The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1917-01-20
A Collapsible
Method
By SADIE OLCOTT

pass the time when we are housed
Yet they may serve another purpose.
Phillis and were In the library. We
had d1ed n table for pingpong, called
by some parlor tennis. The name In
an aspersion on the real tennis, which
is one Of the finest games played Phil
LIS was at one end Of the table batting
Q little celluloid ball with q tiny wood
en- racket, at the other doing the same
thing.
Forty love-" said Phil on making q
point.
"What did you call me% asked.
"I didn't call you anything"
"You said forty something. It didn't
sound like Bob, but you may have In
tended 1t for Bob"
"Dear me, how you do hear things!
You'd better get an ear trumpet"
She won the game, and we proceeded
to the next. had gained nothing by
my attempt to introduce love scrim-
mage and had given her a love game
We each made the same number Of
points and Phil cried:
"Deucew
That's like q GIRL" I said. "One
moment you call me love and the next
devil"
"I've called you neitherw
She made a point and said, 'Van-
tagew
"It's all advantage with a GIRL" / re-
marked. "She can call a fellow love
and not mean It, whereas If the fellow
does any spooning he's held to a strict
accountability"
That's only when he's q desirable
parti"
She enforced the words with N ball
that hit me in the face.
"I have made no such pretense.'
Whether it was the sting of her
words or of the miserable little globe,
there was some asperity in my dis
claimer.
"Who accused you of making a pre-
tense7''
Though was endeavoring to turn
the subject from the game to some
thing very near my heart. could not
seriously accuse her. so I made no
reply.
That's the end Of the SET" she said.
Shall we play another"
I'D much rather sit by the nre."
She tossed her racket on the table
and, going to the fireplace, stood be-
fore It, rubbing her hands as II they
were cold. They were not, as soon
learned. She knew what was coming,
and It ratified her q bit. Rather, I
should say, she hoped for what was
coming. I had worked up to the decla-
ration point a number Of times and
stuck there. It's one thing to tell a
girl you love her when she has been
struck by lightning and falls into your
arms in a critical condition; It is quite
another to do the deed in cold blood.
At any rate, my efforts had all been
failures.
"Why did you intimate" asked, GO
ing to her and leaning against the man
tel over the fireplace, that am not a
desirable parti?"
81 didn't"
Stuck again.
l looked through the window at the
snow piling up in drifts. If one finds q
task difficult under certain circum-
stances he thinks 1t would be easier
under other circumstances. was In q
comfortable room with cheerful open
fire before me, but I thought I could
get out what wanted to say out In the
snow.
Let's go out and SNOWFALL" l said.
She looked disappointed, but acceded
to my request. She donned a warm
jacket and a woven hood. and we sal
lied forth.
"You stand there" said I'll stand
here. You throw the first ball at me-"
How was to make a proposal while
pelting her / didn't know. / hoped
something would turn up to help me.
It did, but Phillis turned 1t up; didn't.
Phil made a SNOWFALL and threw it at
me. 1 lodged 1t. 1 threw one at Phil
1t went wide Of the mark. She hit me
O1A IAC GILL; OOL4CL1I15 II
was the sttng-put an extra amount OF
force into my arm as threw the next
ball. / couldn't see that 1t had hit her,
but she put her hands to her eye and
sank down on the cold snow with a
moan. ran to her.
"Phillis, dear! Sweetheart! Forgive
me! l am beast to have hurt your
l pulled away her hands, and she
looked at me with inexpressible sweet
ness. l kissed the wounded eye.
Now, that eye should have been
either infamed or cold or snow wet.
1t was neither. A few bits Of snow
were on her shoulder The SNOWFALL l
had thrown was squashed against the
fence directly behind her.
"Phillis, dear, let us go back to the
library"
l supported her into the house, and
we stood again before the fire
"Oh. Phillisr' l exclaimed. Suppose
had darkened that dear eye foreverr
She shuddered.
IF had I should have devoted my
life to VOu. WOuId VOu have Iat MOI"