Smyrna times., 1905-01-25
"A KNIGHT;
IN By
SPAIN GORDON SaRIs
CopyriOht, 1901, by Frances wilson
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Tho nartitiOn was not very thick. and
.ho Girl often heard him whistling or
slnring in the next room. His roper
.ory ~ was extensive and confusing.
"Sbe's the bestest girl that is, and 1
,ood her in my biz" would float in to
bor followed perhaps by the strains Of
nSamson ct Delilah' or some music
equally fine.
One knew the sort of a man who
u,ould sing coon songs with gusto; also
.ba sort that would hum bits from the
q rrand operas. The puzzling thing was
~ know what sort of man would
,oke an impartial delight in both. So
IN the intervals of her work she began
n speculate about her unknown neigh
Dor.
At the end Of two months she tabu-
# lated her knowledge of him. He was
gov and debOnair. Witness the scraps
h If song that floated in to her. He was
n corelessly Indifferent to women. This
3 she cleaned from the fact that five
doys out of seven she could hear him
n unefully asserting:
y If she be not fair to me,
n What care 1 how fair she be!
q He smoked inveterately-a pipe, she
3 fancied. Sometimes the faint, elusive
& sprit of the thing seemed to float
3 about her hall bedroom, and she
shifted again and again, her small
h head we'll in the air, but could never
be quite sure. The partition bore her
\ startled scrutiny imperturbably, but
we'll she was sure she smelled smoke.
n He was about thirty. This she di-
yined from the freshness of his voice
and his boyish delight in the chatter of
4 the elderly chambermaid, whose Irish
wit would send him into peals of
\ laughter.
& 'lsO he was a man of the world,
since she heard him come in early
many evenings and move about his
room as if dressing for dinner Then
y at half past or Z he would go out
again, leaving her with an absurd
sense of desOlatiOn.
n They never encountered each other
& in the halls. much to her satisfaction,
but she came to have a very distinct
idea of his appearance. He was tall,
broad and straight, with a clear cut
N face and an air of knowing his way
4 about.
Sure an he's a foine gintleman,"
n Maggie informed her once; but, though
A she might have verified her idea Of
4 him, she refrained with a fine sense of
PERSONAL reserve. Sometimes through
n the open door she caught a glimpse Of
bis room, and her interested eyes took
n in the dark green walls, covered with
handsome photographs, the low book
eases on either side of the fireplace
~ and the low. broad table with it's litter
A Of books and papers.
1T certainly looks as If he were an
interesting man." she thought to her
n self, and thereupon she entered her
own room. and, taking out a sheet of
paper bearing the mystical heading
n "Ny Knight In SPAIN" she wrote:
Evidently educated-a college man.
profession, law, literature or some
thing of the kind"
N Maggie, is there any one in the next
roOm:' she heard him inquire one Sun
II day morning. Then in answer to Mag
gie's mufiled reply: Little Miss Mouse
n should call her. l didn't know there
was any one there. though once OF
n twice I've thought l heard some one"
4 The girl blushed guiltily. Apparent
Hly he had no idea how plainly she
could hear him. Then she smiled tc
herself. SO he would call her little
\ Miss Mouse Well, it was fair enough
since she called him her Gentleman Of
n Spain.
For awhile after this she noticed
decided effort on her neighbor's part t
& go softly. In the midst Of stave h'
4 would cease abruptly, only to begi1
b afresh and stop again with an impa
tent exclamation, as if he were an
noyed at not being able to remembe
to be quiet At all of which, in the Sc
r. 'ioA VI lCl lOOLlAs AAbbAC -AA~
Il laughed immoderately, though in 81
& lence.
Then one morning Maggie found ne
IN bed, her usually pale face flushed
+ her heavy hair covering the pillow Il
II tossed and tangled mass.
IN ITS nothing. but perhaps you'd BET
Il Ter get a DOCTOR" gasped Miss Mouse
h My heads 50 queer, and, oh, I'm S
& warm.
E. Soon after a serene faced nurse In
striped uniform and white apron wa
installed in the room, and to her llttl
MISS Mouse, down with brain tevel
@iKed an unending jargon.
E II you can have q castle in span
you can certainly have a knight l
Spain' can't you?" she. demanded owe
f and over again.
II "Of course you can," soothed I'll
nurse
ia be very lonely If he vanishe'
as castles in Spain do" she said
another time, with wistful, puzzle
eyes. 'YOu don't think he will val
# lsn, do yOu2 Recause I'm all alOI