The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-12-15
BURYING A
FRIENDSHIP


soft loan Of the bank or made vicious
little jabs at the prickly balls on, a
clump of burdock near by. Tom Day
ton sprawled comfortably on the ground
and blew smoke rings.
1T is such a relief" she said as she
finally succeeded in bringing one of
the burdock balls to earth. Ito know
one man who won't talk love to you
on the slightest provocation. even if he
is smoky and sleepy and stupid every
time you sit down with him"
$50 they all talk love to YOU" unused
Tom. Don't suppose you help 'em
out any-don't give 'em good openings
and lead 'em on and that sort of thing
eh, kitten?''
She regarded him steadily for sew
eral moments, while her nose seemed
to tilt the fraction Of an inch higher.
1T isn't my fault that adore canoe.
ing and dancing and golf." she said.
Il 60 canoeing with some mild appear.
ing youth who apparently goes for the
mere love of the river, or waltz with
some seemingly harmless man who EVIL
IDENTIFY dances from the sheer love OF it,
or / knock ball about the links with
some athletic chap like towheaded Car
ter, and to all appearances our con-
versation will be confined to brassies
and tees and 80 forth. But just as
congratulate myself that here Is the
hundredth man who takes precedence
over the other ninety-nine in that he
doesn't grow silly the idiot always
wishes the paddle or the waltz or the
game might go on forever. It's dis
heartening and sickening. Why can't
men be sensible like you, Tommy?"
"Arrant flatterer," said Dayton.
-Four years." she went on-"four
summers of perfect friendship. You've
never once violated It,"
mot openly" he said slowly.
''Nor otherwise" she said firmly.
"H'm-m." he unused indolently, turn
ing his gaze across the river, where the
pines on the hills stood out sharply
against sky REDEEMED by the sunset
Kitten" he said suddenly. propping
himself on an elbow, you shouldn't
wear such fluffy white dresses nor that
sort Of hat. and for the love Of heaven
don't put any Of those marsh orchids in
your belt again"
She turned to him with sudden sur
prise in her eyes. In all the years she
had known him this was the first criti-
cism Of her he had ever offered.
"And why not. pray?s she asked.
'eThey are fatal to certain varieties of
friendship" he responded.
Tommy Dayton. sentimentalist," she
chided.
Tommy Dayton, mortal man." he
corrected.
Silence fell between them. Dayton
settled back and resumed the slow pun
ing Of his pipe, while she renewed her
attack on the burdock.
Kitten" he said at length. 81 want
to tell you about a piece OF cowardice
that came to my attention. ListeningY
"Um-um-m," she said. "Sing on.
Tommy"
'Weli. there was chap knew once
met very charming girl. We can dis
pense with description of the charms
OF this pair from the simple reason
that he had none, and she had 20 many
that words could never do them justice.
Now, this chap promptly fell in love
with the girl, only he couldn't tell her
about 1t, for be was poor devil Of an
engineer without one dollar to rub
against another. But he had prospects
in the world and therefore took heart,
though he kept seal on his lips. The
girl came to be rather fond Of him al
a friend"
He paused. She was stabbing the
burdock clump rapidly with the para
sol. Her eyes gave him no tnkling of
her thoughts. Tommy resumed:
Finally of he goes to South Ameri-
ca to build trolley lines and make his
pile, which latter he succeeded partial
~ In doing. Each summer he came
back to the States and the girl. And
all the way up on the steamer he'd be
making up his mind to let this girl
know the true state Of his feelings;
used to think up just what he'd say
and go way up forward in the bow
evenings and practice it there all alone.
Some rough night he'd be standing
there spouting his proposal to the sea,
when, whack! the splash Of wave, as
the steamer put her nose into it, would
strike him in the face. That's just
what I'll get from her. he'd say to
himself-'cold water And the nearer
be came to home the more he became
convinced Of this until when he really
saw her and she told him how delight.
full their friendship was he'd agree with
her and keep on agreeing all summer"
The parasol had come to rest. The
girls clasped hands were on the han.
die, and her hot cheek lay against her
hands. She was regarding him quiz
zically.
Rather fool, wasn't II" he said.
"Oh. Tommy, Tommy" she said re-
proachfully, don't tell me you wish
we could stay here forever!"
He rose and came close to her.
I'm sorry to give you PAIN" he said,
"but I have all the horrible symntoms