The Meeker herald., 1916-03-25
/ With the Latest
Improvements
! And a Pair Of Loving Hearts
to Enjoy Them All.
BY NELLIE q. RANSOM.

white pillared porch watching the road
that wound between the trees to the
village. She had watched the road n
great deal during the last few days. at
first with happy anticipation. but now
with helpless longing.
1t was bad enough In the daytime,
but 1t 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 again. 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 taken
definite form. A look. Il touch. word
or two. and she had found herself
without n doubt that John Porter low
cd her and that she loved him. but he
Ind gone away without any open dec
larntion, and. though Dorothy had
watched the rond till her eyes nrhed.
he had not returned.
81 might have known it, she said to
herself disconsolately. ale Is too
proud and independent to ask the
daughter of IL rich man to marry him.
Now that his work on the new electric
road is finished he will go away. and
I shall never see him again"
Dorothy's neighbor. twelve-year-old
Gladys. came skipping across the lawn.
very perky pink bow topping her vel
low tresses. She pcrched herself Oh
the broad arm Of Dorothy's chair.
1--we been reading such a lovely sto-
ry" she exclaimed.
What was 1t nbout?" queried Doro
thy. with languid interest.
"Oh. II was about brave knight In
shining nrmor." said Gladys. "nnd he
loved fair and noble Indy. who loved
him In return. But she had gold md
Jewels and all that sort Of thing. you
know. and he hadn't II thing but his
charger and his good sword. and 80 he
could never. never ask her to marry
him"
WELL" asked Dorothy ms Gladys
paused for breath. what happened
them"
"oh." replied Gladys. there wns
nothing for the knight to do hut tn
ride away to the wars. and the prin-
cess just sat In her tower and pinned
and pinned till at last she died oh. 1t
was perfectly iovely-so sud and
sweet
ut seems to me-" said Dorothy al
most Grossly. that It would have been
much more sensible for the knight to
stay and marry the lady instead OF
leaving her to pine and die"
Why" cried Gladys in disgust.
that would have spoiled the whole
story"
She jumped from her perch and was
dancing down the steps. but turned tn
call back:
"Oh. say. that Mr.. Porter has gone
away. hasn't he? l 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. aren't you!"
Then. having unwittingly destroyed
DOrothy's last vestige Of hope. Glndys
,heerfully departed.
A gray haired man with keen but
kindly face came and stood In the
doorway behind Dorothy. noting with
an anxious look her dropping figure.
He moved uncasily once or twice and
then came out to where she was sit
ting.
You ought to be playing golf this
fine weather" he suggested.
I'm rather tired of golf. father" re-
piled Dorothy.
Mr. Allen took n turn up and down
the porch.
Has that young Porter left?
haven't seen him for several days" he
asked. with carefully careless afr.
II really don't know. Probably he
has," replied the girl. sitting very
straight and assuming IN air even
more carefully careless than that of
her father.
Mr. Allen after a few more turns and
anxious sidelong glances betook him
self again to the house. Since the
denth Of Dorothys mother ten years
before the bond Of sympathy and un-
derstanding between him and his only
child had grown unusually strong. but
here was situation which he felt In
nowise competent to handle.
Left to herself. Dorothy's sprightiy
Indifference suddenly vanished. Her
hands fell llstIessly into her lap. and
she leaned her head 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.
"It's 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 ! can't die
Of love. Girls never do nowadays.
A. to-