The Washington herald., 1915-10-22
COMPANIONSHIP.
By DoROT-Y BLACKMoRE.

II
George Keene had never been particu-
larry fond OF his own companionship. He
was not given TO worrying about the
ponderous problems of existence dur
ing lonely hours. He left such efforts
to those persons who cared for II and
| who inherited a philosophical turn of
| mind. Keene was not a theorizer. and
yet at times II did occur to him to ask
/ a question of the future. He was dis
tinctly human and he knew that the
companionship OF a girl would add to
his Joy In existence. But-who was the
girl?
He had found girls who were good
| company at a conventional evening at
the theater: he knew girls who were
| charming at a dance: he had called
| upon girls who he liked in thier home
environment, but he had yet to meet
the girl who would 70 with him into the
country for walks and rambles and en-
Joy nature with him in his own way.
Because he liked Elise Cartright very
much he once asked her to take one Of
his favorite walks with him. This led
them across the Hudson and up over
the bluffs of the Palisades. II included
country dinner at the humble home
OF a Jersey farmer. at which the guests
sat down with the host and his family
and the whole hearty meal, from stew
to pie, was put upon the table at once.
Since that day Elise had avoided him.
and he had learned from the laughing
lips of Peggy Arnott-who knew Elise
well-that the girl was not yet free from
the effects OF that day In the country.
Her high heels had made the rough
walking very laborious. the hot sun had
burned her nose: the dust had dulled
the bright tones of her hair, and the
farm dinner. served in simple country
fashion. had been a trying ordeal for
her aesthetic temperament.
You should have known. George, that
Elsie Cartright is the last girl who
would welcome a sun-kLssed nose. Don't
you know that her beautiful skin Is the
Joy of her life?" Peggy had asked mer-
rily. And you know Elise was crazy
about you-eyery one knew IT," she
added
George shifted significantly. so much
for my best efforts at companionshlp
with girls" he sighed.
Autumn was advancing rapidly and the
wonderful reds and yellows Of wood and
meadow were drawing Keene to Long
Island. where he spent that season He
bought his monthly ticket and began
early to commute from his office to the
country.
On the occasion OF his earliest tramp
into the woods he felt unusually lonely
more SO than ever before, he told him.
self dismally. And then. as II to en-
phasize his solitariness, he CHANGED upon
three happy picknickers building a fire
over which to brew their own coffee.
Why was none OF his friends OF that
sort? Why had he been thrown so ur-
mercifully with conventional city folk?
He began to smell bacon and then, as
he fingered as near the party as possi-
BILE, the coffee began to send out its
aromatic lure.
oh" he overheard a girl say. In
hearty. unaffected manner. "can YOU
actually believe that we have left that
horrid city behind MS for a whole week?"
Keene continued his hungry, lonely
way with the happy laughter and the
odor OF bacon and coffee pur-
suing him. He even dared one back
ward look. but not one Of the three
campers seemed even dimly aware of his
existence.
On the following evening he strolled |
the same way and found the care-free
trio still encamped. He observed, thisi
time. that the girl and her mother were !
dressed In outing clothes and that they /
wore low-heeled boots and looked COM I!
Portable and happy. He thought of I
1uOse dosuru neeE OF Elise ana was glad /
that all women were not so silly.
That's bunch after my own heart"
he commented mentally as he observed |
the father comfortably smoking as he |
at on a fallen tree and watched the |
women Of his family preparing the pic
mic meal
Doesn't this beat a dinner-dance all !
hollowT he heard the father ask.
NO more Of that regular life for me-"
the girl sang merrily as she poked the |
IRE. Then she stopped and looked at her |
fathes and mother. IF / could find a |
man I could like as well as you like |
father and who cared for this sort of |
thing, rd-well, I'd marry him. I be-
ieve." she said. But, alas. these men
I've known have cared more for a |
ripping fox-trot and a good lobster sup
per than for this simple amusement"
keene heard It all And as he wan
Tered SLOWLY on he heard the girl |
scream: "oh. dad. chase this dog awayl
hate strange dogs. He's after our
1inneri"
Here was another common interest,"
her dislike Of dogs and his-stranee
logs. at least. He had heard of the
sompanionship OF CANNES, but he had
JAILED to see into IL. He had never yet
seen the dog that knew a toadstool from
! violet or a sunset from a sunrise. so
ne had failed to be convinced Of their