The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-04-18

4 uo not uedu 10 Ot Tuues OuN I WIN
20 Identify you. as your name ls un-
familiar. I lost very dear friend
years ago have looked for her hut
have not found her. Today Blair
tells me she may have been in nv
home for weeks past"
From the depths Of her chair she
looked NJ at him. There was a little
smile about her lips as she replied.
"The years have effaced the scar,
Mr.. Henderson. II It is that you have
In mind"
Thank heaven n there Is no trace
Of II. have always been afraid I
disfgured you for lfe But without
II how am I to know that you are
really you7"
Am so greatly changed7
"You have heard OF the duckllng
and the swami"
"Surely II was not ms bad as that,
hut now that you mention II | recall
that you named me 'duckling.'" She
laughed. 81 have been wondering how
long IL would take you TO remember
me and when ! entered the room had
reached the moment when 7 despaired
Of telepathy. Mr.. Henderson. must
have made Of your life burden. Boys
do not always care for alteration, and
! adored you"
at developes chivalry In the right
sort of fellow" he answered thought
fully, as he watched her. II have
often wondered what became of you
why you should have dropped so ut
terly from out my life. was bewil-
dered when ! found you gone. had
been so long accustomed to alteration
that II was hard TO adjust myself to
the colder attitude of those about me.
You had grown into the very fibres OF
my being. The duckllng was lovable.
I missed her and I missed the care I
took of her, although the scars did not
attest to II. wanted to die when I
saw you Hing 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. II was always as my little
sweetheart, which Of course was fool
fish,"
"Why, of course" she asked sedate-
". Don't you think child can re-
tain a memory?" She unpinned the
watch hanging upon her breast, open
ed IL and held Il so that he could see
two little birds drawn upon a scrap OF
paper.
Il can match that" He snapped his
own open showing two hearts pierced
by dart "But there was something
else" He was showing more of ear
nestness than the occasion seemed to
demand.
The girl colored. 81 have forgotten"
your pardon, but I think not"
She still held her watch, but as he
sp 1t fell from her fingers. Some
thing bright rolled away from II and
a slip of paper fell so that line Of
writing was visible.
Blair Henderson stopped. his color
rising as he picked up the trifies.
"Why did you say that you had for
gotten?" he asked. did you believe
the boy could know what he wanted
and not desire IL as man?" He
looked at the tiny ring set with tur-
auoise forget-me-nots the scrap OF
paper upon which was written to my
wife, "Was that the reason"
"Why should I remember anything
when for four weeks / have been a
guest in your home and you did not
recognize meT
"That is over and done with.
know you now, although I 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 wasT
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 changedr'
"when her father died she was
adopted by a very dear aunt and took
her name. The years made a great
difference in appearance, but other
wise she did not alter. Old memories
were too precious to part with and she
still clings to them. I cannot play
with you, Blair. I am happy in the
thought that boy and man are Of the
same mind. and IL the little ring was
not so small i would be wearing Il
now"
"That is a fault easily remedied," hs
re<urned, as he drew her to him. "Yor
must let me have the measure Of YOU
finger"