Show ONE WHITE SHIRT ily by SIDNEY M copyright service n dejectedly up T Gran chesters proud and raj diant biant main street sherman G gridley peevishly and deliberately walked out of steps step with the stirring strains of band music floating in and about the gaudy decorations of Gran chesters fiftieth anni anniversary celebration as a prosperous town the magnificent pa parade rade had already begun to judge from the approaching pro aching music and the mob lined sidewalks of waiting expectant people A municipal holiday had been declared for the big occasion sherman gridley plodded along seeking a place where he could watch observing while unobserved for sherman was to have marched in Gran chesters longest and most stunning parade was to have marched in the front rank of the Orio Orlo crescent fellowship of which he was a proud member and which was Gran chesters select and secret lodge the fellowship decreed blue trousers furnished white shirts and blue caps supplied with the trousers as the official and effective costume for the grand celebration but that morning when shermans Sher mans mother was industriously ironing his one white shirt in the kitchen sherman hated to think of it the scene was too loo pain painful full but he forced himself with a certain diabolical glee to review in his mind the fateful events that had caused his absolute ruin prowler the family cat had climbed with customary boldness right on top of the little table where aher e waiting for the one white shirt sherman had brought a bottle of ink to write a note honestly it was perfectly abysmal luck seeing the attractive black fluid in the bottle prowler tipped it over with an exploring paw dabbled in in it and at shermans Sher mans exclamation of anger and dismay took fright and leaped directly across to the ironing boardl board I 1 martial music did not lessen the ire sherman cherished deep within n him against prowler the cat his other shirts would not do no nothing but one white shirt and that no longer white 1 sherman edged into the crowd to peek over myriad heads in sheer despair he was going to feast his eyes on the immaculate array of Orio Orlo cresent fellows as their proud detachment came along it would serve to feed his wrathful yearning for vengeance on prowler and since the cats unwary misdeed was retreating into the past his mood needed food if it was to maintain its heat for as he stood there wedged in in i among a sea of craning necks sherman became vaguely aware ol 01 of f the faint aroma of perfume a delicate flower like fragrance that promised two things a girl and distinction it take even shermans Sher mans slight deductive powers long to locate the girl she stood neatly prim in a 3 brown tailored suit scarcely two feet awa away Y from him turning restlessly this that trying now to look over the tops of those ahead and now over those behind her her wide dark eyes rested momentarily menta rUy rily on sherman and he thrilled at even so slight a token pausing hardly an instant in their the 1 i r troubled survey the eyes left sher man her his otherwise rude stare unnoticed watching sherman saw a hand wriggle through the crowd down low near her hand the hand in which she held a brown beaded purse the hand maneuvered close in experienced motions reached the clasp and deftly opened the bag forgetting the parade the crowd and everything save that hand sherman plunged beaw between e en two gossiping housewives aad and clasped the wrist in a firm grip by rights sherman the girl and the hand should have become th the e center of a seething uproar but a particularly loud band going by effectively drowned any signs of a scuffle e and those nearest at hand save two thought that sherman gridley had clumsily stumbled one of the two who knew otherwise the owner of the hand slipped loose his imprisoned member with the agility of an eel and made rapidly away the other who had wide dark eyes and wavy wisps of brown hair emerging under the edges of her precise little hat she perceived at once what had occurred with a discrimination that was amazing am abing thank you she murmured sincerely you saved me loads of trouble the purse contained my ticket money then as the din ot of another band drew near these awful parades sherman pulled his hat from his head to acknowledge her thanks out of the tail of one eye he glimpsed blue white shifted shir ted blue capped men marching by they are tedious he agreed terribly she nodded intimately but scarcely glanced at the street those men think wonderful I 1 suppose A little petulantly sherman felt a trifle guilty 1 I 1 I 1 was to march myself he confessed but with a smile yet I 1 I 1 she turned to him with friendly interest oh because you think awful too another twinge of guilt made sherman tell the truth no he denied it was because I 1 have a white shirt and he actually grinned over the amusing episode of prowler the catl cat she laughed at his jest but was still anxious about something 1 I she appealed to sherman that eleven five train if I 1 dont get it im absolutely stuck in this terrible crowd sherman came abruptly to life ill get you there he volunteered taking her arm which she did not resist he forged a way through the mob of townspeople who were too intent on the celebration to resent crossing the street was another matter but sherman seized upon a favorable opening pushed through with his charge and started valiantly across directly in front of an approaching contingent hey there A blue coated officer snapped into action sherman beamed on him familiarly IS S all right clarence he called well be right out of your way and the officer returning sher mans grin waved a hand amiably at the station with scarcely a minute to spare sherman felt that he was losing her vainly he strove to find some boing means of preventing her imminent escape 1 I must thank you again mr gridley she smiled whimsically you are sherman gridley arent you if yes es embarrassed and amazed 1 I must get to the city but ill be back tomorrow im staying up at poinsettia lodge on maple mountain wont you come up some time va youre mabel Stan stanhope hopel sherman burst out excitedly city visitors in private lodges had not ceased to be an event in branches ter town how did you know naively easy the real puzzle is how you knew me sherman responded spon ded youre the brave young man who rescued that little girl from drowning last week she explained gravely your picture the name you seem to have a weakness for aiding damsels in dis escorting her to the train sherman was torn between ecstasy and despair but she extended a small gloved hand in parting do come up she repeated with cordial emphasis why not friday were going to all abo aboard ardill 1 sherman nodded an acceptance all due to one white shirt he called only half in earnest catching his words she laughed gaily appreciating the reference to his jesting reason for not parading but she never knew quite the all of it as she stood and waved goodby unless sherman gridley one day told her that he made straightway for the nearest meat store and bought for prowler the cat a small but choice chunk of juicy sirloin I 1 |