Show mu corer 1905 by dally daily story pub co I 1 mary was a great girl her friends usually described her in this manner not referring especially to goodness or cleverness only to bilk bi ak she was tall just over the mark ot of s x feet and generously bu it w th tb broad shoulders full bust and ro hips mary was not handsome only passably good look ing she wore eights in gloves seven and a halt half in shoes and realized every inch of her size the doctor pro bounced her at birth a fine big girl and she continued to grow while her family rejoiced in her mary never forgot the first time her inches assumed the proportions ol 01 a drawback it occurred while attending school with small companions of six or seven summers even at that early age she towered a full head above her compeers thus attracting the notice of a A great girl ill e you in the infant class she had exclaimed scathingly while poor mary crimson to the roots of her hair felt forty palis palls of eyes turned questioning 3 upon her as her classmates suddenly realized how large she was as the teacher good na tiredly came to her rescue but mary is only six and a good child dreadful commented the direct oress she was nas sl ghaly deaf so as it entailed trouble rarely listened to what others said for shame she proceeded in a tone that set the entire class quivering the high stool with a dunce s cap for less in my young days with that the self satisfied off official lelal swept from the room her s ik rustling and her eyes glaring at M mary ary to the very last small as the incident was it became as the apple of knowledge to the child she was different to others her size must be lived up to it became life under high pressure as sl e struggled to be ever in advance of other chii dren of her age she renounced her former chums playing assiduously with girls se several eral years her senior next she sacrificed dolls being too great a girl to be such a baby even her fears of the dark caused rid cule cuie she was so big fairy tales which she adored were devoured in secret only publicly her literature became advanced as in every way she endear ored to equalize the standard of her growth it was strenuous but hardly yet with all these efforts mary hard ly held her own measured by inches she grew so fast anxiously she sighed for the day when her full sta ture being attained the worst would be known she went into long dresses and did her hair up on the top of her head while her elder sister still scorned such adornments she be came a joke in the family her broth ers teased her incessantly not under standing the sting of it all when mary actually arrived at womanhood the fact was hard to real ize she had pretended so long but still she found small comfort she might have turned the tables on her brothers by laughing at them for being mr size only that in her eyes was their chief advantage the unwelcome gift of height was hers her s alone she was taller than any of her family taller even than any man sl e gnew you 11 marry a fellow about five feet two and that will be the long and short of it derided brother tom the jest burned itself into mary marys s brain as a warning and she cast about in her mind to discover how many men would be eligible tor for matrimony providing she barred those shorter than herself had the roll call been answered in person it would have proved lament ably small consisting solely of joe murphy the blacksmith who stood six 0 mary was a great girl feet tour four in his stockings brawny as jove himself he was uncouth and much feared because of his violent temper yet mary experienced a sort of re ilef in his presence she could really look up to him which wonderful fact likewise gave him a point of view pos hessed by no one else of mary and he loved her after hie his rough fashion joes joe s attentions rather frightened her hence she resolved never to marry euch such happiness was not for one ol 01 her build then she fell back on platonic friendship Wend ship and got herself into much iauch double attentions came thick and fast mary was a great girl a fine gure of a woman a regular ama zon among other wooers came bob jen gingg but unfortunately for him he be was so short that mary overlooked him altogether bob clerked it in a dry goods store receiving only a few dollars a week but he be b ame quite sentimental abo it mary he would have proposed to make her conscious of his devotion save for tom s ill timed jol e consider the frightful expense ol 01 clo clothing tiling mary it s a contract nothing less jennings winced his limitations forced him to the background and aud his N she could really look up lip to him attentions diminished however mary was too truly worn wom anly to pass through life wilhoit it lov ing so that she and ned bryant were keeping company before she gaie gai e i a thought bryant was handsome hand and do ng well n business one evening they sat together on the sofa seated mary could forget her proportions the room wis dimly I 1 eghte ned had I 1 en peal ing oi of his t re and in the hort chort s ie ce that followed it dawne I 1 on N V ary N hat a lo 10 able fellow ned was as tat that his visits visit were the sweetest experience n her life and meeting hi 3 u since she vaguely wondered v hit hat he I 1 oi ot of her will you marry mea me bryant ques tinned abruptly almost as though he rea real I 1 hr heart ma y t f it her creeks redden and her hands tremble like those of any small help helpless ss woman moman I 1 don t know her voice v w as al most a caress I 1 love you pleaded N nel e I 1 imprison ing her bands hands and drawing her to him say aes es dear marys head droope I 1 to his shoulder and there is no know ing what she might have promise 1 had not tom at that juncture burst into the room tom was a never fail ing ins factor in his sister s life A little later mary stood in the hall as bryant was leaving leavin ned s eyes were bright his tone eager and full of confidence well kill tom when we are mar ried he prom sed cheerfully he grows a nuisance I 1 had so much to say dearest but ill 1 ll 11 come tomorrow to morrow morroN kiss me sweetheart t A simple request tut but I 1 brought mary back from heaven and down to eaith A lover should take a kiss not ask for it and a is mary as too big tor for that where was the ro mance if she must stoop to invite her lover lovers s caress 1 9 it wo we ild all be too premeditated while mary in spite oi of her greatness was only a aman craving the weakness and sentiment sent meat ment of her sex disillusioned mary instead oi of kiss ing her lover burst into tears and fled up the stairs her castle tumbling about her ears in the end she married the clack smith there was no long or short about it as she was careful to tom and when as sometimes hap bened her husband blackened her eyes bruised or her she consoled herself with the thou plit that at least he was big enough to do it thus mary became a ph cosoi her unconsciously proving the sense cense of hu mor is not quite extinct 1 v oman kind |