Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1913-04-04
BIZ FRANCIS PERRY ELLIOTT
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brave. so noble-mannered, you know
SO simple!"
Simple! Dash simple people-nevel
could stand them! Thing I admired
was brains! Aloud I said gently-al
most humbly:
$50 glad you like him, don't you
know-did like, I meant"
did like? do still!"-her tone
lifted in earnest protest-'T love to
think Of brave. dear Arthur and his
knights-so few, and yet 40 full Of
love. Of gallantry and daring!"
So his nights were like that! BY
Jove. I was devilish glad then that
they bad been SO few-that was some
comfort, dash it! wondered II the
beggar was dead. But what difference
did 1t make now, after all? She was
mine now and she knew / knew it.;
that was why this sweet. ingenious
child was laying bare to me her past
the darling!
Really, ought not to let her 60 on.
| Never mind them now" l urged
soothingly. And needless of the win
dows, / httched wee bit closer.
That's all past and gone and you and
l will yet see as good nights as they
ever WERE" I spoke with assurance.
Don't you think so?" l added, softly.
! She sighed. II don't know hope
so!"-she fingered obviously over 1t,
looking away again, the while her
| hn On1Ann
| what-you-call-it that was smuggling to
her eyes. l looked at the goddess
like forearm, barred to above the ell
bow, where 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 know" I 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
knew-see?
She looked at me sidewise, her
slender forefinger pressing the half
parted lips slowly shaping in curve.
Then her little teeth flashed, jewel
like-regular jolly pearl setting In the
| frankest, sweetest smile!-and then
her glorious arm and wrist arched
| suddenly toward me.
"Yes!" she said contritely, and with
the most delightful, kindest infection
and laugh-such laugh!-a laugh
gurgling melodious-oh, dash it,
yes; l mean Just that!-like the flute
notes in the overture to what's-his-
name-that sort!
That's the way l love to hear
man talk" she said warmly. Il think
| it takes an American to stand up for
hts own place, his own times-please!"
And gently, but with lovely smile,
| she withdrew her hand tha. ! had
folded close in mine. let it 60, for
l 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 l comprehended.
l 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-nke
question-but l 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 it, don't you
know"
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
suddenly l 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 have
changed-the man is changed-is that
it,"
1 should say the man was changed!
"Oh, dash 1t, yes!' blurted. By
Jove. hoped there wouldn't be an
other change.
you mean"-with little, chal-
longing, 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 INTERPRETATIONS always
added to top of 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:
. or in the hospitals, in the church or
upon the bench-that is your idea?"
1t wasn't my idea at ALL should
say not! Who wanted to spend nights
prowling around that way? Why