The Democratic advocate., 1909-08-13
ON THE WINGS J.
OF THE STORM,
There Came a Change In Her
Views on the Question of Love.
BY PHILIP KEAN.

western hurricane, coming after dry
spell, with pink lightning and tenn
pestuous winds and the continuous
roll of thunder.
To the unaccustomed eye it was ter
rjfvinC, but Alexander gazed undls-
turbed. He was young and strong.
But something very like fear gripped
him now as he saw between the sway
ing trees a wraithlike figure running
toward the house.
He went to the door and opened II.
He dragged her over the threshold-a
little. gasping, frightened girl.
"Pm so afraid" was all she could
say at first.
"How does it happen that you are
out?" He put her in big chair by
the side of the fireplace. Its so late
and such an awful night"
She looked at him with startled eyes
as she tried to pin up the thick brown
locks that had fallen about her shoul-
ders.
"I-I was running away" she con-
fessed.
"Oh." Alexander said as he sat
down opposite her. fYou look a bit
old for that. l was nine when l de-
cided to take to cave dwelling and
man Friday"
A dimple showed in the corner of her
mouth. "But-but wasn't running
away to live in cave. |. was running
away to get married"
But Alexander said presently.
"you-you don't look quite old enough
for that"
81 am eighteen," was the explana-
ton, land he is twenty-one."
"He?" murmured Alexander. "Whnr"
is he?"
Her lip quivered. 'I think the storm
must have kept him home. You
wouldn't think a storm would matter
to a man, would you?"
"Not a man who was going to marry
you," Alexander found himself say
ing.
"Oh"-the warmth in his tone
brought rosy flush to her face-"of
course something may have kept him."
"Where was he to meet you?" Alex
ander asked.
"Over there by the church. We are
stopping at one Of the cottages just
beyond"
"And when you didn't find him
there you ran to the nearest house?
81 saw your light and ran toward
it"
"And now" he told her, IF you are
V,II
"But 1 can't go back!'' she cried.
"The door locks with spring, and l
haven't key
Eye godsr Alexander's brows were
knit.
And then, because he could think of |
nothing else to say, he asked, Are you
hungryw
Starved" she said.
He brought out crackers and cheese
and sardinns and olives and MARINA
lade and all the dainties that bach !
elor manager who elects to eat
meals the coarse food that is given |
his men keeps for private consump- |
tion.
"If-if l only knew where Bobb1e
was" she said, 81 should be almost
happy"
$50 his name is Bobbie?' Alexander
asked.
She nodded. I'VE went to school to-
gether, and he is at college now, and |
he hasn't anything to marry on, and
that's why mother objected, and that's
why we ran away"
"Do you love him? Alexander asked |
slowly.
"Of course" she said quickly, ''only |
Pm not so sure right now. 1t seems as
If he couldn't have let me come out in
the storm alone-if he had loved me-"
"He couldn't" said Alexander
briefly.
And then. after a moment, he said
slowly, 81 wonder If you know what
love is really like-love for which one
suffers, for which one dies, if need
be?"
She caught her breath. mo one ever
said such things to me Of love before"
she said. "Bobbie and just thought
Of fun-and-of having our own way"
She was such a little innocent thing,
but with such purity in her eyes. such
a foreshadowing in her face of tb"
woman that she might be. that Alex
ander said impulsively. Dear litt'"
girl, wait until love-real love-comes
to you before you marry"
She held out her hand to him. II
WILL" she whispered. 81 will wait"
And even as she promised there came
a knock at the door,
Alexander opened it, and Bobbie
stumbled over the threshold.
"Why didn't you waltz" he COM
planned at once. "Why didn't you
wait. MollieW
"It was such an awful storm. and
you weren't there. Bobbie"
"You might have known I'd have
come" he fumed ''I don't see why
you came here. looked everywhere for
you, and then | saw this light, and
came over and looked through the win
dow"
Alexander interposed "She could
not stay out in the night and storm
You were late"
The boy turned on him. "Well. what
if / was?" he demanded. "1s it any
of your business?"
"Yes"-the older mans tone was
quiet-'it is always mans business
to see that young and helpless girl is
protected"