The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1908-04-09
ABOUT
D /: r EL.lC rs
Her Serious Conversation

tne nOrUcfe ana LOOKING IN AT ner HS
she sat there waiting for him. "Ah,
there?" said he.
And his eye had certain roguish-
ness, his manner certain whimsical
ty. and the tone of his voice was such
that you could have sugared your tea
with II, but as he stood there--his ear
bent forward to catch her usual play
full answer and his eye all ready to
feast upon her customary look of love
but as he stood there. repeat, she
preserved silence and all the con.
ventionalities. and the shadow of
nameless dread lowered over his i'm.
ploring countenance.
Good evening" she said.
Good evening"" he demanded, with
dropping jaw.
Yes she said.
Good EVENING"" he repeated. you
say Good evening, Edna?"-the fab.
bergasted man
do you think it will rain?' she
said
"Rain?" he cried, and that nameless
dread ceased to hover and settled
down forthwith. Rain? First you
SdN, pppu tNSuluB, ahu ihtu you dbh
me If it will rain" and making ter
rible gesture of despairing determine
ton he strobe toward her.
"Edna!" he said, what is it that
has come between us? You must tell
me- Oh, what horrible, horrible mis-
take is this that"
John she said, "hush!"
"Ahl" he breathed to the night.
"she calls me joint"
And he sought to take her little
hand as though II were all right now.
Why, of course | call you John,
she said, keeping her hands to herself.
John. stop! | want to have n serious
talk with you"
"Serious?" said John, pausing in his
endeavors and slowly sitting back
with worried, worried look between
his ears.
Yes, serious she said. Nov,
John, listen. Our conversation has
been too frivolous lately--O, awfully
frivolous Light, you know, John, and
nothing to It," John made an eagerly
dissenting motion with his elbows)
mo, John, really, there has been
nothing to it-and life is passing,
John We must talk of things more in
structive you must teach me, and
| must teach you-if | can. There are
so many things we could talk about.
John, instead of those-those awfully
frivolous things. There's the Panama
canal was reading about 1t this
morning. Why, John, it's just wonder
full! And then there's Mars, and the
fleet, and the currency-John, you
must tell me all about the currency
question-and there's the Philippines,
and Tibet, and the shah, and earth.
quakes, and o, ever so many things
So let's be sensible from now on and
not waste our time like we have done.
Now. tonight, John, suppose we talk
about derelicts.'
'Derelicts?" gasped John. Deere
licts?'
Yes; ocean derelicts-I was read
ing about them all afternoon. John,
did you know that computation
made by the photographic Office
(she coughed with pride) shows that
1923 derelicts were sighted upon the
north Atlantic ocean within period
of seven years."
John said nothing.
YES" she answered, "and inasmuch
as the average term of survival for
a derelict is one month, 1t is estimated
that at least 10 must be constantly
floating over the north Atlantic ocean,"
John sighed.
John" she said, there are more
derelicts sighted during September,
October and November than during
any other months of the year"
Are there?" said John.
EYES," she said; land here's funny
thing--I mean a strange thing Here's
strange thing, John: The pilot
charts show that most of the derelicts
have been sighted in the gulf stream
John got up and walked to the win
dow.
why" she said, zone derelict is
known to have fioated three years and
six days, and to have drifted over
10000 miles"
He came back from the window and
stood beside her.
Prof Waters tells about another
ship that was cut in two as the result
of collision she went on, avoiding
his glance and trying to harden her
voice, but she did not sink. The
stern went north, the bow went
south"
Poor bowl" he said went south,
did he?"
She hesitated, paused, stopped and
in that moment the great light shone
for her and the great voice spoke to
her For the first time she understood
why men go down to sea in ships,
why canals are built. why the cannon
roar, why man goes forth at the call of
duty springing. She gave John the
glance that his eyes had hungered for
and all at once Johns face was shin
ing like a sunburst.