The Washington herald., 1915-01-25
DAILY SHORT STORY.
IN A DRIZZLING RAIN.
By HOPE AINSLEE.
DCorrHght. IsI5.I

NOTEnRht. l9l5.l
A soft drizzling rain was daring the
roses in Constance Atwood's cheeks to
come out and get wet. And the roses
were fast appearing she walked
briskly through the damp Cinderpath in
Central Park.
1t was Saturday afternoon and Con-
stance had promised herself that she
would finish knitting the last Of her
six pairs OF socks for the soldier boys
before the Wednesday boat should have
sailed. Her small brother and sister,
being prevented by the rain from playing
out of doors. would demand the atten-
ton of Sister Constance il she were at
home. Therefore she decided TO seek the
shelter of a summer house in the park.
where on a day like this she was sure
to be alone.
BY the time she reached the Circu-
lar shelter among the dripping maple
trees, damp CuTls froliCked about her
snowy forehead and her cheeks were
glowing She found the least moist of
the seats and extracted her knitting from
her macintosh pocket. Then she be
gan to knit. and presently. being alone
and peacefully happy. to hum.
beautiful girl sitting alone in a
summer house on a cold, drizzling day
knitting socks is not an everyday pic
ture. Indeed it was such an unusual
sight to Donald Grey when he came upon
il that he almost stopped in his course to
stare. But an innate sense of prOpriety
kept him from doing anything so rude.
Constance looked up casually as he
passed and her calm level gaze met his;
then she dropped her eyes. continued her
knitting and the man strobe on through
the winding path.
But the mans pace OF mind had been
disturbed. Only his deep-rooted sense
OF chivalry kept him from retracing his
steps for one more look at the lovely
girl. He realized that he had only a
slender chance in a thousand of seeing
her again. and vet at that moment he
could think OF no other person whom he
so desired to sec aEain-and often.
Like most men who have reached the
age Of five-aud twenty, Donald Grey had
a vague ideal of womanhood. From this
day forward DonaId's ideal was not
vAgue-in appearance at least. She had
blooming cheeks. widely set dark eyes
and brown curling hair. Also, his ideal
could knit.
After he was out of sight Of the girl
he slackened his pace to a veritable stroll
and the handball game to which he had
been striding when he had run face to
face into his ideal girl had suddenly lost
interest. Before that moment he had
been lamenting the fact that his rooms
and the club where he played on Satur-
day afternoons had been so far apart.
Now he did not care where the club was
located.
He began to wonder which path the
girl would take when leaving the sum-
mer house. Not that he could lay in
wait for her. but it would not be impos-
sible to observe her unseen from & van
tage point. True, he would feel like some
Of the loiterers about the park whom he
had always despised, and yet IL the girl
did not see him, he could be doing no one !
harm.
Suddenly his musings were abruptly |
interrupted by the approach Of a big |
Irish park policeman leading a small child
reluctantly by the hand The oficer had |
TO stoop to keep a hold Of the tiny tot.
Gotta lost kid" he said IaughingIy |
to Donald.
Donald looked at the pretty little cir. |
Fine day for a youngster like that to |
be alone in the park. isn't it?'' he asked. |
Fine for the pneumony! SAYS her mas
knittin' and she run on" volunteered the |
policeman further.
Donald Grey paled a little KNITTING, |
did you say? Her-her mother"
Sure! Why not? Amt they all a-doin'
Il day an night for Tommy Atkins and /
the loike O. him. asked the officer.
81 saw a young woman back in the
summer house-a-knitting," said Dom
aid.
''where?" asked the policeman alertly.
'T'n show you-its quicker" and Dom
aid led the way back to the summer
house.
The little one trotted beside the big
policeman and Donald humming gayly.
She seemed not to care who her prUtec-
tors were. so long as she was having q
little excitement. Donald could see that
much in the tots eyes.
When she saw the trio approaching
Constance stopped knitting and stared.
But Donald could see at a glance that
she had not lost anybody's baby. she
looked from one 10 the other a. the three
drew close.