Show SOME GIRLS DONT DON'T KISS By PRISCILLA WAYNE WAlNE 1 BEGIN HERE HEREIn In fear of or losing her job because e she I has s broken the strict rule R against dating and petting Ruth Wilson pretty young English teacher is further further further fur fur- ther embarrassed when Roll Rolf Harwood lIar lIar- wood her boyhood friend and md Jim Bailey ex fullback and now bus driver stage a fight tight over a date with her Her chum Cor Coral ll Brown Drown in love with Jim Bailey accuses Ruth of double crossing and refuses to room with her longer lonser The dapper school superintendent takes the occasion to force torce his attentions on Ruth When she is ready to give up she makes a anew anew anew new friend in Opal Hatcher who has been teaching many years and has developed developed de de- de a philosophy Nothing is 15 worth crying about Opal tells Ruth CHAPTER NINETEEN I DOUBLE DOUDLE CROSSED I Now where do you suppose sheh shea going plump Mrs Dillon asked of ol anyone who would listen I thought I I saw Jim Baileys Bailey's car pass just a n awhile awhile while ago and she was sitting right richt there at the window w watching When she saw him she streaked ed it upstairs like a 3 flash Mrs Dillon was over at the lace curtain lifting it cautiously c so that she might see sec and yet might not nol be seen The other occupants occupants' of the room none other than J J. J W. W Dillon himself the school superintendent Mr Radcliffe Rad- Rad cliffe Ruth Wilson Miss Hatcher and a 3 physical education teacher named Anderson were every bit as anxious to know what excited Coral Brown as Mrs Dillon but they would not show their curiosity s so plainly Miss Brown must be going ou out some place Mr Radcliffe ventured politely She was was all er all dressed up Seemed to be watching for some some- one ALWAYS JIM JI Its him Mrs Dillon announced triumphantly if not grammatically Do you suppose she has a date with him Ruth Wilsons Wilson's heart almost stood stilL stilt More than anything anthine in m all I the world that minute i she he wanted Jim Bailey ley to be coming to ask her I Somehow it seemed it came to her herin herin herin in a lightning flash that she had always always al al- al- al ways wanted Jim Bailey to ask about her to want her that her that she always always al al- al- al ways would Mrs Dillon opened the door Come in she said rather doubtfully doubtfully doubt doubt- fully not quite sure whether J. J W. W would want her to be very cordial to the man he had fired Ired from a school position only a day or so before belore No thanks Big Jims Jim's voice was wasas wasas as calm as though he knew himself to be the most cordially welcomed person in the world But he looked about rather doubtfully ull His glance fell tell on Ruth Wilson Wilson wavered wavered away uncertainly I w wanted to talk to Miss s Brown Bro he told Mrs Dillon Mrs 1 Dillon had no chance to re re- re- re spond That instant Coral came down the stairs almost two steps at a time Her cheeks checks were flaming flags of red and her bold black eyes ees shin shin- ing tag DISCUSSING CORAL She wore a 1 new gray gra squirrel jacket lacket and an audacious hat with an ostrich plume that set all the feminine femi nine teachers gasping She gave a aLOO LOO per cent perfect imitation of a happy nappy girl rushing to meet her sweetheart Did I keep you waiting w Jim her joyous voice rang out as she closed the hc door behind them both Back in the Dillon living room there here was a silence that was almost creepy as ns the occupants listened to Jims Jim's car purring awa away Naturally it t was Mr l Radcliffe the superintendent superintendent who had nerve enough to break such a pregnant silence He cleared his throat with precision precis onI on I believe Mr Dillon he said with emphasis unless I am very much mistaken that this is about the third bird evening this week that Miss Brown has been out with that er former ormer bus driven J. J W W. Dillon got up quickly walked over to the window as though with the gesture he might call caU the audacious teacher back Ever since the he advent ent of Coral Brown into the Wakefield teaching staff the president lot of the school board had cursed the luck uck that gave him a political boss who happened to be the uncle of a rebellious girl like Coral Brown LIKE A BOOK Any other teacher among the 17 would never have dared to get Jet b by with the defiance Coral exhibited every day It did not help matters either that he ne could not explain the real situa- situa tion ion Coral Brown could get by with almost any infraction of school discipline discipline discipline pline and the president of the school board stood helpless to prevent her Other men have found themselves in like positions politic politically and relished it as little After minutes that seemed ages Ruth got away from rom the Dillon living room and up to the privacy of ol the room she occupied with Opal Hatcher She wanted to laugh laugh but but she wanted most to cr- cr cry How like a story book it all aU was And she was the silly taken mistaken heroine who hadn't known how ow des des- bad she wanted the tue nero hero until another girl romped away with his love No Ruth decided she was mistaken She wasn't the heroine at all Coral was the heroine of this story Coral had known all along what she wanted and she had gone cone straight ahead to get it Coral had wanted Jim Bailey I LOVE JIM She told Ruth she had wanted him all aU her life me rich or poor and whether he farmed in m Iowa or It isn't what a man docs does its it's the MAN had said quite And I love Jim Coral simply and convincingly Opal Hatcher was frankly indignant at the turn of events That Coral Brown is nothing but a sneak she told Ruth I wouldn't put anything past her Ever sine since she was a 3 little girl irl she's been a double crosser She knows well enough to stay away from me She doesn't give me a chance chance- Ill I'll tell her what's what Ruth smiled in spite of herself How like loyal Miss Hatcher this outburst was Ruth felt again the warm sympathetic sympathetic sympathetic sym sym- pathetic friendliness of ot the older woman living over her own broken romance in this short-lived short romance of ot her friend Out with Jim Bailey in the rapturous rapturous rapturous rap rap- haven of his car Coral was as feeling that her own cause prospered Jim drove the scowl on his handsome handsome hand hand- some face so deep that it almost terrified terrified ter ter- ter rifled Coral who watched him secret secret- ly Ily What did she sa say he asked for forthe forthe forthe the time CORAL LIES I told her Coral lied care carefully full that you wanted to see her Just as you ou told me to tell her I told told her her that you would come over at 8 just justas as you said to tell her And SAnd she said said sald- In his disappointment disappoint disappoint- ment Jim was w willing illing to punish himself himself himself him him- self anew just to be absolutely certain there was not a ghost of a cl chance for his friendship with Ruth Wilson She said she didn't want to see sec you youver ever ver again Coral repeated glibly Jim she's a selfish egotistical girl Youre You're a fool to like her at all She despises you because youre you're a farmer Says you haven't any ambition Says the biggest aspiration you know in life is to drive a bus anc and build over an old farmhouse You ought to have heard her entert entertaining the teachers by telling them them one one whole noon hour I was furious furious sim sim simply ply furious lUlious Jim Bailey listened a dark red flush lush of humiliation flooding into his cheeks checks A YEAR AGO So the girl he had loved since that crisp fall afternoon back at Teachers' Teachers college stadium was that kind The kind of girl eirl who scoffed at humble aspirations who scorned farm people and their simple everyday friendliness ness In some ways ays he could reconcile Corals Coral's statements On two or three occasions Ruth had seemed amazed incredulous when he outlined his plans for the future It had seemed queer then then for for other times Ruth had been the sort of girl he had always dreamed 0 of He lie recalled the red letten letter letter let let- ter ten days of their acquaintance That year ago October day begin begin begin be be- gin with He had been in football togs The game that h had id started out outto outto outto to be a tie tic and had stood as a cl tic tie from the beginning of ol the first quarter of the first half hal had be been beon n changed inthe inthe in inthe the last minute of play to a victory for the by his own spectacular 90 O yard run for a 1 touchdown In the wild the game someone had caught at him Wait Walt old man Youve You've got to meet the queen lIe He had remembered then idly that it was homecoming day and Teachers' Teachers college celebrated with a barbecue and a crowning o or of the prettiest girl in school chosen queen of ot the daA da- da day A LOYAL PAL And he had looked into the deep deep- wide open brown eyes of the Golden Girl Gil Ill see you 1 0 at the tonight he said suid and her eyes had echoed the eager promises of his own But he hadn't gone to the reception reception recep recep- tion Instead when the rest were en enjoying enjoying en- en the celebration after alter the game he was WilS hurrying home to his stricken father How many times he had thought of I the Golden Girl Wondered how he could get in touch with her again But a fellow lellow couldn't very well write a letter Dear Golden Girl I met you Oti at the Teachers Aggie game Fellin Fell Fellin Fellin in love with you Please may I call And then that glorious never to be forgotten morning mornin when she had stood at the school door his eyes again And the Sunday at his own home Ruth his mother had liked each other j And now Coral brought the thi- sage that the Golden Girl never J Jed ed to sec see or speak to him WI wa agal agaj Youre a loyal pal Cor Coral il he her huskily moved to sudden at least dont don't ou you desert a friend I wI love you Jim Coral said simply I Ive vc never stopped n qui qa In- In 10 lovi loI you you Will Corals Coral's plan succeed 1 To be continued 1 |