The Democratic advocate., 1909-03-12
His Game Of
Patience.
BY Gertrude Delaney.
Copyrighted, 1908. by Associated
Literary Press.
BY Gertrude Delaney,

Old CapLaln blanulnB nau TWO hD-
sorbing passions In life-his love for
cards and his love for his daughter
That's.
1t was wonderful how many young
rnen were willing to pass their even
hgs at the captains house playing
with him. He was wary old oppo-
nent and all but invincible.
The young men 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 win indifferently. Some
dmes when fourth hand was needed
at whist she lent her aid. Otherwise
ehe betook herself to the par.or and
practiced as diligently as II there was
not man ii the house.
Aunt Lefty, Captain Blandings wild
owed sister, kept house for him and
fhothered his otherwise motherless
daughter. She was a gentle soul,
Arge hearted and small minded, who
made the best doughnuts In town. Big
the aid of her smiles and her cakes
she encouraged eligible men to fre.
ouent the captains house, hoping that
eonlo one Of them would prove &C.
ceptable to That's.
That's name had been given her be
cause of an early fondness Of her ia
ther for Greek literature. That's, de
spite her name, did not lean toward
scholarly achievement. She was
butterfly, very beautiful to look at
and very difficult to catch.
She had read little poetry and very
many romances where the heroines
We're ali beautiful like herself and the
heroes proved their devotion by as
founding deeds OF valor These men,
who sat evening after evening with
bits Of red and black pasteboard be-
tween them, evidently lacked every
heroic quality.
When one by one these timid adorers
laid his heart at her feet she promptly
rampled upon II and sent him away
Bmartlng.
When after few evenings he did
not again appear the old captain would
@ondex mildly what kept him away.
Sometimes he asked the victim and re.
cefyed Stammered excuse.
BY the time the young mans place
af the card table was filed the captain
had ceased to remember him.
1t was Sheldon King who brought
Billy Smith to the house for the FIRST
tame. Billy was a newcomer in Ken.
@ngton and wholly unacquainted. He
was little fellow with hair Of ne
particular shade Of brown, q square,
pain face and blue eyes behind
glasses. He had no stories to tell. ne
5Dkes TO raise a laugh, and he had
never handled cards before In his life.
II took him the entire evening tt
learn to play pedro, but he applied his
mind 10 Il with a will. and when he
went away the captain slapped him
on the shoulder and told him he would
make player II he kept at II. Thc
captain always said that to tse de
feated, who sometimes chewed thelt
lips over II bitterly.
The captain conceived a great liking
for Billy, and they spent many even.
ings together. BY spring Billy had
learned all the games the captain knew
and could even beat him nj some OF
them.
He came obviously for the captains
sake alone. for he brought no offer.
ings to Thais. He had his own way
to make and an invalid sister 10 main.
tain at an expensive sanitarfum. This
much he told the captain and was for.
ever after silent about his affairs
Sheldon King presently, having had
his wings badly singed at the candle
OF That's indifference, ceased TO be
seen ut the captains card table. But
Billy came unfailingly. The captain
was delighted with him.
Here at last was a man who did not
play to ones humor, who beat one un.
mercifully II be could or was beaten
without showing the white feather.
The second winter Billy's sister died
he stayed away two months, and the
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 and shook his hand twenty times
He called That's TO see who had come
That's came, startled by the clamor and
a little disgusted when she found only
Billy. She gave him cool little hand
and a-cool little smile and a cool little
phrase Of welcome, then returned to
the piano and Chaminade. 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 widower, silly Tom Pike
and Billy, One by one the other young
men had mended their hearts and Of
fered them good az new elsewhere.
The votive offerings that now came
to That's shrine were far less frequent.
Billy brought her nothing at all, but It
was wonderful how many little things
he found to present the captain with
he even gave Aunt Lefty a beautiful
crochet hook with q chased gold ham
die.
More years passed and more slowly
for That's Chaminade had ceased to
charm her, and she missed the excite
ment of past alteration. Mr.. Sweet
had gone away, and Tom Pike, in de-
spair of winning That's, had married a
woman easier to WOO. There were no
new lovers forthcoming, for That's was
now generally labeled dangerous. More
over. she had ceased to be the beauty
- 4R.o klx..n