Gilpin observer., 1918-07-04
THE COWARD
BY ALICE G. sRoeAN.
(copyrlEht. lsls. we.t.rn Newspaper Union.

moor OF the great department stoTe-
She had decided to have luncheon In
the tea room, and continue her shop
ping afterward. And perhaps the rea-
son for Annies decision was q secret
hope that Grant Robinson might hap
pen to be there.
Often she had met him in previous
days. when. after their tete-a-tete
meal, they would wander happily away
together for a matinee. Grant had
stopped to buy violets for her then
and during enthralling moments In the
softly shaded theater. when the music
seemed almost to speak to them, he
had bent very low to look into her
eyes, but now-Annie sighed impa-
tiently as she hurriedly searched the
crowded tea room-now. all.was dtneE-
ent. She could hardly tell when tnae
change had begun, but Its origin In her
mind had been the discovery that the
man whom she had made an ideal, was
but coward after all.
"a chain Is only rs strong as its
weakest link" and II Grant Robinson
failed now In the crisis Of his country,
II he had. as he himself confessed.
asked for exemption, what loyalty
could be expected by the woman who
gave herself into his care. Never In so
many words had he told Of his love for
her. Annie knew-as all women know
The dependence of an invalid mother
was excuse sufficient-if excuse were
sought from service; but why had
John, the elder and more successful
ah IN
Grants place? Even as she listlessiy
read the menu the girl asked herself
the question.
There could be no answer but de-
liberate shirking of duty, Grant Of
fered no explanation.
A broad figure blocked the sunlight
from the window for moment, and
Annie looked up to see the object OF
her thought standing before her.
"This is a pleasant SURPRISE" he
said. His voice had Its old winning
charm; "may Join your"
Coolly Annie nodded.
Keenly from beneath his brows the
man studied her face; his own bore re-
cent lines Of WEAKNESS. 1nvoluntarily
her lip curled 'He was looking anx-
ious," so friends had told her; "wor-
ried for fear of being forced into wal"
She spoke crisply: "You applied for
Exemption"
"Yes," Grant Robinson answered.
"and received 1t. Mother is depend
ent."
$50 John went" the girl burst out,
"and you stayed at home"
,tsxl. ad
home" he repeated quietly.
Then suddenly a white-aproned maid
approached the table.
"Oh!" she cried. "do you see the
people leaving. There Is fire in the
floor above; 1t is coming down fast:
there will be crowds at the elevators.
hurry!"
Whlte-faced, she dashed away, and
Annie with trembling knees turned to
find the great room babble Of excited
voices; tables were overturned as tho
throng rushed headlong toward the ell
evator gates.
Gasplngly. Annie put out her hands
to the man mt her side.
Grant" she breathed.
Calm and reassuringly he clasped
the hands in his.
"The narrow stairway Is already
dangerously crowded" he said. "The
one thing is to quietly wait our turn
here. Courage, dearest"
Even in her terror, the word brought
a sense of Joy.
Hours passed. or could II be days
and months as the elevator swung 81
lently up and down on perilous jour
neys. Annie stood, her face buried on
her lovers breast. until the guard
cried sharply: 'Three more" Then
she raised her face. Grant and she
were standing almost alone. BEFORE
them, a man with his frail little wife
on his arm.
The man and Grant exchanged
glances. saying plainly: "our women
frst."
"Step In, Annie dear" directed her
lover, and quickly she obeyed. Tho
little wife frantically beckoned her
husband; generously he turned to
Grant; down an opposite wall crept
a tapping tongue of fame. Then be-
fore Annie could realize what had hap
pened, Grant Robinson had grasped
the man by the shoulders, forcibly he
had thrust him into the car, the door
banged shut.
The man. the frail little wife and
Annie were gazing dumbly upward to-
where her lover stood smiling. Be-
hind him that threatening tongue OF
fame! But when, after agonized watt
ing. he came to her there In the roped-
of street, his smoke-blackeHed face
was uninjured. his true, tired eyes
looked patiently into hers.
"Annie," he said. "yOu must believe
that am not-a coward. Because it
touched me so deeply I could not dis
cnss nynn with Nnu my renunsf fnr az ..