The Portland daily press., 1900-02-08

| ARC you ne ttaoas
eyes. Of course My fathers Major
Hin. I might have known you were,
90, II had seen your academy button"
"You never took the trouble 20 look at
me-" Harrington suggested. I'm Har-
rington Of the Fourth. ! came on from
Bliss"
I'm going to the Presidio."
| Harrington was going to the Presidio,
| TOO. by virtue Of all Of which he wens
| back TO his section and got the beer bot.
| tie and sat himself down In section
with n beside him on the window ledge.
The old Indian salutation was password
to the ranks Of friendship. BY virtue OF
Il they had known each other and all OF
each others friends and traditions for
| half q century at least.
"I've been down to Bliss on court
MARTIAL" Harrington explained. where
have you beenf"
1--WE been east at school. It's very
funny, isn't It? We might never have
known one another until we had BOTH
reached the post. And we are In the
same regiment too. What year were
your
He slipped off his class ring and held II
ont TO her. She studied II intently.
'Ninety-seven. Then you are sec
ond lieutenantP
altogether at your service. Why the
dickens didn't we divine this soonerf It's
been horribly dull--this beastly desert"
Miss Hill protested. cts not beast.
~ desert"
at isn't now" he admitted, which she
| ignored and went on: ~ Is
ITS very beautiful and grand IL you
only understand II. ! dare say you were
not brought up on itr'
II wasn't, thank heaven"
| "well, / was. was born on II. !
made my first mud pies with ella water.
rode my first burro around Thomas
| and had my nrst spill into this alkali
dust. suppose one has to be used to II
from the very beginning to love it.
| Harrington began to feel that II was
anything but creditable not to love II.
He defended himself. New England
gave me birth. and l still prefer the lilac
to the mesquite bush. It's all matter
of education Of course"
.'Of course" she agreed. Tell me
about the Presidio."
| He told her about II with the zest for
| word painting which California fosters
and left her with the belief that she was
about to enter paradise on earth.
"You play golf OF coursef'
| II IL the question which must come
sooner or later. She answered that she
did not, and Harrington was glad, Dc
| cause now he could teach her, and Ire
would be all one beautiful driving little
white balls across green slopes and helds
| OF flowers -de-luce, with a blue sky over
head and sapphire sea beyond. 1t was
eternal spring In Harrington's heart just
now. SO he overlooked the detail that
flowers-de-luce don't bloom In August.
| Outside OF section 2 was stuny Sleep
or. where sat a scandalized man and wo-
man. whispering and casting looks, ana
beyond that was cleaning desert,
where the Thermometer would have reg
istered incredible things, but in section =
all was charming. The crunch OF feet
on the cinders, the tinkle Of the hammer
on the hot box, the murmur OK men
voices, came family to 1t. -,
How long shall we stop here! MISS
| Hill asked.
| Harrington did not know and said so.
Neither did he care, but he kept that to
| himself. He liked southern Arizona.
| Then Miss Hill wanted to know where
are WEI"
1.-THE question is the answer" he told
her. She looked puzzled. do you I'M
derstand Spnnish?' She remembered
some from the days Of Mexican nurses
| and citizen hackers, There had been
| time when il was her most fluent speech.
"Well. then, the name OF this garden spot
| is Adonde-at least within half mile or
| it."
"That means where" she said.
isn't 1t jolly well namedf 10 look
out upon this world here is to ask where
and whittier and why and what for.
| The plains are such forcible reminders OF
/ tahl Of things
| general"
Miss Hill was resentful. II dare say
they are not all measured off by human
footrnles like New England. But they
are lovely. am quite sure l shall not
| like the Preside links half so well.
This was dangerous. Harrington launch
ed off upon the delights of golf. The
conductor called "All aboard" and feet
hurried along the cinder bed. But the
train was going 80 miles an hour before
they really realized it had started, and
they were at Yuma and had 20 minutes
| In which to cat dinner before they were
aware that they had passed Adonde.
Adonde, indeed! 1t was only too plain
where and whittier
| 1t was palmer still by the time they
crossed on the ferry. Major Hill saw 1t
and so did Mrs. Hill and some others
| who had come over to the train, so they
were very considerable about 1t and went
to listen to the music in the social hall.
Harrington leaned on the rail beside her
and showed her the gulls and said this
was San Francisco, as though he were
personally responsible for 1t, which Is the
way we get in California. 1t was only
too evident even to the watching stran-
gers where and whittier. Where they
were was In the seventh heaven OF con-
tentment, and whittier they tended was
reached just two months later.
Upon that occasion, which was none
other than his wedding day, they called
upon Harrington for toast. He stood
up and looked at Mrs. Harrington. The
boucles folles were still there. though
half hidden by the white veil, and she
was blusbing as pinkly now as upon that
first day In the stretch and silence OF the
prairie, that ever memorable and delight
| ful day at the place Of the unanswerable