The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1917-01-18

Positive"
A long moment elapsed.
"And I'm always going to be-" he
added. always and always"
The music died away, signifying the
end Of the dance and footsteps sound
ed on the stone porch. The two peO-
pie in the shadows became more dis.
tinctly two people. A moment ago
they had 'resembled one indetermin-
ate bulk.
"Have you the next dance with any
One?" the boy asked.
mo"
"Then we can keep on sitting out
here?"
Eyes" She paused a moment II
want to tell you something"
WHAT
"I'll let you know in just three min
utes."
The music started again and the peO-
pie sitting near by passed through the
doorway. The two were alone again,
so nobody but the girl heard what the
boy had to say.
Il love you" he whispered.
A pair of round arms encircled his
neck; cool, white arms which he had
dreamed about for ages,
The girl was silent for moment be-
fore she spoke.
II hate to spoil this wonderful, Won
derful evening" she said, "but | must
do it. / simply must tell you some
thing"
"What is it?"
ITS about Arthur Thorp" she eI-
planned. Her voice wavered title.
"He and have-have known co, 9th
err all our lives. We've been very,
very good friends, and It's been gem
orally understood that we would be
married some day"
"You haven't promised him, have
your
mo. We never said much about it:
but all the time you were away at
college we went together steadily, and
land he's been saving up"
But IL you aren't engaged to him
it's all right" The boy moved for
ward impulsively. Il love you," he
said.
Il know, dear" She placed her
hand on his arm But don't you see
that / must tell Arthur first? Tt's only
fair to him; and If he-and II he
should take 1t in the wrong way, /
suppose that-that l shouldn't become
engaged to you"
The boy looked wistfully in the dis
lance.
81 guess it's the only thing to do"
he said. when are you going to tell
him."
During the next dance. | have it
with him.
"And how shall | know
"You1l know by watching us. AS
soon as the music starts, | shall tell
him that II care for someone else. Ii
lie holds me to my half-promise, we
will 20 home. If he doesn't and every
thing is all right, Arthur and | will
dance the encore together"
The music ceased, and she arose.
81 am going now"
Through the window the boy saw
her meet the other man and smile into
his eyes. After what seemed an eter-
nifty Of waiting, the music started for
the next dance. As the moments sped
on, it seemed to the one waiting on
the porch that the suspense was just
a little more than he could bear. And
as he waited, the two upon whom his
thoughts were conferred sat together
in another room.
Arthur the girl said slowly Il
know now that can never care for
YOU the way you want me TO. There's
someone else you know who he is
and / love him because he says Won
derful things, and because-well, just
because
For moment the "other fellow
dropped his head in his hands. Then
he squared his shoulders.
II understand he said.
After a brief silence he led her into
the main room and danced the very
best he knew how.
The boy on the porch watched them
for a minute or two. Then he went
TO the swinging couch, where he lis
tened with eyes closed to the rhythmic
notes. And although he wasn't dane
ing, it was the most wonderful dance
he had ever known.
When the music died away. the girl
came to where he was waiting in the
shadows.
SCopyright. 1916. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per SyndicateJ