The Holly chieftain., 1910-03-11

W0os holding fast 10 Aromofes MN
~ they walked down the platform.
Il did NO such thing. ! looked as
her and she looked at me. And then
my train started"
We'll. trains have . way OF stast
ing. Does the romance end here!
Then. Just at the last moment. shs
winked at mel"
1T vas q cinder, Ardy. The use ut
soft coal on railways IL one Of the
saddest facts of American transporta-
tion. I need hardly remind you. MI.
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 80 irritable. and let me
summarize briefly on your own
hypothesis: You stared at 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
did she toss her card from the win
dow? Why New Orleans? Why not
Minneapolis, or Bangor. Me.?"
I'm not an ass, Grissy. l 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 1t was the New Orleans car.
So took the first rain back. ran into
you here, and that's the whole story
to date"
Il admire your spirit. New Orleans
Is much pleasanter than the polar ice,
and q girl with a winking eye isn't
to be overlooked in this vale Of tears.
What did this alleviating balm for
tired eyes look like, II you remem-
Der anything besides the wicked
wink?"
"She was bareheaded, and her hair
was wonderfully light and fluffy, and
1t was parted In the middle and tied
behind with black ribbon in great
bow. She rested her cheek on her
hand-her elbow on the window-sill,
you know-and she smiled little as
the car moved off, and winked-do
you understand? Her eyes were blue,
Grissy, big and blue-and she was
perfectly stunning"
There are winks and winks, Ardy,"
observed Griswold with judicial air.
There II 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 a 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 she, not
wholly displeased by the frank ad-
miration in your eyes-for you may
as well concede that you stared at
her"
We'll, suppose did look at her."
admitted Ardmore. reluctantly.
"Pardonably, no doubt, just as you
would look at a portrait in 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 church
wedding. Thus wireless communica-
tion is established between soul and
soul for an instant only, and then you
are cut of 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 Ardmors
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 1t is quite another to address a
stranger and offer eternal friendship.