Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1912-07-30
A MODERN
ROMANCE
AND IT'S HAPPY ENDING


above the dull, sickening thud caused
by the fall of his own body (which
he heard quite clearly, by the way)
he thought that feminine scream
rang out on the still June air.
Like nearly all fliers, Hubert
Drayton was before anything else
gentleman. None the less, so great
was the shock of his unexpected de-
scent that for several minutes he lay
! still, without even seeking to offer
an apology to the owner of the voice.
He felt quite comfortable where he
was, merely wondering in q vague
way il he bad dropped sinto's town
ship where the laws against failing
aviators were severe.
Really" said voice, and by its
clear, ringing timbre Drayton recog-
nized it for the same which had
screamed short time previous, ''this
is extremely embarrassing
Drayton reused from his revery
sufficiently to drag himself from be-
meath the wreck of a 200-horsepower
engine and staggered to his feet. The
fact that he turned Immediately to
the voices owner clearly proves our
contention that Drayton was before
all else a gentleman. Otherwise his
first natural concern must have been
to overhaul the aeroplane. The vi
sion which greeted him he found
nearly as disconcerting as charming.
He perceived that he and the unfor-
tunate biplane had dropped upon the
smooth sward- at the edge of a wide
sweep of open pastureland. Scattered
painting utensils and fallen easel
showed the interrupted occupation of
his victim, and the artist herself he
beheld vainly struggling to olsen
tangle her garments from a network
of broken guide wires in which they
had become caught.
Even in that moment Drayton
perceived the inextinguishable chaKm
which had for several seasons made
Jane Ethylinda Brown an undoubted
leader in New York's most exclu-
sive circles-a charm which, though
just now yelled by certain hauteur
engendered by her predicament, yet
glowed all the warmer, like vivid
rose through chilling veil of mist.
The aviator sp.ng to her assist
ance. Though they had never met,
it was self-evident that no bar of
class need intervene. Drayton con-
cealed his chagrin beneath an incom-
parable sang froid.
''How very unfortunatep' he ex-
claimed, with just the proper shad-
ing of polite regret. 81 am very
much afraid that 1 have ruined
your sketch"
While speaking he reduced the
guide wires to submission, at the
same time noting with relief that
the lady's costume seemed not seri-
ously damaged.
Her well-bred smile treasured
him. ooh, the sketch is of no con-
sequence. At the worst, can make
another. But your machine?"
'It does look rather-er-mussed |
up, doesn't it?" Drayton surveyed
the machine with whimsical, COM
prehensive glance and turned from
it with the laugh of the fatalist.
''That's all in a days flight, you
know"
TWAS a perfect day in June. The !
birds sang amiably and the sky was
entirely blue.
Presently said the lady: "But you |
really must not say such things to |
me, Aside from the fact that three |
hours since had never seen you, / |
must make known to you a circum-
stance of which you are evidently |
unaware. / am already affianced to
the Count de Chambre."
For a moment even Drayton's
good breeding came near deserting
him. Dumbly he stared at this girl |
of his dreams unable to think of |
any suitable retort. All his life he
had waited for this day-waited,
scarcely understanding his own in
difference where women were con-
cerned, yet in his secret soul as