Show SEVEN SUMMERS I 1 g dy by AGNES JOHNSON JOHN SON f V fa a ir 0 by mcclur mcclure newspaper cats it was nas a different frank and bad line blue who abo were sere parties to this impromptu tete a tete A lapse of 0 six 3 eais eats I 1 lad ad isi w i ought the usual inevitable chiai Ps 7 scarcely thirty sicre were nere sharp little lines across hia his foiL foi chead head JT and about his ills eves eyes and while title st ale e i knew and successfully practiced the declet feminine art of coni concealing ealing age she looked a trifle wan nan and in the swollen veins nellis on oil her I 1 lands ands she saw indubitable eil dence of her avowed put purpose pose to do men al at work lather than accept his ills help for the of I 1 er self and child for they were nere victims of an unfortunate match two the misun dei del standing I 1 ad come shortly after the birth of tb their air baby girl is wien 1 ell mae do aided to assert herself lie le was sins a 1 canvasser in th the e dry goods line and his wife had grown gronn weary ueary of bolac lonesome sl e AN wanted anted to be tal en ell out and entert lined tined like oti ott er gills etc where upon ho he explained that his ills absence Ns was as their livelihood and ending with I 1 eau word nord pictures of cn forts that 4 were to come with nith assured future success I 1 ut I 1 Is plans had tailed failed to material lye an I 1 he was foicey to continue on f the road alas la Is a virt tue kno know n to youth so I 1 rank and blae awol e to find their dreams another theory gone gene wrong an understanding der being hopelessly out of the question it w n as a agreed reed that she should sue ue and he lie would not contest her only stipulation being that she was nits to keep the child this unpleasant task being disposed of they had bad gone gieir separate ways t and in time forgotten foi gotten eich other and now six sl years later fate had decreed is tl at mae accompanied by her little girl should be nt luncheon at this quiet tea room just off slain main street and ta atiat at frank should n walk alk in and sit dl 40 erectly opposite them mael lie ile came to her and gree greeted t her cordially can I 1 believe my ebes emesi he ile asked her much about herself and little girl and slie she ans ivied him with equal tiani final ness then I 1 e told her not i beautifully but with be becoming comin ft dignified I 1 pride of his ills long struggle a and ild happy triumph lie ile was sias nov nos established in business tor for I 1 I 1 itself and was nas doing well bu u he lie turned to the child who had left hei seat and nestled her tj self as children will between her mathei s knees and stood looking on very much baffled what a charming little maissl he declared with just a touch of parental aa eiloe lets see alice Is seven now isn t she shel he ile stopped tor for man like 4 4 he w n aan t sure seven summers to be exact re 1 ed mae she was its born in june ou I 1 now urn um 3 acs ics es quite a little lady now lie ile noticed alice was as staring star at I 1 in her innocent NN way ay and it made him uncomfortable A trick of men who find it 1 em selves emba in the presence of children IR 1 to give them money and he paid liberally tor for the refuge and of course he lie asked her what she would d buy and called her my little girl alice cooled 1001 ed up at lier her mother doubt doubtfully fulls and said she know vet ret tl TI en NJ ith all the wisdom of 0 her seven yeats she to him quid quiet ly it if you please I 1 aren arent t your little cirl girl her parents were stere mildly amused at this precocious observation hush deir murmured mae f ing the child s I 1 air affectionately mr cole Is your papa wl WI ich deeply f impressed alice and caused her to become i v ery thourl tf taul ul there AN was a s a brief lull in the conver salon mae lad sail deiy little tor for sl SI e seemed engrossed in retrospection lie ile wondered what was passing through her mind do you know he said ruefully tl ere are times alien I 1 long for ahe I 1 he phrase died out as he lie looked away j Na vacantly cantly followed another pause and find the silence was sins growing awkward when nhen alice suddenly clapha clapped her littia hands blinds exultantly and exclaimed aro ara 3 you my really and truly papa v les es indeed he lie nodded laughingly and growing grossing bold he lie gently lifted her to a beat seat beside himself ills memory f n went ent bick b ick to ti tie e court ruling and ho he 44 recalled the peremptory decree giving alice to her mother exclusively and irren I 1 has have e often wondered mae hp sail gal I 1 softly how things thing swe ne stele just I 1 ids ani how A little clumsy per haps but language that would have been clear to any woman llull Is your courage good mae mael lid pursued by lier her silence would you care to 7 A chance observer would lave been impressed by the spectacle they pre dented for a long time not a word i passed bets een icen tl ti e little pirty party tor for even the child as if bisci lined in ln ao ae torrance tor dance with a charming tradition was vas seen seer but not headd but the set ting was vas eloquent for all its muteness litt li 10 tt ft to conjecture it was nas a story without w n depicting depleting the tile end of 0 and the beginning of a ripe rips lap happiness in which two souls vere nere reunited in perfect faith and trust it t repudiation of tie tl e act that blo cause of a youthful error put asunder tl ti e twain st who ilo before god wele as US on unto death |