Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-05-17
His Game Of
Patience.
BY Gertrude Delaney.
Copyrighted. 1909. by Associated
ita,ary D,asa
BY Gertrude Delaney.

sOrbing passions IN ute-hls love Tor
cards and bis love for his daughter
That's.
1t was wonderful how many Young
mon were willing to pass their even.
lngs at the captains house playing
with him. tie was a wary old oppo.
nent and all but invlncible.
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 too
evident good will indiferently. Some
times when fourth hand was needed
at whist she lent her aid Otherwise
she betook herself TO the paror AVID
practiced MS diligently as II there was
not man In the house.
Aunt Lefty, Captain Blanding's Wit
owed sister, kent house for him mn
mothered his otherwise motnorless
daughter She was 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 that
some one Of them would prove nc.
ceptablc to That's.
Thnis' name had been given her be
cause OF an early fondness Of her 10
thcr for Greek literature. That's. de
spite her name. did not lean toward
scholarly achievement. She was n
butterfly. very beautiful to look NJ
and very difficult to catch.
She had read little poetry and very
many romances where the heroines
were all beautiful like herself and the
heroes proved their devotion by rs.
founding deeds Of vaior. These men.
who sat evening after evening with
bits Of red and black pasteboard be.
tween them. evidently lacked every
heroic quality SO ry
When one by one these timid adorers
laid his henrt ut her feet she promptly
trnmpled upon II md sent him away
smarting. -.
When after a few evenings he did
not again appear the old cnptnin would
wonder mildly wbnt kept him away.
Sometimes heaasked the victim and re-.
ceived a stammered excuse. ..
by the time the young mans place
at the card able was Aued the capita In
hnd'ceascd TO remember him. o. g -
MN ChalAn,.. "a
Billy Smith to the house for the first
time. Billy was newcomer In Ken.
sington and wholly unacquaintcd. lie
was a little fellow with hair OF no
particular shade OF brown. n square.
plain face and blue eyes behind
glasses. lie had no stories to tell. NJ
jokes'to raise laugh. and he had
never handled cards before In bis life.
II took him the entire evening to
learn to MAY pedro, hut he applied his
mind to II with will. and when he
went away the captain slapped him
on the shoulder and told him he would
make player II he kept ut II. The
captain always said that TO the de
featcd, who sometimes chcwed theIi
lips over II bitterly. ~. 81.
The captain conceived a great liking
for Billy, ard they spent many even,
inGs together. by spring billy had
learned all the games the captain knew
and could even heat him Mt some Of
them. .. ...'a # r~
lie came obviously for the captains
sake alone. for he brought no Offer.
ings TO That's. He had his own way
to make ard au invalid sister to main.
tain at an expensive snnitarium. This
much he told the captain md was for
ever after silent about his affairs. 60
Sheldon King presently. having had
his wings badly singed at the candle
Of That's Indifference. ceased to No
seen at the captains card table, Bu,
Billy came unfailingly. The captaia
was delighted with him.
Here at last was man who did not
play to ones humor, who beat one IN
mercifully II he could or was beaten
without showing the white feather.
The second winter Billy's sister died
He stayed away two months, and tho
captain openly fretted for him. Then
one evening Billy appeared with box
Of the captains favorite cigars. The
captain fairly wept for JOY at sight Of
him ard shook bis hand twenty times.
He called That's to see who had come.
That's came, startled by the clamor and
a little disguised when she found only
Billy. She gave him n cool little hand
and n cool little smile and cool little
phrase OF welcome, then returned to
the piano and Cha mlnade. She did not
understand Billy. who brought cigars
to her father instead OF bonbons to her.
Two years went by. The circle about
the captains card table had changed
many times and had dwindled to an
occasional wldower. silly Tom Pike
and Billy. One by one the other yourg
men had mended their hearts and Of
fered them good as new elsewhere.
Tho votlye offerings that now camt
to That's shrine were far less frequent.
Billy brought her nothing AZ all, but II
was wonderful how many little things
he found to present the captain with.
He even gave Aunt Lefty a beautiful
crochet hook with chased gold ham
die.
More years passed and more slowly