The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1918-04-03

DO not mean to be rude, but l want
70 Identify you. as your name Is un-
familiar. ! lost a very dear friend
years ago. / have looked for her but
have not found her. Today Blair
tells me she may have been in my
home for weeks past"
From the depths of her chair she
looked up at him. There was little
smile about her lips as she replied:
The years have effaced the scar.
Dir. Henderson. If 1t is that you have
In mind"
Thank heaven II there Is no trace
OF ii. have always been afraid
disfigured you for life. But without
1t how am | to know that you are
really you:"
Am ! so greatly changed:"
"Iou have heard OF the duckling
and the swami
Surely i: was not as bad as that,
hut now hat you mention 1t l recall
that yor named me 'duckling.'" She
laughed, Il have been wondering how
long ii would take you to remember
me and when | entered the room had
reached the moment when I despaired
OF telepathy. Mr.. Henderson. ! must
have made Of your life burden. Boys
do not always care for alteration. and
! adored you"
ut developes chivalry In the right
SORT Of fellow" he answered thought
fully. as he watched her. 81 have
often wondered what became Of you;
why you should have dropped 80 ut
dered when found you gone. had
been so long accustomed to alteration
that it was hard to adjust myself to
the colder attitude of those about me.
You had grown into the very f1bres OF
my being. The duckling was iovable.
l missed her and ] missed the care I
| took OF her. although the scars did not
attest to it. l wanted to die when I
saw you lying in the snow with the
blood running down your face"
He smiled at the remembrance. mo
one seemed to know where your father
| went after your mothers death. But
! made covenant with myself: TO
| find you. I never thought Of you as
| grown up. 1t was always as my little
sweetheart, which of course was fool
ish."
| Why. of course" she asked sedate-
| ly. Don't you think child can re-
tain memory" She unpinned the
watch hanging upon her breast. open
ed it and held 1t so that he could see
| FUR. I'D ~
paper.
Il can match that" He snapped his
own open showing two hearts pierced
| by q dart. But there was something
else" He was showing more of ear
| nestness than the occasion seemed to
| demand.
The girl colored. Il have forgotten"
Your pardon. but l think not"
She still held her watch. but as he
spoke it fell from her fingers. Some
thing bright rolled away from it and
slip of paper fell so that a line of
writing was visible.
| Blair Henderson stopped his color
'Why did you say that you had for
| gotten:" he asked. Did you believe
| the boy could know what he wanted
and not desire it as a man." He
looked at the tiny ring set with tur-
| Quoise forget-me-notS: the scrap Of
paper upon which was written to my
wife WAS that the reason:"
why should remember anything
when for four weeks I have been a
| guest in your home and you did not
| recognize me?"
| THAT is over and done with.
know you now. although yet do not
understand your change of name. Are
you going TO play with me or will you
| be honest and give me the chance to
show you the man is as earnest as the
boy once waS?
81 think. Blair. the difference be-
tween the man and the boy is only a
| matter of years. He seems about the
| same TO me-"
"And the girl? Has she changed:"
| when her father died she was
adopted by very dear aunt and took
her name. The years made great
| difference in appearance. bur other
wise she did not alter. Old memories
We're too precious to part with and she
| still clings to them. l cannot play
with YOU. Blair. am happy in the
thought that hoy and man are of the
same mind. and if the little ring was
not so small I would be wearing it
| now
THAT is a fault easily remedied." he
returned. as he drew her TO him. you
must let me have the measure of your
| finger"