Gilpin observer., 1912-09-19

Simple! Dash simple people-never
could stand them! Thing l admired
was brains! Aloud l said gently-al-
most humbly:
so glad you like him, don't you
know-did like. mean!"
Did like? do still!"-her tone
lifted in earnest protest-'I love to
think OF brave, dear Arthur and his
kntghts-so few, and yet SO full OF
love. Of gallantry and dar1ng!"
| So his nights were like that! BY
Jove. was devilish glad then that
they had been 80 few-that was some
comfort. dash 1t! wondered If the
beggar was dead. But what difference
did it make now. after all? She was
mine now and she knew l knew 1t:
that was why this sweet, ingenious
! child was laying bare to me her past
the darling!
Really. ought not to let he7 go on.
Never mind them now" urged
| soothingly. And needless OF the win
| dows, | hitched O 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 so?" added. softly
She sighed. II don't know-l hope
so!"-shs fingered obviously over 1t,
| looking away again. the while her
hand put back the feecy. golden
what-you-call.it that was smuggling to
her eyes. looked at the goddess
like forearm, barred TO above the ei-
bow. whore It slipped from sight un-
der the roll Of sleeve. and thought OF
that night IN my apartment when she
had made me feel of her biceps. don't
you know.
You don't knows" repeated with
| gentle reproach. "Oh. | say. you
know You know you know you
know!" By Jove. that sounded rather
rum. but knew she knew knew she
| knsw-see?
She looked at me sidewise, her
slender forehnser pressing the half
parted lips slowly shaping in curve.
| Then her little teeth flashed, jewel
| like-regular jolly pearl setting in the
! trankest, sweetest smile!-and then
her glorious arm and wrist arehed
suddenly toward me.
| I6S! Big sdiu COhtiittiy, anu Win
the most delightful. kindest infection
and laugh-such laugh!-a laugh
gurgling melodious-oh, dash it.,
yes, i mean Just that!-like the flute
notes in the overture to what's-his-
name-that sort!
That's the way | love to hear 3
man talki" she said warmly. Il think
| it takes an American to stand up for
| his own place, his own times-pleasel"
And gently, but with a lovely smile,
| she withdrew her hand that ! had
folded close in mine. l let 1t 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 we'll.
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 Ghild-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 kind:
| Perfectly sure Of 1t. don't yeu
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 know!" For
suddenly / remembered It 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 l am to
hear you say that" she said musingly.
There are Just as many knights, you
mean, but the conditions havo
changed-the man IA changed-is that
It"
I should say the man was changed
"Oh. dash 1t. yes!' I blurted. by
Jove. hoped there wouldn't be an.
other change.
You mean"-with a little. chal-
lenging. puzzled smile, she leaned for
ward. her elbow resting upon her knee
like n sculptured. Grecian pillar: her
flower-like curving fingers supporting
her chin like a Corinthian what'sits.
name. you know. the sort OF thing the
ancient what-you-call!'e always
added to top off their stunning mar.
BILE columns-you know!-well, like
that-"you mean we may find knights,
not only in the field. but in the shops.
upon the streets-even in the slums /:
or in the hospitals, in the church or
upon the bench-that is your idea?"
49,