The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-12-03
LLOYD OSBOURNE
ContSnued)

~ fC0ntinuedO
 Way not: All nos so conceited as that I am quite capable of under standing that woman might like me 3 cents worth. but not a dollar
 'eTt's that very hteralness that makes it so impossible. Men-oh, how can I express it-men see everything so clear Ey, can express everything in different Kinds of symbols and chart them in their mind like a barometer record or Immigration statistics. We are hazier, mor@more unformulated. all instinct. with a jingle where you have a fact.''
 -'That.s awfully clever. Go on.''
 "Is it clever? You see. we're even clever in the same haphazard sort of way and hardly know it when we are! You came and 1 saw you and didn't think anything much about it except that you stayed in my head Stayed and stayed, you know-not right out in front, but in a corner, like a hatbox your maid has forgotten to take away. And every time saw you the hat box grew bigger and more worrying, till hHalIys'@ She broke off with smile adding lightly, ''Oh, well, there's your doughnut, and now, please, I want my cooky.''
 Its a darling little doughnut,'' said
 
 ing to put it away in silver paper and keep it just to look at And as for cookies-an I know is that the sweet est voice in the world said, Come to the churcta social ternorrow night and. came to the church social tomorrow night, where I found the sweetest voice in the world belonged to the sweetest girl in the world, and then everything seemed to go round and round till the sweetest girl in the world, who is also the cleverest girl in the world, suddenly became the only girl in the world, and-and'-
 +fYes. you'd better stop there,'' said Miss Marshall That isn't frankness, that's conventionality. A second later you'll be saying Love me and the world Is mine'''
 Would that be so awful1y sf1ly?'' asked Matt
 Not only silly, but bromidian.''
 @'Bromidian? Whats br6nnidian?'
 Repeating commonplaces, like par rot''
 -'Mayn't anybody say I lik you without being called parrot-or that bro-name?''
 -'In good society Mr. Anybody never says that to Miss Somebody after an acquaintance so very brief as ours" e,
 No short cuts allowed; is that the idea?"
 Yes"
 Whats tfe most I could be permit | ted to say. then?-worrying? You said worrying. yourself
 ''It isn't quite fair to steal my word."
 How clever one has to be-to like | you. One mustn't say this; one mustn't say that; it's like a compIi- r1Tnd nd Iu r sailor like myself. You must forgive me for being blundering and stupid I hardly know anything about young white ladies'
 Miss Marshall laughed outright at | being thus described. ''I never thought of myself as young white lady, she said. much entertained. ''It sounds as funny to me as though you called me a young pink lady or a young blue lady. Oh. dear.'' she went on softly, 'I don't want to be too hard on my poor sailor. who's awfully nice and winning. even if he is stupid, and doesn't know the right word. Let's just admit that I like you and that you like me-and that perhaps in some queer way it was all inevitable"
 This unexpected admission made Matt's heart leap; again there was that dart of pain. that sense of over whelming and somehow elusive happi- ness. The fragrance of that enchant- ing young womanhood was in his brain For a while he remained silent, as though under a spell he was loath to break. 'I don't believe I can laugh any more," he said at last, looking up | at his companion. 'I don't believe I can even go on talking as we have done. I would like to go away as I did yesterday, and think, and think, and think"
 That's what l did, too she returned in a voice that was almost whisper When great things happen one wish es to be alone, doesn't One?'
 ''Tell me your name,'' he said, still In that wondering tone. Its incredi- ble, but I do not know it.''
 Christine. though they call me Chris always call me Chris.''
 And mine such a horrid one-Mat- thew-and it's always Matt, you know, which is even worse.''
 T like it Matt and Christi sounds old fashioned, doesn't it, like ones ancestors? And ye afore- said Matthew was young man of no- bIe presence and of signaL~worth and withal sober and up- standing in the fear of God, ye whilk