The Washington times., 1918-12-29

lover" and many and varied have
- been the answers given. The fact,
however, that the question is still as alive
to-day as it was in Adams time, and that
every fresh generation considers it with
out a shadow of abatement Of interest,
seems to indicate that none of the defni-
tions as yet given is entirely satisfactory
Hand in hand with it goes another
query, do you love met" followed closely
by the offspring of the two, How can you
prove it?"
DO you love me?" no doubt asked Eve
OF her lord and master closely following
the historic visit of the Old Serpent to
their garden.
"Of course" no doubt replied Adam.
Prove it." demanded Eve, setting the
fashion for her daughters.
'"How?" asked the unsuspecting and
love-sick Adam.
Take a bite of this apple" answered
Eve-and so our troubles began.
After that the three questions became
part of the eternal mechanism of human
conduct, working busily throughout the
ages both for good and i'll. for tragedy,
comedy and farce Skipping lightly over
these centuries we run into their latest
manifestation in the case of Mrs. Rose
Knight, Of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; her
husband, Thomas Knight, wealthy oil
operator, and Mr.. ]. E. Spangler, head
teller of the BartlesviIle National Bank.
Mrs. Knight believes that her husband
has proven to her that he not only knows
what love is, but that he loves her with
love more intense and accommodating
than the love of any other love-sick hus-
band in the world.
Mrs. knight thinks she is justified in
this belief, because after she had eloped
with Mr.. Spangler and her husband had
followed the pair half way across the Amer
ican continent with two guns in his pockets
and swearing vengeance at every roll OF
his autos wheels-he arrested, beat up or
slew the man who had betrayed him? Not
at all!
No. Ordinary men might have done
this. and perhaps 'also have at least
spanked the erring wife. But when he
had found them. Mr.. Knight not only threw
away his guns, but agreed to forgive and
take second place in the pretty Long
Island home, which the two had bought
with, Il is charged, money Spangler had
stolen from his bank. And although the
husband was pledged to help the Bartles
vile National Bank bring Spangler back
for an accounting, he remained to help his
wife conceal the identity of the intruding
recipient of her love, hoping that some day
she would turn back to him and be his
again in fact as well as name.
1t was FIVE years ago that J. E. Spangler,
young and good-looking, able to appear
prosperous and at ease in clothes with
empty pockets, walked into the office OF
Knight in the Oklahoma oil centre. At
the side of Knight sat his wife, plump,
gOodlooking, who had dropped in for
few words while downtown shopping.
1t had been in Spangler's mind to ask
for a job, but when his eyes met the dark
ones OF Mrs. Knight he couldn't. All he
did was stammer and back out OF the
place.
asked the mystifed Knight
His wife did not answer. But with wo-
mans swift intuition she knew the symp-
toms. Young Mr.. Spangler had been
struck at first sight with that old ques-
lion, What is Iove?" and had been so dis
turbed by the commotion it set up in his
mental processes that he had been forced
to depart incoherently to get his bearings
Romance was brewing-therefore she did
not endanger ii by conversation.
Spangler found a place as bookkeeper
at the Bartlesville National Bank. Steady
application to his work and agreeable
manners won him rapid promotion, and
soon he was in charge Of a department
with thousands of dollars under his con-
troll
Now and then he and Knight met, and
at last Spangler became a visitor at their
home. Coincident with winning the trust
the bank and rose higher Soon he ap-
peared on the streets in the sportiest,
speediest car in that part of the country
His salary was not too large and he ex-
planned his acquisition by saying that he
had made some fortunate oil investments.
and In that country Of rich strikes few
questI ns were asked when a poor man
suddenly began spending money
II began to be whispered that the
bankers most frequent companion in long