Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-04-16
Kent1and's
Devotion ~
~ HENRY HUMIsToN.
Observation-Disclosures

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES r4tta4na
ITO Kentland's supreme disgust Mrs.
Van Dolah's house party accepted
with great enthusiasm Violet Har-
woods proposal that they all go over
to the park and skate on the lagoon.
Kentland looked around the snug lit
tie den, on. the second floor, with the
open CRATE fire burning cheerily in one
corner. He glanced through the half
drawn curtains into the billiard room
beyond, which was foggy with smoke,
and which resounded to the merry
click of the billiard balls and the laugh-
ter Of Mr.. Van Dolah and Judge Stern,
who werein the old peoples class, and,
therefore, exempt from going to skat-
ing parties when they didn't want to
60. He looked ruefully at the dim little
alcove at the head of the stairs and
thought of how he had planned, after
he had beaten all of the conceit out Of
Mr.. Van Dolah and Judge Stern at bill
lizards and smoked, three pipefuls of to-
bacco, to sit in this alcove and have a
nice, long, quiet talk with Violet. Then
he pulled aside the curtain and looked
out into the dark winter night with
the gaslights flaring in the wind and
theI snow sitting gently down. The
winter spectacle1 was. more than he
could bear.a Kentland groaned and
dropped the curtain with shudder.
'.Tom Kentland," said voice at the
door, II think you're an IDIOT
Kentland looked up to where Kitty
Glover was standing in the do orway. -
20, thanks he: said, in his slow
drawl. "You're too kind" =
II don't care" went on Kitty; "some-
body had to tell YOU"
''And you: considered yourself the
chosen instrument"
SWELL" said Kitty, as she came into
the den and sat down by Tom, Il really
believe am. Ihave known you so long.
O,ages and ages, and because am such
an old friend can say things to you
that others don't"
$50 careless of tie Others said
Tom, ashe gazed sadly at the sparkling
fire.
Ton" Kitty looked at him severely;
II know that you are much in love with
Violet
Fancy said Kentland.
t Eyes, you are, and.there's no use de-
nyingit. And know she likes you very
much" t,a@. ..s-
'.Does she?" said Tom. $50 much
that she looks at me about three times
Q day. Where is she now, sitting on
. the steps with that little Harvard boy
or singing at the piano while that fell
low Towner, or whatever his name is,
turns the. music and looks like a COW
whenever she happens to glance up at
him?" :
~ It's your own fault" said Kitty. "A
man is supposed to try and please the
woman he loyes~ He should study what
she likes and doesn't like and govern
himself accordingly. While you, with
all your supposed experience, act as
though you didn't know the first prin-
ciples of love making" ~+,-. -
no" admitted kcntland, 81 suppose
am what they call a. poor performer
1T would be so easy" went on Kitty.
"Violet adores devotion more than
anything else. That is why she likes
that Harvard boy, as you call him, and
Mr.. Towner. They are devotion itself,
while you-well, you don't know what
devotion means"
Devotion" said Kentland, 'means
the state of being devoted to any one
thing. person or object. Strong at.
tachmcnt. Ardent love or affection,
?. p, of Latin devovere, de-vovere
to-"
20, nonsense" put in Kitty. 'Why
can't you be sensible? Other men are
devoted to Violet. She has grown to
expect it. If man isn't devoted to her
then she thinks he doesn't care. You
are so exasperating. Now, just the
other evening, when we were talking
about the fires and the Harvard boy
had told how he had rescued a chum
from the third floor of blazing dor.
mitory, and Violet had asked if anyone
would rescue her in case the house
burnt up, and all the men had eagerly
volunteered, what did you say?">
81 don't know" said Kentland, shak,
ing his head. Something silly, I'll be
bound"
II should say it was," said Kitty
You said you wouldn't rescue her IN
less she was in a tobacco warehouse,
because you didn't like any smoke ex-
cspt tobacco smoke. Then, to make it
worse, you said you didn't believe in
rescuing people anyhow. That that
was what firemen were paid for, and
that you belonged to a union and
couldn't rescue people because you
were forbidden by your rules to do
the work of other union men, which
included the Amalgamated Firemen
and 1escuers' association, and that il
this house burned you would be com.
PEELED to sit in a saloon across the
street and watch a fat fireman in g
gum coat and black helmet carry
Violet from out the devouring flames
to the safety of the street below"
'WeH, that's what fat firemen arr