The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-02-08

head Pretty soon he got up and put
en- his hat and loitered out. When he
had joisled the group he glanced along
at his car. The girl was leaning out OF
her window. He felt that in a time
of emergency one should not handle
a situation a la Somers or Peter Gray.
He put his hands in his pockets, which
is always the way you show that you
are just being casual and offhand and
makinglno particular point of it, and
sauntered back along the cinder bed
until he stood beneath her window.
Then I he raised his hat and told her
it was hot box. She said: THANK
you very much" and hoped it would
not delay them, and was very sweet
snd civil about it, but it was borne in
upon him, for all that, that it would
not be expected of him to continue
the copversation. And Peter takes
the north again; and Somers takes
the south" he murinsrc6 as ne con-
tinued on down to ask the conductor
how long they would have to stop,
and lighted a cigarette. The con-
ductor did not know. Harrington had
no. supposed that he would. But he
went back into the train thoroughly
disgusted with everything.
He flung himself into section with
a sigh that could be heard in section
2. and looked out disconsolately over
the prairie, so dull and dreary 10 those
who see it with dull and dreary eyes.
The air went in heat waves so that
the distance seemed to culver, and
the whole prospect was vile. He sat
up and pressed the electric button.
The bell fairly pealed in the silence,
reverberated to the horizon. The girl
started and looked away from the
window. Harrington told the porter
to bring him some iced beer. The girl
was watching him in the mirror. 1t
was the first time she had paid the
smallest attention to him. He caught
her eye-and, perhaps she did not
smile, but it was not quite a stony
stare either. He felt encouraged.
And that to the extent of ordering an
other glass, filling it and taking it to
section 2. Might he offer. She
looked startled, but also uncertain.
ITS awfully cold and nice
She reached out a hesitating hand
and flushed yet more pinkly at the
reckless brazenness of it. She raised
her glass and Harrington raised his
hat and said "iow!"
Then both stopped with the cups
at their very lips. and there was an
interval of sound which her eyes filled
with beautiful light.
why didn't you tell me?" she cried.
"Are you" he began.
Yes. or course. Ny fathers Maj.
Hll. I might have known you were,
roo, if | had seen your academy but
ton"
You never took the trouble to look
ut me- Harrington suggested; I'm
HarriL gton, of the Fourth. | came on
from Bliss"
81 am going to the Preside"
Harrington was going 20 the Presidio,
too. BY virtue of all of which he went
back to his section, and got the beer
bottle, and sat himself down in Section
with it beside him on the window
ledge. The old Indian salutation was
password to the ranks of friendship.
BY virtue of ii they had known each
other and all Of each others friends
and traditions for half a century at
least.
1--WE been down to Bliss on
court-martial," Harrington explained.
'Where have you been?''
I've been east at school. It's very
funny, isn't it? We mi ght never have
known one another until we had both
reached the post. And we are in the
same regiment, too. What year were
you?"
He slipped off his class ring and he'd
it out to her. She studied it intently.
"Ninety-seven. Then you are sec
ond lieutenant"
"Altogether at your servise. Why The
dickens didn't we divine this sooner"
It's been horribly dull-this beastly
desert"
Miss Hill protested. ITS not a
beastly desert"
II ISM now. he admitted. Which
she ignored and went on:
Its very beautiful and grand if you
only understand 1t. | dare say you
were not brought up on it?"
~ wasn't, thank Heaven,"
well, | was. / was born on 1t.
made my first mud pies with Giia wa
ter, | rode my first burro around Thom-
as, and had my first spill into this alkali
dust. / suppose one has to be used to
ii from the very beginning to love it,"
Harrington began 10 feel that it was
anything but creditable not TO love It,.
He defended himself. New England
gave me birth. And I still prefer the
lilac to the mesquite bush. It's all a
matter of education, of course"
"Of course" she agreed. Tell me
about the Presidio."
He told her about it with the zest for
word painting which California fosters,
and left her with the belief that she
vas about to enter paradise on earth,
"You play golf, OF course?"
1t is the question which must come
sooner or later. She answered that she