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Show fiCTION 'ekefiCTION fiCTIONBEST 'eke- 'eke eke ' - ' ' , " BEST QEST By LOOKING THYRA TYRA $ SAMTER M ! GIRL WINSLOW N ! IN O\JOWr4 O JOWr4 \ TOWN TOWfIa TOWNBy TOWfIaBy ? - I ' thirteen thirteenRIlla thirteenRilla thirteelr I7ROM the time she was FROM ashamed ashamedof ashamecof Rilla nfaItbWas Mabry had been bcen then that thatshe thashe It was of thenof her appearanceshe appearance higher than thanthe thanthe thaithe she started startcd shooting up awkward awkwardas awkwartas She was other girls the thinBy thinBy thin thinwas she was too tall taU and well as as twenty she shewas shewas was By the tIme she . convinced that her ap- ap appearance appearance ap - - fully tully was was really somethmg something ter terrible terrible pearance seemed seemedhUle seemedlittle seemedlittle rible All of the other girls gzrls and attractive No Nomatter Nomatter Nflmatter hUle little and cute matter what Rilla wore it seemcd seemed seemcdwrong seemedwrong seemedwrong wrong There was too much of ot her herto herto herto clothes And thin thus thindresses thusdresses thindresses to wear tailored dresses hung around her In foldsAll foldsAU folds foldsAll the theero thecrowd thecrowd and girls in All AU of the boys ero crowd . d liked ll1.ed ll1ed . Rilla She v . was as a fine girlIt girlif girl girlif -It It -if if _ - if you could for forget forget fori | get the way sheTh sheT1 she , lool 1001 ed Even her herhair herI ? Th T1 * "ls ls " 11S 11Slool 1 S | hair was wrong- wrong wrongWeek's wrongWeek's wrong - Week'ssort ' sort of stringy-but stringy but stringybutshe - Week's Weeks "eeK eeK " - she had a pleasant pleasantBest pleasantBest pleasantg9St Best and rather attractJve attractive attrac attraclive live tJve tive face faceFlchon faceFiction faceFiction Flchon Fiction In spite of at her herlooks herlooks he helooks looks Rilla had a aboy i - ' boy friend lrlend He was wasPatrick waPatrick . Patrick Reddmg Redding and his father kept kepta bep store Pat wasn wasnt t aby shy abygreat shygreat anygreat a grocery great catch-but catch but catch - but then you } ) ou really reallycouldn reallYcouldn reallycoifldnt her her100l.s herlooks herlooks couldn t expect RiUa Rilla with felt feltthat feltthat feltthat 100l.s 100ls looks . to do any better Folks that Rffla Rilla ought to be well sahsfied satisfied satisfiedPat satisfiedPat and he hecertainly hecertainly Pat was a nice looking lookmg boy certaInly wasn wasp t t to be sneezed at . t . . Rilla dldn didn didnt t sneeze at Pat . . . She Shewas Shewas Shewas was grateful to him rom for being bemg nice niceto niceto niceto to her She was as lolly JOlly and as astriendly asfriendly asfriendly triendly friendly as she could be As a mat mat- matter matter matter - - ter of at fact she liked hked Pat a lot . . He Hewas Hewas Hewas was tun fun to be with wJth She d have been beenperfectly beenperfectly beenperfectly perfectly satisfied except tor for the thefact thefact thefact fact that she was in love with Wlth Shane ShaneTennant ShaneTennant ShaneTennant Tennant Which Wluch did her a lot of ofgoodfor ofgoodfor ofgood good-for good for - for Sbane Shane was the catch of ofthe ofthe ofthe the town Shane s father was a abankerand abankerand abanker banker-and banker and - and rich rlch His RIs mother was wasthe wasthe wasthe the social leader of the town . . S1)ane S1ane Shane S1)anewas Shanewas Shanewas ) was tall-much tall much tall tall - much taller than RIlla- RIlla Hula- Hula RIllaand Hulaand Rilla Rillaand - and handsome * . Pat went into the grocery WIth WIthhIS wiichis wiichisfather hIS hISfather -father father lather - - Shane went into the thebank thebank thebank bank That s the way sons do in insmail insmall insmall smail small towns unless they have defi deft defimte deftrite deflcite mte rite ideals about law or one of the theother theother theother other professions Rilla Hula dldn didn didnt t do doanythmg doanything doanything anythmg anything Her folks had just enough enoughmoney enoughmoney enoughmoney money so she didn dldn t have to v.ork vork work v.orkShe workShe . workShe She went to parties with Patrtck- Patrtck Patrick- Patrick Patrtckand Patrickand Patrick Patrickand - and admired Shane from a dls dis dlstance distaxies disfanes tance taxies The town folks felt that she shewould shewould shewould would marry Pat that he d take takeover takeover takeover over his father s grocery store and andthat andthat andthat that they d settle down . . That might mzght have happened if it 11 it ithadn ithadn ithadn hadn t been tor for Leslie Durant Les Leslle Lesbe Leslie lle be Durant was-and was and was - and still Is-a Is a is - a well wellknown wellknown wellknown known illustrator And he came to toMorrlville toMorrwille toMornville Morrlville Morrwille to visit an aunt And got gottaken gottaken gottaken taken to all of the parties partJes of ofcourse ofcourse ofcourse course The social lion of the sea seaSOD season season SOD son He stayed to in town three days- days daysbut daysbut days daysbut - but that was long enough for a a lot lotto lotto to happenI happen 1 I He saw Rilla Hula Mabry MabryI I ' Rilla Hula was wasstandIng wasstanding wasstanding standIng near the door-and door and door - and she shewas shewas shewas was looking at Shane Tennant She Shenever Shenever Shenever never knew how much her face faceshowed faceshowed faceshowed showed what she was th1nlo.ng th1nlong thinking th1nlo.ngabout thinkingabout . thinkingabout about No one else eIse notIced-but notIced but notIcedbutDurant noticedbutDurant noticed - butDurant Durant being bemg new took In the sit sit- - - uation uabon He lie saw R Rilla la standing not notqUite notquite notquite qUite straight because she didn dldn t tfcel tfeel tfeel fcel feel quite quJte as tall that way m in a abadly abadly abadly badly fitted dress and her hair not notquite notquite notquite quite smooth-and smooth and smooth - and he saw Shane Shaneperfectly Shaneperfectly Shaneperfectly perfectly groomed-for groomed for groomed - tor Mornville MornvIlle- Morriville- Morriville MornvIllesel Morrivilleself Mornvilleself - self sel ! confident good looking lookmg And Andthen Andthen Andthen then Pat came to ask Rilla Hula to todance todance todance todanceOn dance danceOn On the second day of ot his visit visitDurant visitDurant visitDurant Durant made his lomarkible Icmark'1.ble Icmark1.ble Icmark1ble iemarkzble ' . state statement statemerit statement ment merit He declared to anyone who whowould whowould whowould would listen to him hum that Rilla Ma Mabry Mabry Mabry bry was by far and away the best bestlooking bestlooking bestlookmg looking glrlm girl in ui town One of the best bestlooking bestlooking bestlooking looking girls he d ever seenRilla seenHula seen seenRilla Rilla Hula had never had a compll compllment compllment compliment ment about her looks before She Shehad Shehad Shehad had always been shy self selt conscious and often miserable about her ap appearance appearance pearance And here the first au authorlty authority authonty thorlty thority on beauty who had ever everbeen everbeen everbeen been in 1Il town acclaimed her as the theprize theprize theprize theprizeWhen prize prizeWhen When Durant himself hImselt told her herwhat herwhat herwhat what he thought of her she was wasfilled wasfilled wasfilled filled with Wlth confusion confUSlon She managed managedto to stammer her thanks And 'later later 'latervery ' "latervery latervery " ater atervery very shyly she went up to him hun hum hunI humI himI I do wish you d tell me how I Ican Ican Ican can look better she saidI said saidIm 1 I Im m not suited tor for the task of ofhly oflily oflily hly lily gilding gIldmg he told her but may maybe maybe maybe be if it ii we got together- together togetherThey togetherThey together - They got together the next morn morning mornbig morning ing big Durant came to Rilla shouse shouseand s house houseand houseand and with Rilla Hula smother s mother acting actwg as ashelper ashelper ashelper helper they did dld things to RiUa Rilla and andRilla andRlBa andRilla Rilla RlBa s clothes Durant made her herstand herstand herstand stand up straight And rearranged rearrangedher rearrangedher rearrangedher her hair And told her what was waswrong waswrong waswrong wrong with Wlth the clothes she woreThat woreThat wore woreThat That night there was a dance for forDurantlus forDurantbus forDurant Durant-lus Durant lus Durant-bus bus - - his last evening eveIlUlg in town town.And townAnd . . And as he had thought when he heI hestarted hestarted hestarted I started things Rilla Hula was for the first time in her lilc hfe life the belle beUe of the theball theball thball ball . . Toward the end cnd of the eve evenlng evenuig evenuag nlng nuig Durant had the satisfaction satlsfacbon of ofscemg ofseeing oseeing scemg seeing Shane Tennant dancing at attenbon attention attention tenbon tention Shane Tennant whom Rilla Hula Rillahad Hulahad Rill-had Rill had - had looked at with longing longmg eycs- eycs eyes- eyes eycsand eyesand eyes-and eyes and - - and who had paid no attention attenbon to toher toher ther therDurant her herDurant Durant went back to his ills home in inNew InNew 1"New 1New " New York And forgot all about the thewhole thewhole thwhole whole thing thmg And years passed And Andthe Andthe Anthe the sequel happened just the othe other otherday otheday othedayDurant ! ' day dayDurant Durant was lunch ng alone at a arestaurant arestaurant arestaurant restaurant when an attractive ta11 tall ta11woman tallwoman taFwoman woman past her first youth came cameup cameup cameup up to hzmYou himYou him hzm himYou You don t remember me she shes"ud shesaid shesiid s"ud sud said " : LIl LIl4l _ : 4 _ _ , , ! ' 4l : _ _ "That That " , That nIght for the first tlIl1e time in her uneventful We life Rilla l\1abry l 1abry Mabry l1abrywas Mabrywas \ was bellI belh . , of thiJ the ball Durant didn dldn t remember herI her herI I 1 m Rilla Hula Tennant-I Tennant I Tennant - I was Rilla Hula RillaMabry HulaMabry RillaMabry Mabry when you knew me You Youcame Youcame Youcame came to my home town and-and and andandsort andandsort and - andsort sort of made my life We over Remem Remember Remember Remember ber now now ? ? nowOf Of course I 1 do said Durant 1 I 1remember Iremember Iremember remember very wellYou wellYou well wellYou You did a wonderful ) jobi Jobl obi said saidRilla saidRilla saidRilla Rilla There was a curious curlOUS note in inher Inher inher her voice he didnt didn dldn t understandYou understandYou understand understandYou You married marned the boy you were werem werem werein m love with wlth I see His IDs name was wasTennant wasTennant wasTennant Tennant wasn tit t it if ifWhy ? Why yes said Rilla But how howdld howdid howdid dld did you remem remember er the name ? And Andhow Andhow Andhow how d d you know I was in m love loveWlth lovewith lovewith Wlth with him ? I 1 m good at names And I saw sawyou sawyou sawyou you looking at h.un hun brm . mm Simplicity Sunpl1clty it- it itselfl itself it-selfl it selfl - - selfl self ! And to think thmk that I 1 was the thecausei thecause thecausel causei cause ! He preened a littleYes littleYes little littleYes Yes you were said Rilla Hula It Itwas Itwas Itwas was very tunny funny now when you youlook youlook youlook look back on it There I was gomi going gomiWlth goingwith goingwith Wlth with Pat Reddmg Redding and in m love Wlth with WlthShane withShane withShaae Shane And terribly ill at ease and a awkward wkward . . . And you came down said I was a beauty-so beauty so beauty - so automatl automata automatlcaily automatacally automatically caily cally I became a beauty And the theboys theboys theboys boys all rushed me And I married marriedShane marriedShane marriedShane marriedShaneWonderful Shane ShaneWonderful ShaneWonderfult Wonderful Wonderfult I ! said Durant And Andhe Andhe Andhe he beamed . . How are you getting gettingalong gettingalong gettingalong along now ? he asked as an after afterthought afterthought alterthought alterthoughtThat thought thoughtThat That a s the catch said Rilla RillaYou RillaYou RillaYou You shouldn shouldnt t have askedShane askedShane asked askedShane Shane and I 1 marned-and marned and married-and married married - and didn dldn , t tget tget tget get along any too well . Though Thougll . 1 1was 1was 1was was awfully happy in m the beglDn1Dg beginning beglDn1DgThe beginningThe beginningThe The Tennants Tenants lost all of theu their theumoney theirmoney thenmoney money in the depressIOn-and depressIOn and depression - and In3 my ' myfamily myfamily famIly had its money m In . the Ten Tennant Tennant Tennant nant bank by that time so our ourmoney ourmoney ourmoney money went too Then Snane Shane tell fell m in mlove inlove inlove love with Wlth a chorus girL glrL . I 1 got a dl di dlvorce divorce divorce vorce of course I 1 ve vs been teacbmg teaching teachingm teacbmgm m a girl s school for the past three threeyears threeyears threeyears threeyearsThats years yearsThat That Thats s too badi badl said Durant Durantand Durantand Durantand and began to feel inflated mflated But Butmaybe Butmaybe Butmaybe maybe that was better than marry marrymg marrymg marrying mg that other boy whom you dida dldn didn t tlove tlove 1love 1loveMaybe love loveMaybe Maybe said Rilla Hula You can cannever cannever cannever never tell Love goes Patrick PatrickReddmg PatrickRedding PatrickReddmg Reddmg Redding took over his ros father s gro gro- grocery grocery grocery - cery store-and store and store - - and married marned the cutest cutestgIrl cutestgirl cutestgirl gIrl m in town They have three chil chic children chicdren chlldren dren and are very happy And ob oh obyes ohyes ohyes yes he developed an ambitIous ambitIousstreak ambitiousstreak ambitiousstreak streak and started a chain cham of gro grocery grocery groeery cery stores Now he s the richest richestand richestand richestand and most Important man in town . . 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