The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-02-12

opposite direction and pulled down
your shade, of course, like the we'll.
bred man you are" interrupted Girls
void, holding fast to Ardmore's arm
as they walked down the platform.
| Il did no such thing. looked at
her and she looked at me. And then
my train started"
| well, Trains have way of start
ing. Does the romance end here?"
"Then, just at the last moment, she
winked at mel"
1T was cinder. Ardy. The use of
soft coal on railways is one of the
saddest facts of American transporta-
ton. l need hardly remind you, Mr..
Ardmore, that nice girls don't wink
at strange young men. 1t isn't done!"
Il would have you know, professor,
that this girl is lady"
Don't be so irritable, and let me
summarize briefly on your own
hypothesis: You stared at a strange
girl and she winked at you, safe in
the consciousness that she would
never see you again. And now you
are going to New Orleans to look for
her. She will probably meet you at
the station, with her bridesmaids and
wedding cake all ready for you. And
! you think this will lead to an adven-
ture-you defer finding the pole
for this-for this? Poor Ardy! But
I; did she toss her card from the win
dow? Why New Orleans? Why not
Minneapolis, or Bangor, Me.?"
I'm not an ass, Grissy. I caught
the name of the sleeper-you know
! they're all named, like yachts and
tall buildings-the name of her car
was the Alexandra. asked our con-
ductor where it was bound for, and
he said it was the New Orleans car.
So took the first train back, ran into
you here, and that's the whole story
to date" =.
II admire your spirit. New Orleans
is much pleasanter than the polar ice,
and a girl with winking eye isn't
to be overlooked in this vale of tears.
What did this alleviating balm for
tired eyes look like, if you remem-
Der anything besides the wicked
wink?"
"She was bareheaded, and her hair
was wonderfully light and fluffy, and
it was parted in the middle and tied
behind with black ribbon in great
bow. She rested her cheek on her
; handler elbow on the window-sill,
you. know-and she smiled little as
the car moved off, and winked=-do
you understand? Her eys were blue,
Grissy, big and blue-and she was
perfectly stunning"
There are winks and winks, Ardy,"
observed Griswold with judicial air.
''There is the wink inadvertent to
which no meaning can be attached.
There is the wink deceptive, usually
given behind the back of third per-
son, and vulgar thing which we will
not associate with your girl of the
Alexandra. And then, to be brief,
there is the wink of mischief, which
, is observed occasionally in persons of
exceptional bringing up. There are
moments in the lives of all of us
when we lose our grip on conventions
ON morality, even. The psychology
| of this matter is very subtle. Here
you are, gentleman of austerely cor
rect life; here is delightful girl, on
whom you fash in an out-of-the-way
corner of the world. And shep not
wholly displeased by the frank ad-
miration in your eyes-for you, may
as we'll concede that you stared at
her.
WELL suppose l did look at her."
admitted Ardmore, reluctantly.
"Pardonably, no doubt, just as you
would look at portrait in a picture
gallery, Of course. This boarding
school miss, who had never before
lapsed from absolute propriety, felt
the conventional world crumble be-
meath her as the train started. She
could no more have resisted the
temptation to wink than she could
have refused a caramel or an invita-
ton to appear as best girl at a church
wedding Thus wireless communica-
tion is established between soul and
soul for an instant only, and then you
are cut off forever. Perhaps, in the
next world, Ardy-"
Griswold and Ardmore had often
idealized themselves as hopeless pur-
suers of the elusive, the unattainable,
the impossible; or at least Ardmore
had, and Griswold had entered into
the spirit of this sort of thing for the
Joy it gave Ardmore. They had dis.
cussed frequently the call of soul to
soul-the quick glance passing be-
tween perfect strangers in crowded
thoroughfares, and had fruitlessly
speculated as to their proper course
in the event the call seemed impera.
tive. A glance of the eye is one thing,
but it is quite another to address a
stranger and offer eternal friendship.
The two had agreed that, while, soul
call or no soul-call. gentleman must
| keep clear of steamer flirtations, and
avoid even the most casual remarks
| to strange young women in any cir.
| c,1rnctanpo1 oonf1oror ~