LOVE COUNT

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 12820, 15 August 1939, Page 3

LOVE COUNT

=the evening stoey==

i I hcn a jealous lover refuses to be reasonable, there I are on ly a dozen things a poor <drl can do

ANV WILSON 1 , nAee Nathaniel Heyward put | the complaint he had been i0 *L Removing his steel-rimmed e 8 from his impressive big nose, L eyed the two young people standing before him. The girl's small, slender body was striicht and taut, her chin defiant. r ‘ eyes close to tears. The man bMi de her wore the uniform of the | highway Patrol which emphasized, breadth Of shoulder that did not . Led emphasis. Stubbornness was : jn the set of his young mouth and ; tragedy in t lis e >' es . -To skim the cream off this remarkable document—” the judge in- | dicated the complaint on his desk— ; -you are charged, young woman, j %vith driving your car at the late of | 70 miles an hour on the Bay Shore highway. Moreover, according to the complaint, when this officer stopped you and presented his book for your signature, you wrote, ‘Johnny, I love you. Please let me explain about | Hunkle.'

‘‘Very irrelevant,” agreed the judge and looked at the girl. Her eyes pleaded with him, demanded, begged for her chance. The judge sighed, ‘‘Very irrelevant,” lie repeated, “but go on ” “Oh, thank you, your honor. When Hunk and I were kids in kindergarten, -I found out the quickest way to stop Hunk from crying was to kiss him. Well—here he was crying, so I just kissed him. And that was the very time that Johnny picked out to com© along. I ask you, your honor, was that anything to break an engagement over?” The judge started. He might have known that would happen if he let her go on. “As a judge,” he said to Johnny gently, “I have no authority to speak in this matter, but as a citizen and your friend, I’d like to point out that this Hunk, as I know him, is harmless.” Johnny flared. “You yourself, your honor, have stated from this bench that promiscuous kissing at cocktail parties is a prolific source of martial tragedy.”

“And when the officer made out another ticket and requested your signature, you seized same book and stated your intention of keeping it in your possession until the officer in question should consent to hear what you had to say. And when said officer attempted to recover his book by force, you threw your arms around bis neck and clung to him.

“Promiscuous!” The girl turned swiftly to Johnny. “What’s promiscuous about kissing Hunk? I’ve known him for 15 years. It’s a whole lot more disturbing to kiss you. Kissing Hunk is just kissing Hunk, but when I kiss you—” ; she stopped abruptly, flushed Some of the hardness went out of Johnny’s face. “You might have explained about knowing this Hunk for fifteen years. I’d never seen the mug before.” “I might have explained!” She turned to the judge. “Did you hear that, your honor! He stands there and asks me why I didn’t ex—” “Do I understand,” the judge hastily interrupted, “that you two have reached an' amicable understanding?”

“Passing motorists, attracted by the_ er —unusual spectacle of a member of the highway patrol wrestling with a young woman on the public highway, stopped to watch the scene. Some even ventured to lay bets as to the outcome. The result was a traffic snarl which required half an hour to untangle, and a lowering of the prestige of the highway patrol in the eyes of the citizens. Have you anything to say for yourself?"

She looked at Johnny. “Have we?” “Fifteen years makes it look a little better, Eileen, but still I don’t like the idea of my girl carrying the torch for a kindergarten sweetheart.” “Johnny—from now on, kindergarten romances are out, . Does that make it all right?” He looked at her and her love was in her face for him to read. Irresistibly, lights sprang in his eyes t,o match the light in hers. “That makes it all right,” he said huskily. Together they turned and started for the door. “Just a minute,” called the judge. “There’s this little matter of the several charges to which you have pleaded guilty, young woman Your dx-iver’s license is suspended for 90 days for exceeding the speed limit, you are fined 50 dollars for disturbing the peace, and when it comes time for that marriage ceremony, if you don’t mind, I’d like ,to officiate.” The girl lifted her glowing face to the judge. “Of course, and thank you. Uncle Nate, thanks for everything.”

"Yes.” Her voice was clouded by unshed tears. “I had to drive 70 miles an. hour on the Bay Shore. The only way I could see him was to have him arrest me. He wouldn’t see me at home—he wouldn’t talk to me over the phone—he wouldn’t "If you’d speak a little more calmly—and formally,” interposed the judge. She took a breath and started over. The arresting officer is my fiancee and —" "I was her fiancee-—” cut in the arresting officer. See how he is,” she wailed. “He v °u’t let me explain.” The judge looked from one stormy Sure to the other. He incautiously ashed. “Explain what?” Eileen’s behaviour on the night °ur engagement was announced.” e young officer’s voice was hard resentment, his eyes full of his Jirt. can > t eX pi a j n and k e _ e s its irrelevant to the case be*°re the court.” If irrelevant and this was a eurt of law. Th 6 judge suppressed natural curiosity. “Do you plead * ty > to exceeding the speed limit disturbing the peace?” he asked the gin

es ’ kut wait. Hunk Brewster * ke hammock, crying, tail had flve - c °cktails. Four cockle * leS but five and ei s very bad—you know Hunk.” nodded. He knew Hunk. <ry in ! 1 aSked Hunk why he was he f>r.,« and ke was because Pecialiv? baCk rom the East es--1 a m See me and then he finds never r! ri ? Dg a Purit ’ an that will a nd se t toot * u the house “To! V VUI he d 0 Withoat me.” lace Jl" h ° nor —” young officer’s J S^ d ' '‘ thlS iS Irrelerant ’ c and inconsequential—”