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THE TEST OF FRIENDSHIP
101
Cecelia ! His Cecelia — for he had been thinking of her almost unconsciously as his for some time now — with her arms around Tom's neck, laughing and blushing, and Tom looking tenderly down upon her.
It was the bitterest moment in Jimmie Curran's life. He seemed suddenly to have grown old. The happy light in those merry blue eyes died away in an instant.
"You're not listening to what I'm telling you," chided Elizabeth. Then Cecelia entered with Tom, laughingly explaining how Peterson hadn't come, and that he had been so worried about the program. Jimmie, usually ready for any occasion, was not equal to this. He was not accustomed to sorrow and disappointment. He wanted to get away — anywhere — to be alone. His ready wit soon found an excuse, however, and he lied glibly, tho with a sinking heart.
"I'm glad you've come, Tom. Cecelia and I've got everything pretty well thought out, but the numbers have got to be arranged in some sort of
order and — I've got to be going right now — ought not to have stayed this long — I — Some of the boys were up at the house — they're waiting for me."
Elizabeth, always an ardent admirer of Jimmie, followed him to the door, saying that if he was not going to stay, she wasn't either; and proposed to go back to her dolls, leaving Tom and Cecelia to finish the program alone.
Tom never knew exactly how he happened to tell Cecelia of his love that evening. He had not planned to do so. He had told her, long ago, when they were boy and girl and played in one another's yards. The subject had long been silent between them. Tom had been saving his money, tho, and of late he had been thinking more and more that he could now, without hesitancy, ask Cecelia to share it with him. As their hands met over the paper on which she had been writing, he took hers gently between his hard, calloused palms, and in words none the less sincere because they were blunt and plain, asked her if the hope of his boyhood days was to be realized.
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"IT'S FOK TOM," SAID ELIZABETH