The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-04-04

gaZcd at her with aguuIlcd ,utroatY, .
and she turned deliberately To the /
hippopotamus.
"Hippopotamus. said Edith sl.wly /
In those silycry, clear. sweet tones I.
which sent thrill oi delight through I.
the air about her. iIippupOtamus, .
what would YOU do DO Your father |
had forbidden You To speak to a
young man. and--yuu wanted to-
"HIppopotamus. said Chester with
an effort, under the circumstances
| should obey my father.
"llippopotamus.' said Edith pro.
vokingly. what would y.u do IT.
added to the problem / have jus,
propoundod was the additional fact
that the young man did not wish to
speak to you?'
could endure.
"Hippopotamus." cried Chester
eagerly. "if YOU give Miss Twining
any advice on that subject you are
as stupid as YOU look 10 IS won
der that you We're not smitton in
your tracks for yawuiug in her
face
The huge animal twitchcd It's alb
/
NO wonder You are merry us and
ashamed" continued Chester severe
ly. You should be ON your knees,
If you didn't have legs like a grand
piano"
"Hippopotamus," said Edith calm
/ ly. the young man i'm question is
pleased to be flppant / don't know
/ that | want to talk to him. after all"
"Oh. lIlppopotamus, cried Chcs-
/ ter piteously. the young man wa.
| so surprised. confused so startled.
He didn't know what he was say
/ Ing"
II don't want to talk to him, Hip
/ popotamus," said Edith
The ungainly creature turned its
long rugged back with an air of
finality that left no room for doubt
as to its views on the matter.
"Hippopotamus.' said Chester.
you have got t. listen. one day
when | was little boy | was play
ing here in this very park Three
other little boys pitched into me- and
it lookedas if they were going to
be too many for me. The fight be
gan by our throwing twigs at each
other At that juncture "A little girl
came along. \ little girl with slim
white hands remember because
she slipped off her mittens, and the
way she sailed into those three boys
was a caution They fled nconti-
.nently. That was a dozen years ago.
and didn't even know the little
girl. She Just came to my rescue be
cause the odds were unfair | wish
could see her some day"
'.IiunpngtHmnG cried Edith in
great excitement, Il was that little
girl"
Were you really" asked Chester
quickly.
Yes. I wonder how ! could have
been such a tomboy. Don't you
remember how | lost my mittcn, and
how my nurse sc3lded mo for in.
terfering?'
II kept that mitten for a fIli
six weeks" replied Chester.
Did you really? The nurse tod
mother. and | was punished for be-
ing "A tomboy.'
"Tomboy girls are the best kind
when they have grown up, said
Chester. "All little girls should pass
through t1mboy period 1t is es
sential"
How much do you know about
little girls" observed Edith.
THAT is Why, | don't know
anything about other little girls
"All this theory is built alb ut
me-"
Yes. it is" said Chester grayely
But what were YOU doing in New
, York? | thought you were chi
cago boy
Chester's heart leapt She hao
thought about him then, knew where
he was from,
Il had just returned from Europe,
. he explained. and we stepped owe
here. II was the most fortunat,
event in my entire existence
d "Why?"
II you did not misunderstood me
however eQuiyOcal my position seen
\ ed. You knew that | was tellin
= the truth. and you believed in N,
n You understood how | felt abou
It all You said so at the tim,
X and knew that you did ! hav
cherished that since. Tell me wha
m your father has against me"
The relapse into seriousness wa
- tactical mistake. Edith gldnos
,s ,S about her apprehensively. The hil
- popotamus had betaken itself 10 th
bottom OF its tank. and nothing bl
81 minute section of its nostrils va
:" showing.
"Oh she cried, Il forgot shou
OF not be talking 10 you. | don't kno
n what father has against you. Il
10 just told me never to- | mu
be going
"Our chaperone is still visible
ventured Chester in a hopeless q
- tempt 20 restore the old foOllu
,1ci But she had turned like a flash A.
eni was gone.
.. Checking an impulse to folio