The Press., 1904-07-27
Their interrupted
Love Story
BY KEITH GORDON
Copyright. I9os.. bn I. C. Mcclure

CODaTtght. f9G5. bn 4. Z. Mcclure iii
At the tender age of eleven years she
used to station herself behind the stone
fence that divided their grounds from
the road to see the boy pass by. Reg
nlarly at 8 O'Clock i've days In the week
she was at her post, peeping over the
fence very cautiously lest the boy him.
self should discover her.
There was something about this par
ticular boy that she liked. His eyes
were as blue as those Of Gladys Ara
bella, her favorite blond doll. That in
itself was enough to draw her stormy
gaze like a magnet. But there We're
other things beside. There was the
easy way that he sat on his pony, there
was the way he pulled his cloth cap
rakishly to one side, there was-well
there was q daring, dashing. fascinat-
Ing something about him even at four
teen that proclaimed him one of the
conQuerors.
For weeks she had paid him the ST.
lenC homage of that trip to the fence
each morning. Then one day, waxing
head and big dark eyes appeared just
above it. He slackened his pony and
stared at her with open curiosity.
Hello there! What you staring at,
sissy" he called out with boyish rough
ness. The head disappeared.
He waited n moment. but rs she fail
ed to reappear he dashed off down the
road laughing.
After that 1t was his delight to catch
her watching him. He would turn at
the most unexpected moments to see
if he could surprise her. But when,
once in awhile, he succeeded in getting
glimpse of the gypsylike head and
the fiery dark eyes his brusque Hi
there, sissy, See anything greenY al
ways had the same effect. She dropped
out of sight.
1t was a private school for boys kept
by an old friend of the family. So her
parents sought a place for her there
when it was necessary for them to sail
without their small daughter.
For her the excitement of being
placed in the school where the boy
went each day was delicious. They
had known each other for year-that
is, she had watched him and he had
known that she was there.
My eye! It's the girl who's always
peekinS over the fence" he remarked
to his chum ut his first glimpse of the
new pupil. Isn't she a regular Ia
dian, thought and he gazed curiously
fhn str. airrln cl,i h.lif nd
the black eyes. He did not mention to
his chum that he liked shiny black
hair and eyes like big. dark stars.
After awhile he looked toward her
and smiled. foolish friendly smile.
Instead of meeting this overture with
the ladylike graciousness that her
training had taught. she made up
face at him. Guess he wouldn't think
how that size liked him-that horrid
boy,
For some time after this he ignored
her. but at last he impulsively prof
fered her "a stick of hoarhound when
they met in the corridor one day.
With a stamp of her foot she threw
it to the ground. IF your mother
makes you eat hOarhound, eat it your
self. I'm not going to eat it!' she
flashed out with spirit. Then. in
tumult of happiness, she feel, leaving
the astonished boy gazing after her
with an open mouth.
''Spitfirer' was his greeting when
next they met.
Thus the ice was broken. Morning
after morning now he came to school
with some offering for. the girl. Often
it was bunch of roses begged from
the gardener. The prettiest ones you
have" he would command important
ly. never guessing that their fresh
beauty was instantly quenched in the
darkness of the girls small trunk.
Each time that she lifted the lid to put
III n fresh bunch the exquisite scent
of the withered ones flOated out into
the room. Years afterward the drift
ing scent of roses would bring before
her the laughing face of the boy.
Once. indeed, it did more. 1t was
Il moonlit night in California. Propped
up by pillows of mystical. Japanese
.esign, she lounged in the oriental
chair that was her special delight.
Her companion leaned toward her
and began to speak in a low, eager
voice His words of love seemed nat
ural-a par. of the breathless enchant-
ment of the time and place. Why not
decide her fate now and have 1t done?
Borne on the light breeze that rufled
the leaves of the toyon tree Mt her
side, breath from the rose garden
brushed across her face. A subtle
change came over her.
mo, no, Hugh. Please stop, dear,
pleaser she pleaded. I'm so sorry,
but can't say yes to you. 1 can'ty'
She could not tell why, but 1t was
the scent of the roses that had decided
her.
The old boy and girl affair had died
the usual death of such attachments.
He had gone to college and she to a
finishing school, They had sworn new
er to forget and to write twice a week
And for six months hey kept their
VOW.
Later a certain society belle whose
dark beauty" was much exploited by
the newspapers, occasionally found
herself wondering, in off moments,
what had become of the boy. And he!
One must hot be hard on him. The
world is so full of pretty girls, and his
eyes were blue and daring, his shout
ders broad and he was gay and de-
bonair.
She had reached tle mature age Of
twenty-five on gray day in Novem-
Der, and the girl and her companion
paced aimlessly up and down the plat
form of the little Scottish railway sta
ton, waiting for the sOuthbound train.
A handsome young man who had
been taking turn up and down the
opposite platform, waiting apparently