Catoctin clarion., 1918-02-21
The Story S
End
By GENEVIEVE ULMER
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union. }

&Sopyrisht' isi'' western Newspaper Union.)
"All the romances in the story books
end happily-every one of them.
wonder If mine Is only what the writ
ere call an incident, or a circum-
stance"
Thus Leila Thorpe, meditating
d7eamly over an event which had
quite taken her mentality out of its
everyday, humdrum beaten track. She
was simple country girl, with no So
cial ambitions outside of the little vii
lage where she had always lived. OF
course the few times she and few
of her friends had attended some spe-
cial parties up at the big summer re-
sort hotel had been pleasant and entlc-
Ing hut somehow, come to think 1t
over afterwards, there was little worth
remembering about the superficial
bellies of society and their shallow, in
sincere escorts.
"He was so courteous and handsome"
sighed Leila, continuing her fond rey.
erie. "PrQbahly | won't ever meet him
again and don't even know his name,
but it's hard to forget him."
For never had Leila been so near to
q member Of the opposite sex, never
had pair of such admiring, magnetic
eyes fascinated her own. Why, she
had been quite In his arms, but that
was unavoidable under the circum.
stances, and he had released her the
moment he had pulled her and himself
to safety.
For there had been danger. Leila
shuddered as she recognized how mar
lowly she had escaped serious injury,
perhaps death, 1t had happened all in
q moment-a mlsstep along familiar
path, a sway over the edge, scram-
bling hold of frail tree roots, with ter.
rifyng depths yawning far below. She
had screamed once. Then u deadly
faintness was overcoming her as she
was conscious that human form was
dangling beside her. A firm arm en-
circed her waist.
Don't think Of conventionalities,"
gentle, but steady voice conjured her.
Put both arms around my neck and
hold on for your life."
He was not near when she recovered
consciousness but Il babbling bevy Of
her girl friends were excitedly dis
cussing him.
"Brave as llOn-a true cavalier"
chimed sentimental voice.
"And so superbly cool. l think he
Is DOCTOR" Joined in a second voice.
"He looked like tragedian and has
the eyes OF poet" asserted u third
member of the group.
None of them had ever seen the mys-
terious young man, If they had fol-
lowed him they would have found that
he was new arrival at the town hO-
tel. He was registered simply as El-
liot Marvin.
Now, Elliot Marvin, when he risked
his life to rescue pretty Leila Thorpe,
had unknowingy dropped rolled-up
bundle Of written sheets, which had
been blown by the breeze into nest
of wild brier bushes. There Leila's
little brother, wandering about, found
1t the next day. He proceeded home
with his prize and Leila discovered
him stringing the odd dozen sheets to-
gether, making kite.
"Why, it's u story" exclaimed Leila,
glancing over the pages, supplied her
brother with other material for his kite
and became ut once interested in Il
pretty dyl of romance. A keen dis
appointment crossed her face as the
last page left the story unfinished.
One of Leila's friends located the
young man. He had gone for day or
two to neighboring town, but was to
return. The next day Leila reread the
story. She was seized with the i'm
pulse to complete 1t herself, She did
so and read it to her closest friend,
Minnie Lull.
"Why, Leila!" she cried, "yOu have
just made most famous ending to
that sweet. pretty romance-'and so
they were married and lived happy
ever afterwards +"
Greatly excited, Minnie burst in
upon her friend the next day. "Oh,
thinki A notice Is tackled up in the
post office asking the finder of that
story to return it to its owner-whO
do you think?"
81 can't imagine" said Leila.
"Mr Elliot Marvin-at the hotel.
And he has returned. Let us take 1t
to him at once just for lark"
But Leila only left It, The hotel
keeper knew her. He reported her
name to Mr. Marvin. The next day
the latter quietly asked to be directed
to her home.
Leila tluttered and her mother gave
warm welcome to the young man
who had saved her daughters life.
She invited him to tea. When he and
Leila were alone Elliot Marvin said.
II thank you doubly for your trouble
with my poor story, Miss Thorpe"
Leila looked unenlightened and inquir-
Ing. "You brought the poor scrawl
back to me and brought it back fin
ished,"
Leila gasped. For the first moment
she realized that not only had she re-
turned the lost pages, but her own
last page. Leila's face turned red as
q rose. She could not meet the half
quizzical, wholly admiring glance of
her visitor.
"And so l have acted out your beau
tiful ending to my story" said Elliot
Marvin, the day he proposed to Leila.
"and we have found ourselves Of one
mind"
"And so" whispered Leila hiding
her face on his shoulder.