The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1912-02-28
One Touch
Of Nature
(oopyrisht lOi2, by Associated Literary Prcss.)
A. c. BROWN

tn1ng on eartn, ls sne, BROOKE Inc
man in the gray sweater nodded adj
miringly at the tall, slender figure
bending over the biplane that had
just been run out of the hangar.
"Nor in heaven either" snapped
Clinton Brooke, jerking his cap fur
ther over his eyes. "Its-its not
nature for a girl not to be afraid of
anything" He jammed both fists
into his pockets and glared at his
neighbor. "Got her license yestsr-
day, and I'm going up with her to-
day"
The man IN the gray sweater al
lowed his eyes to rest enviously on
Brookes face. ~Aren't you the lucky
dogP
Lucky growled Brooke. when
I almost lose my breakfast II / take
an express elevator in a high build
ing~
'Why 60, thenr'
"My dear friend Grierson,"
Brooke spoke crisply, "you forget
that / have lived next door to Celia
Demarest for several years. In all
that time i have never failed to take
dare. Neither has she. She dared
me to 20 with her on her maiden
flight"
81 think she's ready" Grierson in
terrupted.
Brooke turned up his coat collar
and started forward in obedience to
the signal of Celia DemaresPs hand.
$50 long, old chap" he called over
his shoulder. "Almost wish you
were the VICTIM" he added, under
his breath.
He hurried across the turf fol-
lowed by the cheers of the crowd,
that little dreamed that the jaunty
six-foot man was anticipating max
ing fool of himself in the presence
of the only girl in the world for him.
Not that Celia Demarest knew
that she occupied any such pedestal.
His heroine worship was blended
with so much awe for her self-conf-
dence, efficiency and fearlessness that
he had never ventured to suggest a
closer relationship than had existed
all these years. He sometimes felt
tt 1t if he could only see her startled
out Of her steady self-sontrol, if she
would only show a little womanly
fright over mouse, trifing femi-
nine dislike for spiders, an Evelike
antipathy for snakes, he would be
able to sweep aside the barrier that
separated them.
"Hello, Clinw Celia's dark eyes
sparkled teasingly as she waved her
hand to him. 81 thought maybe you
were going to back out after all. You
,7ere so long coming"
'Back outp' Brooke forced a
smile. "Why it's the event of my
life, Celia. You've no idea how Tve
been anticipating it. Grierson's over
there eating his heart out with envy"
"Is he, really?" Celia beamed at
the distant gray sweater. 'I'll take
him tomorrow. But of course you
had to be first"
"Of course" echoed Brooke.
''Where do l sit? Behind? Praise
be to Allah for that he muttered
to himself as he scrambled into the
narrow seat.
Chuff! Chuff! Chug! A little
wisp of smoke from the tail of the
machine and the biplane slowly left
the ground. A cheer arose from the
crowd, and Brooke fancied he could
distinguish the voice of the envious
Grierson-which almost reconciled
him to his fate.
Celia smiled happily. "lsn't it
nice?" She turned her head the
fraction of a degree over her Shout
der so that Brooke could see the soft
curve of her cheek.
"It's-it's gr-grand," Brook chat
tered through clenched teeth. care
we going-high?"
"Oh, l don't know. The winds
perfect, and l haven't made any
| plans" She touched a lever, and
Brooke closed his eyes.
"Golly! What'll it be when it
comes DOWN." he gasped to himself,
and then turned his undivided atten-
ton to keeping his breakfast where
it belonged.
The biplane chugged through
| anaaa RroOka had lost all his iaun-