Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1918-02-19
The Story's
" End
D. cENEvEvE UlMER

"All the romances In the story books
.Pnd 4,appily--every one Of them. I
~ofsGr n mine Is only what the writ
|frs call an incident, or n circum-
f1nce."
Thus Leila Thorpe. meditating
dreamily over an event which had
quite taken her mentality out of Its
everyday. humdrum beaten track. She
yves simple country girl. with no So
X 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-
ciaf pspf1es up at the big summer re-
sort hotel had been pleasant and entic-
Ing. but somehow. come to think II
over afterwards. there was little worth
remembering about the superficial
bellies Of society and their shallow. In
sincere escorts.
sHe was 20 courteous and handsome"
sighed Leila. continuing her fond rev.
erie. Probably won't ever meet him
again and don't even know his name.
but It's hard 10 forget him."
For never had Leila been 30 near 10
q member Of the opposite sex. never
had q 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
20 safety.
For there had been danger. Leila
shuddered as she recognized how mar
iowly she had escaped serious injury.
perhaps death. II had happened all In
a moment-a misstep along a familiar
path. sway over the edge, a scram-
bling hold Of frail tree roots. with ter
rifying depths yawning far below. She
had screamed once. Then a deadly
.faintness was overcoming her as she
was conscious that a human form was
dangling beside her. A firm arm en-
circled her waist.
"Don't think Of conventionallties,"
gentle. but steady voice conjured her.
"Puf both arms around my neck and
hold on for your life."
He was not near when she recovered
consciousness, but n babbling bevy Of
her girl friends were excitedly dis
cussing him.
, "Brave as a lion--a true cavalier T.
chimed a sentimental voice.
~ so superbly cool think he
Is. doctor" Joined In n second voice.
-He looked like a tragedian and has
thu eyes OF a poet" asserted a third
member Of the group.
None Of them had ever seen the mys-
FERROUS young man. II they had fol-
lowed him they would have found that
he was a new arrival ut the town ho-
tel. He was registered simply as e.
hot Marvin.
Now. Elliot Marvin, when he risked
his life TO rescue pretty Leila Thorpe
had uPlzpowingly dropped rolled-up
bundlSAW written sheets, which had
been blown by the breeze into a nest
OF wild brier bushes. There Leila's
little brother. wandering about. found
4 the next day. He proceeded home
hsh his prize and Leila discovered
him stringing the odd dozen sheets to-
gether. making n kite.
"Why, it's a storyl" exclaimed Leila,
glanclng over the pages, supplied her
brother with other material for his kite
and became at once interested In a
pretty idyl OF n romance. A keen dis
appointment crossed her fnce as the
last page left the story unfinished.
One OF Lella's friends located the
young man. He had gone for u day or
two to a neIghboring town. but was to
return. The next day Leila reread the
story. She was seized with the i'm
pulse to complete II herself. She did
so and read II 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,
Leila" she fiuttered. "what do you
thinkf A notice Is tackled up I'm the
post office asking the finder Of that
story 10 return II TO Its owner-who
do you thlnkf"
II can't imagine" said Leila.
air. Elliot MnrvIn-at the hotel.
And he has returned. Let us take IL
20 him ne once, just for a lark"
But Leila only left IL. The hotel
keeper knew her. He reported her
name TO Mr.. Marvin. The next day
the latfey quietly asked to be directed
\ TO her Isme.
Leila iuttered and her mother gave
a 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-
-