The Washington herald., 1908-07-27

paid to hold elevators and be oblgIng
to tenants who worked overtime. and
mere knighthood OF salary was not worth
mentioning.
once or twice he had brought her some
garden flowers the old-fashiOned kind.
migROneJJe. heiiOtrOpe. phl0x, and ragged
robins, that his mother raised in the gar
den Of their suburban home. Melinda
found them on her desk IN a milk bottle
without card. 4 real knight. OF course.
would have a card, or leave glove or
something OF the sort.
Her search for d knight was tagging.
partly because Of the heat and partly be
cause the hot. Overworked men around
her looked anything but knightly IN mid
summer, when the assistant matron, re-
membering the theater tickets. asked Ne
linda 10 make trip down the bay and
back one mercilessly hot night Melinda
asseuted languidiy. and the assistant ma
tron felt her heart stirred by a strange
pity for this tired little upstate girl,
who. somehow. amid all the artiEciality
and sordiduess Of her city lie. managed
TO hold on to her Old ideals. She was 50
different from the other inmates OF the
club--a bit silly about novels and music
and flowers but stiu SO shy and sweet.
Il was a great night on the bay, moon
t
less heaf and humidity. and not q night
for disaster at all But one overlook
them. a fiery sheet Of fame. beside which
the suns rays Of the day just closed were
merciful. Melinda heard Just one long.
/ hoarse cry, saw one great fash Of light
felt on arm Jerk her 20 her feet. and then
I everything was blank. This may have
been because the day had been so long
I and hard. or because the gil had never
I n eli her reading days thought OF what
! one ought 10 do when FIRE broke out OF
I a crowded boat
I Something cool and lovely was trick
/ ling on her forehead. her eyez, her
cheeks. her lips. She was floating on a
cloud 40. she was lying on vet sand.
and the assistant matron was mUrnur-
/ ing
No. no. she's not hurt II was just
I the shock. She VIII be all right n q
ninute-but you. you wonderful. wonder
fuI boy. 70 save Us both"
On. yes, the fire. the tramPing feet.
the brief glimpse into the Great Beyond
she remembered Il all now And some
ore had saved them There was a regl
knight in New York after al
She wanted 20 open her eyes and see
him, but the lids were so heavy. 50
heavy But she Knew he was straight
and tall and dark md pale and slender.
All knights must be. And then the other
voice said brokenIv;
You know never had q chance 70
tell her I loved her She was so back
ward and shy and always seemed % be
looking right past ne she amt Ike
other girls I know. And you're sure chs q
come around all right?
Something IN the voice msds NeIiuda's 5
evel!ds turn hight again. They popped
I ope1-and she looked straight into the
anxious eyes OF the elevator boy
"Oh. then & wasn't knight after all, %
she nUTmured as the assistant marr0n
began % chafe her hands once more.
Melinda was sitting or the edge OF the
bed in the assistant marro1's room
7 suppose they doa't have 20 be tall
and slender and pale and interesting. 4
their hearts are all right and kr lghtlv.
And Bily's heart IS all right. He don
have 20 run an elevator. you know EEis
mother has quite a little money. but he's
going 10 be an electrical engineer or
superintendent OF big buildings or some
thing Of that sort. and he says he wants
F 20 know everything from running ele-
varors 10 running men. and thea lie can
. support ne and mamma. too But when
his mother came !1 10 see me to-day. sda
patted my hand and kissed ne or beth
cheeks. and said there was 10 reason
. why Billy and I should have 20 wait that
long. because she thought there was love
enough in my heart 70 keep two mothers
going. and she had no daughter. She's
just lovely, his mother sand you'd
know she was just the sort whose son
would be a knight"
And the assistant msrron remembered
a stern. white face she had seen for Just
an instant on that dreadful night. felt
once more the grip Of his Arm strong
hand. and u1uruursd, Yes, Of such stock
DO real knights spring"
,CoGyr.zzt 1ss. by c e s1tclis.l