The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-04-15
with blazing eyes.

"What?" suffered Alan. He fe,t
foundations slipping from under him.
Here was person who could look Ten
Percent Wayne at his best in the eve
and never turn mental hair.
How do you like it:" continued
Glen in an even, firm voice, Then she
turned her square back to the saddle
and faced him fairly. IN tell Won
what did it for. All my life I've been
running after you. Last night heard
you packing. knew what you were
doing-you were getting ready to go
away. Before you went wanted you
to run after me-just once. A sort
of consolation prize to pride"
Alan's face hardened. "Stop, Glen.
You can't talk like that to me and you
can't talk like that to Yourself" He
looked at Glen and the blood surged
into his neck and face. At that mo-
ment Glen was beautiful to him be-
yond the widest dreams of fair
women. She was dressed in close
| fitting long coat that buttoned down
the front. Her riding skirt. Of the
same dark stuff, she had hitched up at
one side to silver hook From under
the raised skirt peepcd straight rid
ing boot and on the heel of the boot
was a tiny, right-anglc spur. Alan's
quick eyes hung on that spur; it ex-
planned the lead Glen had held through
the headlong ride.
Clem's right arm was still hooked
over the double horn of her saddle
and her left hand holding slim rid
ing whip hung at her side. To the vel
vet lapels Of her coat chung little drops
of rain. Her hair was braided and
/ firmly tied in double fold at the back
of her neck, but short strands had
escaped from durancc and played
! about her head. Her head, like the
velvet lapels, was busted with little
silvery drops of water and little drops
of water perched on her long, upturned
lashes. Her cheeks were flushed, her
bosom agitated, her lips tremulous.
Only her eyes were steady.
Alan took of his coat and threw it
over rock. "Will you please sit down:
must talk to you"
Glen strobe to another rock and sat
down. you are absurd. Your coat
is as wet as the stones. Put it on"
Alan hesitated. "Put your coat on"
Alan obeyed; then he sat down be-
fore her, but turned his eyes away and
gazed rather vacantly over the whole
wet world. IF ever two people have
known each other without words,
Glen, it's you and me. Never mind
the grammar. Even unshackled words
| are dribbling outlet for full heart,
and my hearts as full today with
things I've never said to you as the
clouds are with rain.
Mature, taken by and large, is a
funny outfit, and the funniest things in
it are the ones that make you want
to cry. The world sees good man,
clean and straight, married to n faith
less woman and laughs. Men see a
pure girl give her all to cad, and
they say, It's always the rotters that
| get the pick and they laugh too. But
down in the bottom of our hearts we
know that these things are things fol
| tears"
Eyes, Alan" said Glen rs he paused
She was no longer imperious, only Mt.
tentive, with chin in hands and elbows
on knees.
"You know me- went on Alan, "but
there are things about me that you dc
not know-things below you that you
have no understanding for, thank God
l don't even know how to picture them
to you"
eyes, Alan" said Glen softly.
Alan picked a bit Of huckleberry
bush and twisted it nervously in his
hands. "First of all I've got to tell
| you what thought you knew, that
what there is of me Is yours over and
over again, and then I've got to tell
you why you can't have it." A light
came into Clcm's eyes, trembled, flick.
cred, and then settled to steady
flame. .:a ..~--m-- go.
you've seen people smile-everyone
| has smile of sorts," went on Alan
did you ever think that smile had
| a body and soul? To me it has. II
| starts out in life like virgin with a
body to keep pure and soul to guard
| unstained. There are smiles that illu
mine a face, that shine with essential
purity, that glorify. Nobody has tc
tell you that they have never pandered
to ribald jest or added cruelty to de
NAL. They are live smiles and they
are rare among women and rarcl
among men. For one such you'll fine
thousand living faces with deaG
smiles-smilcs that have scattered
their essence like rain on the just anL
the unjust, that have rolled in filth anG
wasted their substance on the second
best. You'll find them Pickering out
IN the faces Of young men and at the
last gasp in the faces of lost womer
whose eyes hold The shadows of unfor
gotten SINS"
"Well?" said Glenn.
Alan sighed. Between the lines OF
my words you must read for yourself
My smile is dcad-I killed it long ago
Yours is alive--alive. You have kept
1t pure, guarded its fame and you
shall hold it high like beacon. Yor
are ready to give all and you have al
to give. have nothing but the empty
shell. have kept nothing. have
gained the whole world-and lost it
The little strength left to the pinions