Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1909-03-31
:"
His Game Of
! Patience. ]
!. By Gertrude Delaney. !
3 Copyrighted. 1909, by Associated .
Literary Press
By Gertrude Delaney.


Old Captain Blanding had two alb.
sorbing passions in life-his love fol
cards and his love for his daughter
That's.
1t was wonderful how many young
men were willing to pass their even
ings at the captains house playing
with him. He was wary old oppo.
nent and all bur invincible.
The young mel. came by twos and
threes in their best tailor made suits
with posies IN their buttonholes Often
they brought offerings to the captains
daughter.
That's accepted the gifts and the toe
evident good will indifferently. Some. |
times when fourth hand was needed |
at whist she lent her aid. Otherwise |
she betook herself to the par.or and |
practiced as diligently as If there was
not a man in the house.
Aunt Lefty. Captain, Blanding's wild
owed sister, kept house for him and
mOthered his otherwise motherless
daughter She was a gentle soul
large hearted and small minded, who
made the best doughnuts in town. BY
the aid Of her smiles and her cakes
she encouraged eligible men to fire.
! quent the captains house. hoping tina
some one of them would prove ac-
ceptable to That's
That's name had been given her be
cause Of an early fondness of her ia
Their for Greek literature. That's, de
spite her name did not lean toward
scholarly achievement. She was a
butterfly. very beautiful to look at
and very difficult to catch.
She had read little poetry and very
many romGnces where the heroines
were all beautiful like herself and the
heroes proved their devotion by as
founding dendS of valor. These men
who sat evening after evening with
bits of red and black pastebOard be
tween them. evidently lacked every
heroic Qual'-y.
When one by one these timid adoreri
laid his heart at her feet she promptly
trampled uTon it and sent him away
smartinc
When after few evenings he die
not again appear the old captain would
wonder mildly what kept him away
Sometimes he asked the victim and re
ceived stammcred excuse.
BY the time the young mans plac,
at the card table was filled the captain
had ceased 70 remember him.
1t was Sheldon King who brough
Billy Smith to the house for the frs
time Billy was a newcomer in Ken
sington and wholly unacquainted. H
was a littl, fellow with hair of n
particular shade of brown, a square
plain face and blue eyes benin
glasses. lie had no stories to tell n
Jokes to raise a laugh. and he ha
never handled cards before in his life.
1t took him the entire evening
learn to plaw. pedro. but he applied hi
mind to It with a will. and when b
went away the captain slapped hill
on the shou der and told him he woul
make a player if he kept at it. III
CAPTAIN al~'ays said that to the d
feated, who sometimes chewed the
lips over It bitterly.
The captain conceived a great likir
for Billy. ard they spent many eve
ings together. BY spring Billy ha
learned all the games the captain kne
ard could even beat him at some
them.
He came obviously for the captain
- sake alone. for lie brought no offe
ines to That's. He had his own W;
to make and an invalid sister to mai
tain at an expensive sanitarium. II
much he told the captain and was II
II ever after silent about his affairs.
Sheldon King presently, having b
his wings badly singed at the cane
of That's indifference, ceased to
seen at the captains card table. B
Billy came unfailingly. The capita
was delighted with him.
Here at lest was man who ala I
nlav TO ones humOr. who beat one I
mercifullv If he could or was beat
II without showing the white teather.
The second winter Billy's sister OIL
He stayed away two months, ana
captain openly fretted for him. III
. one evening Billy appeared with |
If the captains favorite cigars. !
= captain fairly wept for joy at sight
IS him and shook his hand twenty tim
III He called That's to see who had col
That's came, startled by the clamor
n a little disguised when she found o.
Billy. She gave him cool little h b.,
n and a cool little smile and a cool III
IS nbrase Of welcome, then returned
Z the piano and Chaminade. She did
NS understand Billy. who brought Gig
to her father instead Of bonbons to
Two years went by. The circle alb
d< the captains card table had chani
M many times and had dwindled TO
M occasional widower. silly Tom +
" and Billy. One by one the other yo'
men had mended their hearts and
fered them good as new elsewhere.
- The votive offerings that now ca
70 Tbais' shrine were far less frequ'