The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-13

looked up to ind Max's catlike eyes upon him, sinister and cruel behind the incongruous gold trimmed glasses; several times he saw Hayden's eyes, hostile and angry, seek his face. They were desperate; they would stop at nothing; MT Magee felt that as the drama drew to it's close theE saw him and him alone between them and their golden desires.
 Before came up here to be her mit,'' remarked Cargan contempOra neous1y with the removal of the soup, which may say in passing I ain't been able to be with any success ow1 ing to the popularity of the sport on Baldpate mountain, there was never any candles on the table where I ate. Mo- sir. I left them fo the people up on the avenue-to Mir. Hayden and his kind that like to work in dim surround fngs-I was always strong for a. bright light on my food. What I'm afraid of is that I'll get the habit up here and will be wanting Charlie to set out a silver candelabrum with my lager. Candles'd be quite an innovation at Charities, wouldn't they, Lou9'
 s"Too swell for Charfie's,'' comment I'd Mr. Max. Except after closing hours. I've seen lem in use there then, but the idea wasn't glory and decera- tion.''
 4 q hope you don't dislike the can dles, MT. Cargan,' remarked Miss Nor ton. .sThey add such a lot to the TO- nance of the affair, don't you think7 Pm terribly thrilled by all this The rattling of the windows, and the flick ering lightltwo lines of poem keep running through nay head:
  The weeping of the candles and the wind
 is all hear.
 sI don't know who the lord was nor what he followed-perhaps the sev- enth key. But the weeping candles and the wind seem so romantic-and so like Baldpate inn tonight"
 "If I had daughter your age" com mented Cargan, not unkindly, .sshe'd be at home reading Laura Jean Libbey by the fire, and not chasing after TO- mance on mountain.'s
 E That would be best for her, I'm sure" replied the girl sweetly. 'tFor then she wouldn't be likely to find out things about her father that would prove disquieting.' 7
 s'Deariev' cried Mrs Norton. No one else spoke, but all looked at the mayor. He was busily engaged with 2 his food. Smiling his amusement, MT. Magee sought to direct the conversa- i tion into less personal channels.
 I've hear so much about romance, especially since it's widely advertised death,'' he said. ..sAnd to every man I ever met it meant something differ ent. MT. Cargan, speaking as broad minded man of the world-what does romance mean to you Y'
 The mayor ran his fingers through his graying hair and considered se- riously-
 Romance he reflected. "Well I ain't much on the talk out of books. l But here's what [ see when you say l that word to me: It's the night before election, and Pm standing in the front window of the little room on Main street where the boys can always find me Down the street hear. the snarl 1 and rumble of bands, and pretty soon i see the yellow flicker of torches, like the flicker of that candles and the bob ping of banners. And then-the boys march by-aH the boys! Pat Doherty l and Bob Larsen and Matt Sanders 1 all the boys! And when they get to my window they, wave their hats and l cheer. Just~a fat old man in that win dow. but they'll go to the pavement I with any guy that knocks him. They are loyal. They are for me. And so they march by, cheering and singing z all the boys-just for me to see and hear. We'll, that-that's romance to i me-
 Power translated MT. Magee. tYes, siri" cried the mayor. 's1 know I've got them All the reformers in the world can't spoil my thrill then. They're mine I guess old Napoleon q, r I,<, ! greatest romancer the world ever knew When he marched over the mountains with his starving bunch and looked back and saw them in rags and suffering-for hfm-weH, I reckon old Nap was as close to romance then as any man ever gets.''
 "I wonder answered MT. Magee. It came to him suddenly that in each l persons definition of this intangible thing might lie exposed something of both character and calling. At the far end of the table Mrs. Norton's lined, tired face met his gaze To her he put his question.
 We'll she answered, and her voice seemed softer than. it's wont, "I ain't 1 thought much of that word for good many years now But when l do-say, I seem to see myself sitting on our | porch back home thirty years ago. I've got on a simple little muslin dress, and I'm slender as Elsie Janis, and the color in my cheeks is-well, it's the sort that Norton likes. And my hair but I'm thinking of him, of Norton. He's told me he wants to make me happy for life, and I've about decided I'll let him try, I see him co4hing up our front walk, coming to call on me. Have mentioned I've got figure, 8 real sweet figure? That's about what romance means to me-
 Youth, dear?' asks Miss Norton gently.
 ..That,s it, dearie.,' answered the