The Meeker herald., 1915-12-25

Wifi the Latest
Improvements
And q Pair of Loving Hearts
to Enjoy Them All.
sy NELLIE .. RANSOM.

first with happy anticipation. nut now
with helpless longing.
| 1t was bad enough in the daytime.
but It was worse when 1t grew too
dark to see who WINS coming along the
road, for then the footsteps grew loud
er and louder until she was certain
that they were going to turn toward
the white pillared porch. only TO die
away agnin. leaving her sick with
fresh disappointment.
| On the previous Sunday evening the
vague. beautiful something which had
enveloped the whole summer. making
1t different from any other summer OF
Dorothy's life. had suddenly tnken
definite form. A look. touch. a word
or two, and she had found herself
without n doubt that John Porter low
| ed her md that she loved him. but he
had gone away without any open dec
iaration. and. though Dorothy had
watched the rond till her eyes ached
he Ind not returned.
II might have known IT. she said ~
herself dIsconsolately. HE ia too
proud and Independent to nsk the
daughter of rich man to marry him.
Now that his work on the new electric
road Is finished lie will go away. and
l shall never see him again"
Dorothy's neighbor. twelve-yenr-old
Gladys, came skipping across the In wn.
very perky pink how topping her vel
low tresses. She perched herself Oh
the broad arm of Dorothy's chair.
1--WE been reading such n lovely sto-
| ry!" she exclaimed.
what was 1t nbout?" qucricd Doro
thy. with languid interest.
"Oh. 1t was about brave knight In
shining armor." said Gladys. "nnd lie
loved n fair and noble lady. who loved
him In return. Bit she had gold and
Jewels and all that sort Of thing. you
know. and be hadn't thing hut his
charger and his good sword. and 10 he
could never. never ask her to marry
| him.
WELL" asked Dorothy us Gladys
paused for breath. what happened
them
oh" replied Glndys. there was
nothing for the knight to do hut to
ride away to the wars. and the prin-
| cess just sat In her tower and pinned
and pinned till at Inst she died oh. 1t
was perfectly iovely-so sad and
sweet"
| most Grossly. that 1t would hnve been
much more sensible for the knight to
stny and marry the Indy instead of
leaving her to pine and die"
why" cried Glndys in disgust.
| that would hive spoiled the whole
story"
She jumped from her perch md was
dancing down the steps. but turned tn
| call back:
"Oh. say. that Mr.. rorter has gone
away. hasn't her ! saw him at the
station Monday with suit case in his
hand. Aren't his eyes Just too hand
some for anything? I'm sorry he has
left. nren't youy"
Then. having unwittingly destroyed
Dorothy's last vcstige of hope. Gladys
cheerfully departed.
| A gray haired man with n keen but
kindly face came and stood in the
doorway behind Dorothy. noting with
| an anxious look her dropping figure,
| He moved uneasiiy once or twice and
then came out to where she was sit
ting.
"You ought to be playing golf this
| 6ne weather." he suggested.
I'm rather tired Of golf. father" re-
piled Dorothy.
MT. Allen took turn up and down
the porch.
Has TINT young Porter left? !
haven't seen him for several days" he
asked. with carefully careless air.
II really don't know. Probably he
has" replied the girl. sitting very
straight and assuming an air even
more carefully careless than that Of
her father.
Mr.. Allen after few more turnSnnd
anxious sidelong glances betook him
self again to the house. Since the
death Of Dorothy's mother ten years
before the bond Of sympathy and un-
derstnnding between him and his only
child had grown unusually strong. but
here was a situation which lie felt in
nowise competent to handle.
Left to herself, Dorothy's sprightly
Indifference suddenly vanished. Her
hands fell listlessly into her lap. and
she leaned her bend YEARLY against
the back Of her chair. SO he had gone
without even coming to say goodby!
Well. there was no use watching the
road any longer.
Its just like Gladys story" she
sighed 1.-THE knight has gone to fight
his battles. leaving the poor princess
in the castle to pine alone. only. being
n twentieth century princess instead OF
"A medieval one. I'm afraid l can't die
of love. Girls never do NOWADAYS !
suppoHe that's one Ut the modern i'm
| rrovements." she continued whimsi
cally.
An endless procession of dreary
years seemed to stretch ont before her