The Washington herald., 1914-10-25
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world. If the wind blew
from the north, he spun to
the left; if it came from the south,
he spun to the night. But it was
entirely the wind that was responsible.
So, whichever way he turned, he
smiled broadly, happily. But the
particular sailorman that Latimer
bought for Helen Page and put on SEN
try duty carried on his shoulders most
grave and unusual responsibilities. He
was the guardian of buried treasure,
the keeper of the happiness of two
young people. 1t was really asking a
: great deal of care-free, happy-go-
lucky weather-vane.
Every summer from Boston Helen
Pages people had been coming to Fair
Harbor They knew it when what
now IS the polo field was their COW
pasture. And whether at the age of
twelve or of twenty or more, Helen
Page ruled Fair Harbor. When she
arrived the Season" opened; when she
departed the local tradespeople sighed
and began to take account of stock.
&$H
when I'm jogging along in my sta
ton wagon" said one of them, "and
Helen shrieks and waves at me from
her car, l feel as though were twenty,
and l believe that she is really sorry
am not sitting beside her, instead of
that good-looking Latimer man, who
never wears hat. Why does he never
wear hat? Because he knows he's
good looking, or because Helen drives
so fast he can't keep it on?"
Does he wear hat when he is not
with Helen?" asked the new arrival
That might help some"
we will never know" exclaimed
the young matron; "he never leaves
her" = -
The mothers of Fair Harbor were
rather slow in accepting young Lati-
mer. So many of their sons had seen
Helen shake her head in that inarticu-
late, worried way, and look so sorry
for them, that any strange young man
who apparently succeeded where those !
who had been her friends for years had
learned they must remain friends, could /
not hope to escape criticism. Besides, |
they did not know him: he did not
come from Boston and Harvard, but
from a Western city. =
Some Western people were telling
me-" said one OF the matrons, that he |
wants to be the next lieutenant COVER
nor. They say he is very ambitious |
and very selfish"
Any man is selfish" protested one
who for years had attempted to marry
Helen, who wants to keep Helen to
himself. But that he should wish to |
be lieutenant governor, too, is rather
an anticlimax 1t makes one lose SYM
pathy."
Latimer went on his way without !
asking any sympathy. The companion
ship OF Helen Page was quite sufficient
He had been working overtime and was
treating himself to his first vacation in
years-he was young-he was in love
and he was very happy. Nor was
there any question, either, that Helen
Page was happy. = She was very
kind to Latimer, too. She did not de-
ceive him. She told him she liked bet
ter to be with him than with any one
else-it would have been difficult to
deny to him what was apparent to an
entire summer colony-but she explain
ed that that did not mean she would
marry him. She announced this when
the signs she knew made it seem neces-
sary. She announced it in what was
for her a roundabout way, by remark
ing suddenly that she did not intend to
marry for several years.
This brought Latimer to his feet and
called forth from him remarks so elo-
quent that Helen found it very difficult
to keep her own. She felt as though
she had been caught in an undertow
and was being whirled out to sea.
When, at last, she had regsined her
breath, only because Latimer had paus-
ed to catch his, she shook her head
miserably.
The trouble is" she complained,
There are so many think the same
thing!"
What do they Think" demanded
Latimer.
That they want to marry me-"
Checked but not discouraged, Lati-
fner attacked in force.
4 can quite believe that" he agreed,
"but there's this important difference
no matter how much a man wants to
marry you, he can't love you asSI dop
That's another thing they think"
sighed Helen.
Pm sorry to be so unoriginal"
snapped Latimer.
Please don'tP' pleaded Helen. 81
don't mean to be unfeeIing. I'm not
unfeeling. I'm only trying to be fair.
IT / don't seem to take it to heart, it's
because 1 know it does no good. III;
can see how miserable a girl must be
If she is loved BY one man and c.n't