The Washington herald., 1915-05-24
great mountain observatory would sep

great mountain observatory would sep
arate him from his kindly. genial. IL
literate old father-this dear old chum.
as he had como to consider him.
The thought of leaving his father was
not, however, the only thing that would
make his leaving sad-for. as he paced
and gazed. his mind Travelled forward to
a gray, high-towered observatory on
lonely peak in the mountains-a peak that
would be to him doubly lonely without
Anita Logan. Then, travelling back from
the gloomy picture his youthful morbid
ness made tragic. his mind jumped back
to that night almost a year ago when
first he met Anita Logan at university
dance, and that same face that mo-
ment ago was grave with the grave
ness of doubt became suffused with an
embarrassed blush as he remembered
how shy and panicky he became when
after the evening had worn away she
declared that he danced "a million times
better than the others. Then they mad
sat out a dance-sat 1t out on the low.
broad veranda of the clubhouse, under
the myriad stars of a pregnant sky
sat IT out, and spoke never a word, feel
ing in harmony with the soft-voiced
winds as they soughed through the VIII
lows-feelinC in harmony with the chirp
OF each absurdly self-important cricket,
and the momentary spark OF each busy
tire-fy-feeling in harmony with the
whole universe and with infinite time
as the presence of that gracious beau
tiful girl made him understand more
clearly than all the textbooks that ever
were printed. the meaning OF all natuf d.
and spiritual things.
He remembered how he had walked
home that night, his feet on the
ground, and his soul In the stars. He
had met her often after that. and
each time he saw her. each time he
was permitted to leave his soul in the
light Of her radiant presence, he felt
more and more that all his study. all
his aspirations, all his life had mean
ing and form only as it could he lived
with her. and for her. They had come
to be great friends. this bricklayers
son and the heiress to a fortune. They
had gone on and on in their youthful.
enthusiastic intimacy. until there had
come to be such a bond between them.
that Paul looked longingly. hopefully.
fearfully to the day when he would re-
ceiye his appointment and ask her to
be his wife. His wife. With those
words burning on his mind. his pacing
became feverish and fast, his eyes
sparkled and grew dull and pain-con-
tracted as he thought. alternately. of
his desire and MS presumption. ne
realized the great barrier of class
that reared itself between them. but his
love and hope: his urgent. youthful
esoism hurdled those gates even as his
heart fluttered in nervous apprehen-
sion at their forbfdding height.
He had put 1t of, and put 1t or
and tomorrow he was to leave! To-
morrow, The thought startled him.
as his browsing dreamy mind became
aware Of the necessity for quick. def
mite action. His resolution was as
instant as his courtship-for their close
intimacy was really that-was pro-
tracted, idyllic. He went to the phone.
desperately resolute. and called her
number.
Hello. Miss Logan. please. Mr.. Reed
speaking. Hello. Ann. is that you?
This is Paul. You know I've received
my appointment today? Yes. Thanks.
I'm leaving tomorrow. May l come up?
Oh. fine.-and may 1 bring my father?
I'd like you to meet him. All right.
in half an hour. Good-by-"
"wots this I hear? Bringin' your
father, Ell? Not me. I tell you"
CONTINUED TOMORROW