japa made ins answer r and they went want to the cottage door deor to meet neet i and lind the Scotchman |