Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-24
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
A ROMANTIC EPISODE
BY ]. Isabelle Burnharl

80 IoN, Nndl snail 40 next! tnOugnt
~ mischevous little Miss Courtney
Burke. She made a very pretty picture
as she sat on the dark sofa. her golden
head laid against il and her dark gray
eyes gazing eaWestly at the ceiling.
As she was sitting there her brot her. s
little -year-old girl came into the
room. She toddled up to Courtney and
said: Me wife letter to papa-poor
papa, way off dere in Fance."
What have, you got. Helen?" Court
ney asked her.
Helen held up newspaper. which
showed several pictures of soldiers
Suddenly Courtney's eyes danced mis-
chievously and she eagerly scanned the
faces of the soldiers TO find one to
whom she thought the word romance"
would fit.
She came to the name of Lieutena mt
Arthur stanton. Then she stopped and
looked al the half-finshed sweater beside
her.
"1'll finish this sweater" she said.
and there wont be any harm in writ
ing little note for lonely soldier"
Accordingly. after the khaki sweater
was finished she wrote a CHEEKY little
note and signed her niece's name, Miss
Helen Burke" to 1t.
Time went on. and Courtney had very
nearly forgotten about letters and
sweaters, when letter came for her
little niece. Upon reading same she
found very interesting and grateful
I
He thanked her for the sweater, also
Tor the letter. which. he said, was the
first that he had received from the good
old |. S. A.. closing by asking her to
write as often as was possible.
Courtney wrote to him. and she re-
ceived his nice letters but all the while
she. had the guilty feeling that she was
deceivin8 him
4 long time elapsed and the letters
ceased. She wondered and watched for
them. Until now, she did not know
how much those letters had meant to
her, She was angry with herself for
thinking and feeling as she did. What
did she know about him? Nothing
only what he had written her.
She soon had other things to take up
her mind, as her brother had written
mat he was coming home on short
furlough.
1T was a very warm day in June that
Courtney had Just finished combing her
little niece's hair, as Helen's papa was
expected home that day. There was a
strong resemblance SEN between the, seven
year-3ld niece. Both had the peculiar
hair and dark gray eyes.
The bell rang and Courtney jumped
up and ran out of the nursery She
hurried to the door, but instead OF see
ing her brother. as she expected. she
looked into the merry brown eyes of a
young soldier.
~ Does Miss ssh Helen Burke live here?'
Courtney replied In the affirmative
and after asking him in she called her
little niece.
The soldier expressed no surprise at
seeing the little tot instead of a grown
up young lady. but he introduced him
self As Lieutenant Arthur Stanton.
Courtney turned red, then white. She
didn't know whether to cry or to laugh
so she turned TO the window until she
could get control of herself
What would she do? Here he was
making himself right at home, paying nc
more attention to her than If she wasn't
would get into trouble-she always did
My, but he was a very good looking fell
low at that. Well, the only thing to dc
was to tell him the truth.
Lieutenant Stanton, | wish to make
an apology" she said
He raised his eyebrows and stood up
His young figure was very erect, as he
stood with his head thrown back. and
she just couldn't help but admire The
man. His black hair waved-she always
did love curly hair.
Oh why did he look at her so closely
Ii made things so much harder
."Oh, Helen" she said suddenly
please go and get the newspaper in
AS the little one toddled away. Court
ney looked at him again. and she
thought, How could ever have done
Lieutenant Stanton stood waiting in
silence for her to speak. and IL there
was twinkle of fun in his dark ewes
she failed to see It.
burst into tears He let her cry awhile,
then spoke very gently: Miss Burke,
think know what you are about to say.
Please don't apologize for anything. |
know all about II. ,
She raised her head quickly and look
ed al him questionably.
You see" he said, your brother and
| were pals. II was he who noticed the
letter pinned in the sweater and he rec
ognzsd your writing. And-well--
there is not much TO tell-he gave me
your picture and guess the looked
down at her shylyl | lost my heart. But
your letters helped me. You don't know
how much, and-well, let's get a little
better acquainted"
And they did for at the end of his
furlough Lieutenant Arthur Stanton
returned to the battlehelds of France
with very happy heart and picture
ever before his mind Of the little girl
eyes were even brighter than the soii-
taire that cleaned on the third nnger
81 her left hand. ~
Nesiev's Cswr,sfs Neveletss-, (.