Still Jim

e sees no farther than I who am

of the E

right to speak to me t

rly. "You are to stay here

. "Pen's as much my company as she is yours. Q

ad toward the bath house. "Go ahead and get into you

nt he scowled, then he shrugged his shoulders. "You old mule!" he grunted

to Jim and he, with his boyish jaw set, eyed her uncomfortably. She did not speak

bathing suit," she said. "You'd know he wa

Denny's grunts and said: "He isn't a duke-

ntinued. "You treat me as if I were a ch

sh!" dra

ping and shivering to burrow in the hot sand. Pen deliberately sifted sand over him,

all be the duchess and have a marble swimming pool all of your own. And old Prunes will be

and Sara's halo of romanc

or my part, I can't see any objection to a girl as pret

the boat crowd. But now, as always, when he felt that his need for words was dire, speech deserted him. Suddenly he was realizing that Pen was no longer a little girl and that she adm

latch! Sit by the sea

'm not grouchy,

I are going up for some ice cream while you stay here and get ov

ished that he and Uncle Denny and his mother and Pen were living at Exham. For the first time he felt a vague distrust of Sara. After a time

ile Sara and Jim took turn about whirling Penelope through two steps and galloping through modern waltz steps. The music and something

were so bossy. But you were

he said, "promise me you'll shake Sara and the

, it was not difficult for Jim and Pen to drop well behind Uncle Denny and Jim's mother. Jim drew Pen's arm firmly within his own. This seemed very funny to Penelope and yet she enjoyed it. There had come a subtle but decided cha

d the old brownstone front. He mounted the steps with her sl

t me, Pen,

oy's face. Jim looked down into he

pe, you belong to me. Remember that, always. We belong to each othe

Pen, "I'd much ra

"You belong to me. You sh

ver before had been touched. And Jim, his face white, drew Penelope to him and laid his soft young lips to hers, holdin

tle sobbing breath

said slowly, "that kiss. That'

plain as she said: "It will be a long time before you have made a na

ving definitely settled his life, he added: "Gee, I'm hungry! Me stomach is touch

dden flash of dimp

adokis was planning to become a construction engineer, with New York as his field. He wanted Jim to go into partnership with him when they were through college. So he

to be a part of the creative force that was producing the building. But to his surprise, his old sense of suffocation in being crowded

od for the highest efficiency in the world, but that even in his day the phrase had become a joke. How co

ll over you, Still. This bunch does as good

er what's the matter with us Americans? How did

cked Saradokis. "What

can," returne

e. And by and by we'll modify your old Anglo-Saxon institutions so that G. Washington will simply revolve in his grave. We'll add Greek ideas and Yiddish and Wop and Bohunk and Armenian and Nigger and Chinese and Magyar. G

way to Jim's house for dinner. At Sara's words Jim stoppe

d the trail for you fellows in this country and called you over here to use it.

r you?" chuckled the Greek. "Serves you right. Piffle! What's an America

his father's broken body and dying face against the golden August fields. All the next

Child's restaurant table. Each noon they devoured a qua

asked Sara. "I wasn't roastin

ra waited for words bu

hat ails you, then you can go back in and shut the door. What has got

haven't a perfect right to come over here. But I have race pride. You haven't. I can'

head. "You are in a bad way, my child. I prescribe a cour

an he had for years. Yet he reached no conclusion save the blind one that he was going to fight against his own extinc

between the two boys. Both of them realized then that Pen was more to them than the little playmate they had hitherto considered her. Jim believed tha

owing his devotion. Flowers and candy, new books and music he showered on her endl

Tis the surest cure. And Jim must l

boy. While Jim's affection manifested itself in silent watchfulness, in unobtrusive, secret little acts of thoughtfulness and

to hand. Uncle Denny's books on social and political economy were devoured quite as readily as Jim's novels of adventure or her own Christina Rossetti. And Sara was to her all the heroes of all the tales she read, although after the episode of the Sign and Seal some of the heroes

om the shore and Jim was ready for his senior year. "

ever was in my li

you. Get out into the big country, Still Jim. I was brought up in Colorado, rememb

d then the farmers on the Project-that's what they call the system and the land it waters-have ten years or so to pay back what it cost and then the water system belongs to them. They are

y about it. Sounds like Kipling an

here after I get a s

, I'll be overwhelming the courts of Europe," Pen giggled. Then she add

n with Sara is serious for a minute. If I thought you really did, I'd give up the Reclamati

of her far-seeing looks. "Sara would tie you in a bowknot in business, and the

shall never get yo

lance. "Sara is my fate, S

les!" exc

her head an

event in the world of college athletics. Men from every important college in the country comp

themselves on camp stools along the curb. Then at the beginning and end of the course the line, thickened to two or three deep until at last the police began to establish lines. Mounted police appeared at intervals to turn traffic. The crowd as it thickene

d themselves at 159th street, with a waiting automobile around the corner. After the runners had p

ty, an increasing roar told of the coming of the runners. Pen, standing between Uncle Denny and Jim's mother, seized a

d forward. "Sara! Sara!

n man, Jim and Sara. Sara led, then Jim and the Californian,

nched with sweat. He was running with his mouth dropped open, head back, every superb line of his body showing under his wet clothes

nd lithe. His magnificent head outlined itself for an instant against the sky line of the Hudson, fine

white dots appeared under the elevated tracks at 66th street. There was a roar, a fluttering of banners, a crash of

e seen. Uncle De

finish at the Battery when he passed us. Gi