The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-12-07
A KNIGHT OF 1901
BY WILLIAM DLoss.
Copy right, 1871, ny Authors BY ndicats)

mother had loved him. and had toiIcd
long that he might 60 through the
high school. Well. there are those
worse equipped, many men whose
white hairs speak of that wisdom
whose seed are trial and experience
would prefer Elmer Armstrong; cap
ital of youth and courage and hope
and loyalty to two hundred times two
hundred dollars in the bank, without
those things. 1t wasn't the pawn
brokers, but the youth who were
swift and strong, whom the ahcienfs
crowned with laurel.
And Elmer Armstrong passed use
ful and II prosperous and sunlit
summer. Useful because his swift
daring IN ihe wafer served 10 bring
safely ashore many foolish swimmers
who were Oyeriaken BY cralnp in deep
water, and many unaccustomed
bathers who lost their balance and
their heads when the wind blew tenn
pestuous breakers out of The east,
and made dangerous undertow
when the wild waves sought hur-
ried,y to retreat. astonishcd. from
the shore to the depths which had
borne them; prosperous because he
was well paid, and twice or thrice
had been given substantial rewards
by different relatives whose children
lie had brought ashore from grave
danger in the treachcrous surf; sun"
lit, because Elmer was in love.
When a youth not yet of 20 years
falls in love with an earth-born god
dess of ls, and when his passion
seems TO find response and the jaun"
diced fangs of douht and jealousy
find no lodgment in his buoyant
breast, then to be in love is to have
all places temples, all seasons sum-
mer. Sleeping, he dreams OF songs.
Waking, his unconscious conscious
ness basEs in perpetual glory whose
beams rugulf one central shrine
wherein She is the hallowrd saint.
Then to live. to be. to feel. to know
,lat one loves, 10 believe one is be
loved, to endure heart-pipfrins rap
lures. to laugh at pains. Ia WOO. TO
part. to meet again ~ daily tempest,
mighty prayer. Oh, laughing little
god, whom k:nely poets and poet
kings have crowned, well did those
who knew thee first perceive that
thou vert blind.
Wnv il WAS Celeste The one only
uirl in all the world for the young
1fe. guardian is hardly clear to those
VINO sae HE huurgeoning. the bud,
the blossom, of this wa'erSidr ro-
nance. True enough. shr was sntt!-
rnntly fair. Her lips were red, her
black eyes very bright. her white lit
lie teeth quite regular. Her supple
Young body was ravishing in its
maiden e;orics OF rounded elasticity
and glowing tints. not even the en-
,ious screen Of her modest bathing
dress could conceal this fact-but,
well. one shouldn't he cnptions where
so much else was charming altogctli-
or. Her girl friends said Celeste was
vain, for one thing. For another,
they whispered among themselves
that she was Il spi,eful little she cat
who cared only for Celeste Rnd none
other.
There. YOU bore. Go t" nne's neigh
bors TO find Oh, the truth. For my
par,. merely have concluded that
Celeste has 10 soul. But that is the
yeriest speculation. One shou'd he ra-
,ional. aud even fair. regarding ones
iislikPs.
However it may be. when he had met
Celeste Elmer fell so deep into the
well of love .hat he would like 10 have
drowned there. Nor is ,lis any meta
phor Of speech.
She came almost every day. afitrthe
Grs,, The Young guardian Of he beach,
q giant with blue eyes and yellow bair,
MI hntinous in naked calves and arms,
tauylt the faires, of II his visitors the
gsnt'e ar, OF floating. the strenuous
rus aud swirl Of the overland stroke.
The rpstfl'. tyPnhRndt1. tlrt'ess pro-
grrsson Of he breast stroke. She took
Ia he waterli like d dnck. After a month
the pupil hid fair to uvertdkc the mas
ter's skill.
She came first with her parents. aud
Younger brother or Two. gruce'ts
hrn,s. canal bred. who had known how
10 swim at birth. and who took deep
JOY in splnshng cold lake water upon
The im:d and shiyerinp Celeste at her
FIRST y.nture After a time the elder
pc cplc came no more. They made e.
mfr's acquaintance and had confidence
in him. They saw at one Keen glance
the strength in his great frame. the
honor in his clear blue eyes. To such as
he /, is good to commit children. even