The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-10-29
\ Game Of Romance
ETA COATES BISHOP in SOUTHERN WoMANs MAGAZINE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Observation-Disclosures

ing the idyl, Margaret felt she coulo
feel the thrill of romance. :
How Fate sometimes takes US at
our word! IL. a
A pebble rolled down the bank, ana
looking I'D half unconsciously to DIS
cover the cause of the disturbed rip
Mes her ewes still filled with dreams,
Margaret beheld the Fascinating uh-
81 beg YOUR pardon he said "Did
frighten the fish ?" The dreams fled
Here was reality to deal with, and
here was hers to snatch out OF space
The moment of romance her soul
craved! Her heart pounded maalS'
and she colored little, but her lips
could only form the words:
"Oh, no; there are no hsh'
aren't there?" the stranger asked,
stepping on the bridge and looking
down into the stream. lhere 5 Il
water-spider, anyway" :. =,
Margaret was scrambling to her
feet SO that he might pass on the
narrow plank. She was saying
over and over to herself, Don't let
him 90, don't let him go. Here is
The chance of your life. Don't lose
it."
But all the same she stood to one
side, and it was he himself VINO pro-
longed the situation. =, :,
Don't let me disturb you" he SAID
81 don't want to cross. was JUST
roaming about a little"
ooh. you're motifs time for me to
90. ANYWAY" was all Margaret coulo
cav She was so embarrassed that
her book fell out of her hand and the
stranger naturally saw the title as ne
picked it up. 1871,
NV Hero by Mrs. Forester" ne
read aloud, and then he laughed ano
laughed and laughed, and Margaret
became more confused than ever. ano
hastily decided that romantic sltua-
lions were not all that could be desired
Finally he stopped and was yer,
anolopetic: please forgive me,
he said, at took me back to my youth
I read that book when | was twenty
"A pirl cousin induced me to do it
and / believe | actually enjoyed 1t
Is it possible?" he unused, turning tht
pages, the laugh still in his voice al
ready to break forth again. ,,
Margaret recovered herself a little
"Well." she said deprecatingly, .,
like it-and | am far from twenty"
The stranger regarded her with al
amused smile. n
no YOU. honestly?" he asked. 1"
wonder if you would mind telling M
lust WHY YOU do? You see twenty i
SO far back in my life that | can
seem to remember how looked a
things then. Won't you sit dow
again and tell me? I'm sure you,V
got nothing to do-you were settle
here for the afternoon, | know, whe
l interrupted you-and | have a
sorts of time on my hands"
For one instant conventional Marga
ret hesitated, then with gasp at he
, own temerity, she met Fate with out
! stretched hands. She sat down agal
! on the little bridge, and opened he
: heart to this strange man. She tol
. him what she would never hav
: breathed to one of her friends-wha
f none of her family had ever guessed
= She told of her dreams of a roman
e tic love. And the stranger llstene
. and applauded and led her on. H
was not very young. There Wer
!, traces of grey in his hair, but his eye
!, held very youthful light as Il
). watched the quick change of expires
9 sion on Margaret's downcast fac
5 She found it difficult, at first, to tai
2 to him, and her words were some
r times hating and half-ashamed. BIZ
! she spurred herself on with II
, thought that this was the first reall
I different thing that had ever com
= into her life. She must extract II
: honey to the last drop, or she woul
never forgive herself.
She quoted Browning in he
thoughts:
How sad and mad and bad it was
But oh, how it was sweet"-
only the "sad" and mad" and "bad
parts seemed to predominant, and
really was not so very "sweet" aftt
all. She felt all the time as if 81
were doing something wrong, thoug
3 having seized her moment, she had r
thought of loosing her grasp. ST
would go through with it, even if 81
did feel like fool.
But after awhile she forgot to |
self-conscious and began to enjoy Il
conversation. The stranger was a
tentive and sympathetic, and when,
s the distance, the town clock stru(
: six, Margaret rose reluctantly.
s 81 must go" she said; "good-by
= we have dinner at half past"
e But we shall meet here again t
e morrow" her companion asserted.
v "Oh, no; l couldn't" cried Marg
p ret.
"Why not? The romance is ju
>, beginning. Surely you won't end t
game so soon?"
% There was a tantalizing mockery
ST his voice that sounded to Margal
n like a dare" Her plunge into L
< conventionality had given her coural
.e She took the dare:
&c I'D simply love to play it lit
l longer" she replied, looking h
W straight in the eyes. 1T would be
- lSotis fyinUn