| Show ONE GOOD TURN by LILA ABBOTT mcclure syndicate service T IS only by combining wine IT woman and song that we court disaster taken separately they become the three graces and are found stimulating intriguing and inspiring but roy cummings had not yet learned his lesson in this respect after all was not he a privileged cha character facter his uncle godfrey cummings leading citizen of east baaford by reason of his considerable wealth had let it be known that roy hoy was his favorite and heir so long as he proved amenable to family traditions dit ions among these traditions was the implied condition that no member of the proud cummings family should marry below himself in social position yet paradoxically drinking and flirting were not under the old fellows ban perhaps because he had the old fashioned plutocrats view regarding the feudal privileges of the ruling class at any rate on this particular sunday evening of his second weeks visit I 1 t to his uncle roy boy had a few scruples concerning possible excesses upon his part he had during the day frequently imbibed from a pocket bocke t flask with the result that he was in a reckless mood and all primed tor for a rollicking country flirtation as he termed it his course lay rather unsteadily down the main street of the town where he fancied everyone was looking after him with admiring and envious eyes this was not a phase of his drunken condition as he wi was a s above all other things conceited really considering si himself handsome and dashing with the proverbial way with the ladies but it Is safe to say that such acclaim was not in the minds of most of the towns townspeople who happened to see him that evening and the fact that he was thus defying a local sabbath edict strict sobriety did not count in his favor however charity is a real virtue and with it mamie summers put to shame the passive condemnation of the community she was on her way to evening service ice and the sight of roy cummings of whom she knew so much was expected by his aged uncle making a public spectacle of himself aroused her charitable instincts she hesitated undecided how best a christian girl albeit a practical one co could aid be of service to a drunken man upon the main street of a gossipy town she must have been a trifle reek reckless too in the light of her eventual decision or perhaps she was just impishly inspired in any case what she did make up her mind to do was sufficiently startling in a g girl rl 0 of f her retiring type she paused and half turned toward roy that was enough with a nourish flourish he had raised his hat ha t where are you going my pretty maid he be she might have answered truthfully yet flippantly 1 I am going to church sir she said but after all it was an impossible situation for a girl of her conventional upbringing she could only look upon him pityingly in gly to his muddled intelligence this signified that she was struck dumb with admiration so he continued quickly well wherever you are going I 1 will go along too if you dont mind how about it sweetie somehow or other she fund found herself falling in step with him at the same time she realized how ridiculous the whole situation was she would have fled had he not grasped her arm and guided her down the street meanwhile she felt the censuring glances of her friends upon her defenseless fen seless back the two at length reached the lighted vestibule of the C hurch church here she halted her halt half formed plan put to the test 1 I am going in kere here she said breathlessly all right he agreed any place you go suits me and unwittingly he followed her into the church she deposited him in one of the very back seats where they attracted less attention than might have been expected owing to the fact that roys p palpable surprise upon finding himself in a church 0 of f all places partially sobered him he sat quite still during the ice saying over and over to himself the little joker she certainly put one over on me this time and his admiration of her clever ness was intermingled with his bis admiration mi ration of her pleasing appearance as he glanced sidewise at her from time to time during the sermon what a pal she would make what a wife I 1 after the service roy boy still clung to his bis companion despite the tact fact that he was now supposed to be in normal possession of his faculties normal yet out but in the grateful darkness on the way to her he rhome home one might t have been pardoned doubting it when with fine fervor he proposed marriage and mamie with inexplicable judg judgment mint accept cep t e edl I 1 but by this time mam camies e s protect ing angel made its belated appear ance an 0 otherwise cot h there Is no telling just how far this spirit ot of momentary inducement du might have worried her she might even have gone through with a marriage with one she knew only as a wastrel and a flirt for strangely enough roy had held to his purpose A peach who could rope him into a church in his condition w was as a real thoroughbred he told hi himself and he would marry her in spite of old godfrey his uncle but old godfrey proved to have the stronger will marry that small town gurll he bellowed 1 I should say not and not and not knot it was which was just as well for mamie five years later mamle mamie was again walking in the direction of the hurch church c this time however when a long gray car of expensive make slowed up beside her and its occupant a dissipated looking man threw inviting glances in her direction she passed serenely on but knew at once that it was roy also she knew that he had fallen heir to his uncles fortune and was now in town with his wife on a short visit the wife by the way was the famous feminist lecturer who had consented to speak at the church that very evening A few minutes later upon reaching the church vestibule mamie was not surprised to see the car drawn up before the door nor was she surprised at the occue occupants ints condition he appeared quite helpless in intoxication ile he had the door of the car open but was undecided whether to attempt the distance to t 0 the church entrance upon n seeing mamie his bleared eyes lighted li but not with recognition tion say sister he pleaded help me up the steps will yuh im sick 11 and nd I 1 want to speak to my wife mamie accordingly found herself again walking up the church steps with a drunken man on her arm inside of course was the regal mrs cummings the lecturer greeting all comers with a forced artificial smile at sight of her husbands entrance she approached with c commendable OM sangfroid sang froid frold or was it brazenness and smiled at mamie sweetly thank you my dear she said quite ignoring her husband this is very kind of you but dont you think you put yourself to too much trouble tor for me mamie considered the fate 0 of f a drunkards d runk ards wife from which this woman had unwittingly saved her by t taking aking roy off her hands after her early impetuous engagement and sm smiled ailed cryptically not at all she returned one good turn deserves an otherl |
