Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-09-13

brave. SO noble-mannered, you know
SO simple!"
Simple! Dash simple people-never
could stand them! Thing l admired
was brains! Aloud / said gently-al-
most humbly:
so glad you like him, don't you
know-did like. l meant"
did like? 1 do still!"-her tone
lifted in earnest protest-"I love to
think of brave. dear Arthur and his
knights-so few, and yet SO full OF
love. Of gallantry and daring!"
So his nights were like that! BY
Jove, I was devilish glad then that
they had been 80 few-that was some
comfort, dash It! wondered If the
beggar was dead. But what difference
did 1t make now. after all? She was
mine now and she knew l knew 1t;
that was why this sweet, ingenious
tho darling!
Never mind them now" / urged
soothingly. And needless Of the win
| dows. hitchsd wee bit closer.
That's all past and gone and you and
l will yet see as good nights as they
ever WERE" spoke with assurance.
Don't you think so7" I added. softly.
She sighed. II don't KNOW hope
so!"-she fingered obviously over 1t.
looking away again. the while her
hand put back the neecy. golden
what.you-osli.it that was smuggling to
her eyes. looked at the goddess
| like forearm, barred to above the sl-
bow, where II slipped from sight un-
der the roll Of sleeve. and thought OF
that night In my apartment whom she
| had made me feel OF her bioeps. don't
you know.
"You don't know," ! repeated with
gentle repronoh. "Oh, say. you
know! You know you know you
know!" BY Jovs. that sounded rather
rum. but knew she knew knew she
knsw-sssf
Che looked at me sidewise. her
| slender forefinEer pressing the half
parted lips slowly shaping in curve.
Then her little teeth flashed. Jewell
like-regular jolly pearl setting in the
! frankest. sweetest smile!-and then
her glorious arm and wrist arehed
| suddenly toward me.
"Yes!" she said eontriteiy. and with
the most delightful. kindest infection
and laugh-such iaugh!-a laugh
| gurgling melodious-oh, dash 1t,
yes, / mean Just thatI-like the hute
notes In the overture to whats-his-
nams-that sortI
That's the way l love to hear
man talkI" she said warmly. Il think
it takes an American to stand up for
his own place. his own umes-pleasel"
And gently, but with lovely smile.
she withdrew her hand that l had
folded close in mine. l let it go. for
| saw her look toward the house. and,
of course. understood-jolly careless
Of me not to have remembered-but
she would know from my nod and
shrug that | comprehended.
/ sighed, and my deep breath
brought her gaze back to me and her
flashing smile as well.
And So" she said, lifting her little
chin, you think there are Just as
many knights now as there used to
be?"
| almost laughed at the child-iike
| question-but / didn't Dash 1t, no.
| wouldn't have done SO for the world.
Just looked at her seriously and an
swered her in kindi
Perfectly sure of it, don't Feu
knowl"
And, by Jove. / was, Knew II there
had been any change. some newspa-
| per-reading chap at the club would
have mentioned it-that was safe; es-
pecially one silly ass who was always
reading of some jolly comet that was
coming. He would know about the
nights.
"Yes-Oh, yes. there are Just as
many!" affirmed positively and add
ed quickly: More. you knowl" For
suddenly / remembered 1t was leap
year, and knew there was some jolly
rhyme about leap-year gives us one
day more-so. of course. there'd be
another night!
You don't know how glad am to
hear you say that" she said musingly.
There are Just as many knights. you
| mean, but the conditions havo
changed-the man Is changed-is that
it?"
I should say the man was changed
"Oh. dash It. yes!' blurted. BY
Jove. hoped there wouldn't be an
other change.
You mean"-with a little, chai-
lenging. puzzled smile. she leaned for
ward. her elbow resting upon her knee
like sculptured. Grecian pillar: her
| flower-like curving fingers supporting
her chin like Corinthian what's-its-
name, you know, the sort of thing the
ancient what-you-call'ems always
added to top OFF their stunning mar
BILE columns-you know!-weil, like
that-"you mean we may find knights,
not only in the field, but in the shops,
upon the streets-even in the slums;