The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-10-26

earth or in heaven beyond his own
pretty SELF"
20, Aunt Jean, If that be true, why
should he come here?"
He comes here for the reason he
trequents teas and other silly, manless
functions, for the sake Of the incense
you and other women, who should
have more sense, pouur out so liber-
ally before the shrine of his seif-love."
You are unjust to him, auntie. He
really cares for big things in life. He
tells me often of his longing to per
form great deeds for the good of man.
kind"
"Humph," grunted none too patient
aunt Jean"f he could be induced to
get on the pedestal built on his love
OF self for a minute, and see a little
oid-fashioned common sense, it would
be much more to the point than all
this dreamy moonshine.'
You are unjust to Percival, anut
JEAN" repeated Margaret
"Percival, Percival; well, what can
one expect anyway, from a man with
a name like that"
Please don't, auntie."
Very well, I'll say no more, but my
chief consolation is that in your heart
you care no more for him than l do
You are fascinated by his romantic
looks and high-fown speech. / pray
earnestly, dear child that you do not
throw away beyond recall the sub
stance for the shadow"
And Aunt Jean left Margaret to her
own not very happy reectionfls.
On a Saturday afternoon not long
after this conversation Margaret went
for a stroll in the park with Mr.. Har-
riston. 1t was an ideal gold, red and
green autumn day.
Every grass plot in the park was
hIled with gay, laughing children, but
finally Margaret and Percival discov
cred and took possession of a bench in
a pathway deserted but for an infant
sleeping peacefully in baby carriage
opposite.
Percival, his languishing brown eyes
looking unutterable things, began to
hold forth in the language that seemed
to go so Well with his type of manhood,
while Margaret sat listening entranv-
ed.
Il assure you, Miss Startled, knight
errantry is not dead" he went on
grandiloquently; the things one can do
in these modern days are as great as
noble as chivalrols and are o. larger
import than most of the deeds done by
knights of old. And when the chance
comes to me to prove this, / promise
you l shall be ready"
"Oh, if Aunt Jane and some others
could hear him now, they could not
fail to be convinced of his plendid
whispered Margaret to her
own soul.
I'm the meantime" resumed Perez
val, CT"
Before he could say more terrified
scream rent the air,
The baby carriage opposite had
started down the sloping pathway and
was perilously careering from side to
side. The infant was yelling Justly.
stop that carriage! Oh, run, run"
cried Margaret to Percival
How can you ask me to do anything
80 ridiculous? The infant Is in no
danger. The children will"
But waiting to hear no more Marga-
ret sprang up and ran after the quick
ly moving little vehicle.
Her hair came down, her pompadour
wiited, and her beautiful puffs were
lost forever.
Margaret always afterward main
tanned that simultaneously with the
loss Of her first hairpin Percival dis
appeared behind some tree. In one
testing second she had learned to
value him at his true worth.
Suddenly she caught sight Of the
cleaning lake in the distance. The
baby carriage was rushing toward it
She rushed forward and reached the
handle bars just as the clergyman
coming from side path, stepped in
from of the carriage.
Over the squirming and indignant
infant their eyes met. And for the
first time Margaret saw clearly and
truly. There was for them In thai
brief moment in all the world only one
man and one girl, music and laughter
springtime and love.