The suburban citizen., 1902-10-25


when she gets a couple of swashbuclS.
lers together in a dark alley in old Lon.
don she writes about the encounter so
that you can fairly hear their hard
breathing in the struggle. She enjoys
it herself. Ill venture to guess that
Miss Malvern has plenty Of grit, and
would stand her ground in the face of
danger"
You don't think she is afraid OF
cows, then" From under her eye
lashes the girl on the grass glanced up
at him with quizzical look Of inquiry.
"Oh, / beg your pardon" laughed
Arthur; II wasn't thinking Of comparl.
sons. TO be afraid of cows is perhaps
more charming than not to be afraid
Of them. But, referring again TO Miss
Malvern, do you suppose she will
marry, and become more or less COM
monplace-it's an effect matrimony has,
you know-or do you imagine she'll re.
main true TO literature? Tell me, just
for the sake of discussion, what you
think the probabilities are. AS a won.
|
ter than / can"
"Well, l don't know" said the girl,
thoughtfully. II don't believe that
marriage need be commonplace, and
but here come the pins"
Arthur followed her glance, and saw
with displeasure that the pins were, in.
deed, arriving He uttered silent male.
dictions upon the caddys short, sturdy
legs that were coming over the green so
rapidly and consclentiously. He busted
himself with the young woman's
| bicycle when she was closing the rent
made by the fence rail- and when he
had reluctantly led the machine out
into the road because she said she posi-
lively must be going he remarked as
suming again his knightly tone:
IF my lady should chance to pass
this way on the morrow ut the same
hour, she will find a knight to tilt Il
lance in her protection, if need be,
against the cow, or any other peril"
"The Knight has been very kind" she
smilingly replied, land l thank him,
and l will say that l have enjoyed his
conversation more than he can imag-
inc, but / could not ask him to risk his
life again for me-"
"But is he not to have name to
dream on, nor any hope of the future"
"He should be full Of hope for the
future she called back, after she had
mounted, "and as for the name, the
lady of the red clover should be a good
name to dream on"
Arthur watched her till her figure
grew small on the road and disap-
peared around turn, That night in
his dark room he rocked a photo
graphic plate to and fro in the develop
ing fluid with great care and much
anxiety, and felt the amateurs glow Of
enthusiasm in triple quantity when the
picture began to take distinct form be-
meath his eyes. First there was bit
of road, then the grass, then the fence,
and, finally, rising in triumph on the
uppermost rails, the lady of the red
clover, while behind her peered the
mildly surprised face Of COW and an
expanse Of field.
ut is a very well.balanced picture;
the composition is nearly perfect"
murmurcd Arthur, the amateur photo
grapher, as he bent over the plate.
"She's a stunning looking girl" mur'
INJURED Arthur, the young man, as he
held TIE plate to the light. After ex'
pending much time and labor on the
prints he framed one Of the best Of
them and gave it the place Of honor
among the divinitles on his mantel.
piece.
"And here's the picture Of the girl"
he remarked TO Bob Wilton a night or
two aftarward, as ne finished the reci'
tai of his interesting experience. Bob
glanced at the photograph
what he cried, bursting into a
great laugh "My dear fellow, pre-
pare yourself to bear up beneath a
blow. This lady Of the red clover,
with whom you talked about Miss
Mary Malvern, and with whom you
tried to make an appointment for the
next afternoon, is no less parsonage
than Miss Mary Malvern herself"
Bob lost no opportunity to tell the
story at the golf clubhouse 1t very
speedily reached the drawing rooms.
and one morning Arthur received n
family perfumed letter on a delicately
tinted blue paper.
Its contents were as follows:
MY Dear Sir-It seems that the
knight is a very modern kind OF knight,
who, when he is succoring ladies in dis
tress, takes snapshots of them. Was
the deed quite knightly? Since the
lady of the red clover has 10 desire to
remain perpetually in distress on a
fence. she must ask that the prints be
surrendered to her and that the plate
be destroyed. Very truly yours,
MARY MALVERN.
"P. S.-Since the knights act of de-
ception has made his trustworthiness
appear to be somewhat uncertain
quantity. the lady considers it wise
precaution TO be a spectator TO the de-
struction Of the plate. She will be at
the golf clubhouse, with a mutual
friend, tomorrow afternoon at 4