Still Jim

y back and have cried their joys and sor

of the E

was holding Jim's hand "May

. Dennis dropped Jim's hand and threw his arm across t

No one should take his father's place. I told him you and I had lived through too much to dream of falling in love again, but that old age was a lonely thing. I need you and when Jim fi

at made you change, Jim?" she exclaimed.

job is very important, Mama. I want to get someone to take care of you while I build bridges

yes twinkled

her died. I never could care for

I suit each other comfortably, Mrs. Manning. We'd be a great comfort to each other and we can do some good things for Still Jim. You mus

round his eyes that came from nerve strain. He was too thin and she saw for the

ge. He should have his chance to play if he's to do good body and brain work later

and supporting myself!" cried Jim. "I

ht out of that foundation tomorrow. You are going to have your chance. O

head. "I can s

out in that awful rough country unless you have the

, then caught his left ankle in his h

he try-out squad the first thing. I

tomorrow and the three of us can take a month at the seashor

g and keenly, then she rose and held out

comfort to you as you are being to me. I'm not going to pretend I'd do this if

was given

ney burden from his shoulders, Jim began to make up for his lost play. Football and track work, debating societies and glee-clubs s

And Jim, in his undemonstrative way, returned Mr. Dennis' affection. He shared with his Uncle Denny his growing ideals on engineering. He rehearsed his debating society speeches on his Uncle Denny, who endured them with enthusiasm. He and his Uncle Denny worked out

ay, "Michael, you didn't

t her with a smile of unde

Nothing in after life ever fills the hollow left by the first friendship of childhood and Phil was hallowed in

a Franco-American, his father was a Greek, a real estate man in the Greek section of New York. Sara confided to Jim, early in their acquaintance, that his father was the disinherited son of a nobl

slender. Sara was broad and heavy. He was very Greek-that is, modern Greek, which has little racially or temperamentally in common wi

were planning to be engineers. But, temperamentally, they were a

it was good for Jim to overcome some of his New England prejudice against

made a bare living from a small mine, up in the mountains, until a fatal attack of pneumonia claimed them both in a single month. Penelope stayed on at a girl's school in Denver for

for the dinner bell. As he strolled over to the fireplace

llo!" s

d the young

little nose and a rich glow of color in her cheeks. These details Jim noted only casually, for his attention was focused almost immediately on her eyes. For years after, whenever Jim thought of Penelope, he thought of a halo of chestnut hai

hin, tanned face, with a thick mop of soft hair falling across his forehead,

, Pene

hile her round cheeks showed dimples th

been busy, I

nelope was not disturbed. She continued to look Jim over, almost unbli

d abruptly. "I'm going to thin

ers into his hard young fists. Jim did not let the little

're nice, because Uncle Denny told me that if I didn't like you I'd sho

d what she liked best about it, his whit

As Uncle Denny says, I'm so hungry me soul

life as simply and as e

s special friends. His hair was tawny and thick and wavy. His eyes were black and bright. His mouth was small and perfectly cut. His cleft

ory enthralled little Pen, who at fourteen was almost bow

Jim, who lacked the money-making instinct. Jim quoted Sara a go

you don't get out and rustle money

from Unc

Denny, you can't

dards, to make your ideals. These four years are the high-water mark of your life's idealism. You never'll get higher

he said: "Do you ever talk to Pen lik

got the best mind I ever found in a girl. When she gets past

nse and her foolishness and her youthfulness was an inexpressible joy to Jim's mother, who always had longed for a daughter

sixteenth birthday arrived. It fell on a Saturday, and Jim and Sara cut Saturday morning classes and invited Pene

boat until the Battery was reached. Then all the world rushed up the gang plank; Jew and Gentile crowded for the best places. Italian women, with babies, dragged after husbands with lunch baskets. Stout Irish matrons looked with scorn on the "foreigners"

hem claims to be an

England nose," she chuckled. "I don't s

rilled by the very cosmopolitan aspect of the crowd. They responde

der way again. "Make the eagle scream. It's a bully plac

. "He's too lazy. He's a typical American. He'll roast th

ill! Go to it! Pen and I dare

ing deeper than this that suddenly spoke; the desire of his race to force his ideas on others, the same desire that had made his father talk to the m

d. "Everybody shut u

e gray eyes and a flashing wistful smile that caught the heart, and with a steadying arm thrown round Jim's thighs, the Greek lad, with his uncovered hair liqu

p still and listen t

atter in the cabin below and

to our land. And when you get tired of New York, remember that it's not in America. Am

to you, kid?" asked

years ago, stole it from the In

s. "How'd you manage to keep i

hadn't heard of i

lled, "Good speech. Take up a collection for

ue of Liberty, black against the sky. "Take a collection and drink hope to that, my friends. It i

Jim slipped down. Sara gave him a bear hug. "Oh, Still Jim, you

re than laughter in Pe

ill was cut out to be an a

Jim, "let's get

laughter, they took to a merry-go-round. When they were ill from whirling, Sara led the way to the bucking staircase. This was a style of several steps arranged to buck at unexpected intervals. The movement

watching the struggles of a very fat, very red-headed woman who chewed gum in exact rhythm

unted the stile. He was balked by the red-headed woman who towe

adam," he urged. "Yo

ckward and sat down violently on Sara's head. Pen and Jim roared with the crowd. The red-head

n the stairs bucked. Again the fat woman sat down on Sara's hat. Again the onlookers were overwhelmed with laughter. Pen and Jim fee

w my gum! And I'll bet you

the opposite side of the stile. Pen and Jim followed with a mad scramble. For a moment it looked as if the red-headed

ad for a year!" she exclaimed and

ish, who have felt the soul-purging quality of huge laughter, the revivifying power of play. Lawyers and pickpockets, speculators and laborers,

suggested lunch, and Jim led th

nch backward. Begin with coffee and cheese and ice c

enthusiastically, and as nothing surprises a

escorts, still more scantily clad, sifted sand over them. Unabashed couples embraced each other, rubbing elbows with other embracing pairs. The wind blew the smell of hot, wet humans across Jim's face.

coming into his cheeks, "L

lied Sara. "Let's get into o

hing suit with these mucke

diately resented Jim's tone. "Of course I shall

"Let old Prunes sit here and swe

oward the bath house. Jim took a lo

" he drawled. "Penelope