The Washington times., 1918-08-25

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close-trimmsd dark moustache and I'M
periaI q great trostshAd crept and spread; /;
Il had vhitened his temples. II seemed
that the chisel Of care had deepened the
lines OF character in his lean, hard face.
There was added grimness and determine
ton in the set of his firm mouth. He ap-
peared to be wrapped in thought, oblivious
10 his surroundings.
When | was sure that il was he | hesi-
tatedsto speak to him, though eager to ask
about Anita. In Paris | had quite. lost
my heart to her-and my head-Aat the
same time had come down from the
zone des armees. to the north. There !
had wandered through warshattered vii
lagos and looked with wrath and sorrow
upon the vandalized cathedral of Rheims
| had once been under fire in the front
line trenches. | had found Doctor Spear
at work in a base hospital that had twice
been bombed by German airmen. Now
was returning home by the way OF Paris
and London; for l had much to write about
that while it would neither betray military
secrets nor give comfort to the enemy,
could not be shipped past the censor, At
a little hotel, a pension, near the Care st.
Lazare, chanced upon Anita.
She had come over as a Red Cross
worker. Heart and soul, she was absorbed
in the work, She amazed and fascinated
me; for the immature. haxen.haired, laugh
ing school girl she had been when ] last
saw her had become an eager, earnest, in
tense woman with q purpose.
More than time alone, the spirit Of the
times had wrought the change. That
which, under former conditions. might
have developed into an idling, thoughtless
butterfly, had been TRANSMITTED ints crea'
ture of service and sacrifice. She could
not seem TO think or talk Of anything else,
and, ere long, ! realized more than vaguely
that there was something else l desired
very much to talk to her about.
OF course, what had to tell her about
meeting her father up there in the war
zone interested and excited her, and she
asked many questions. But doubt that
the question wished to ask would have
been asked then had not the air raiders
interrupted US at dinner the night before
was to leave.
She was determined to see 1t, and only
by physical force could have prevented
her from exposing herself Together we
watched the shifting sesrchlights stab the
skies, heard the shrieking Of sirens and
the barking Of the antiAircraft guns. Now
and then, following q deeper boom, we felt
trembling shudder like q quick-passing
earthquake.
We saw the long white beams pick out
and converge upoL a tiny, shimmering,
gray patch that appeared to be almost d.
rectly shove us. In the concentrated glare
we saw the puffs Of bursting shrapnel all
around that patch of shimmering gray,
which looked scarcely larger than a mans
hand. But when the earth rocked and we
were staggered by q sound like a falling
mountain that seemed TO be crashing down
upon US took her In my arms and carried
her to q place Of safety.
No longer was she eager to talk. She
was very quiet. She was pale, but she
did not tremble. l chose that time to tell
her. 1t was q bad choice, but q fortunate
one TOT me. one TeIubeu me
l 6m aware that my action was hasty
and my words Ill chosen Her pride was
touched by my proposal to tall her home
with me, away from such dreadful danger.
The color came back and burned In her
cheeks. Not until the war was over, she
said, not until she had done her part and
her duty to the end. would Tie even for
moment consider marrying any man. She
was sorry, but even then 1t could not be
me- It was plain and Understandable
enough. but without unkindness.
Just as any man wants that most which
is most difficult to get wanted her all the
more. But | saw the folly OF trying to
press my cause further at that time. Per-
haps II was for the purpose Of making me
understand the utter hOpelessness of my
desire that she declined to correspond with
me. She did 1t tactfully explaining how
1t would interfere with the other things
that must be done; things which would
give her absolutely no time to waste. But
It left sting and /, too, have pride.
Also, | learned to accept the theory that
success is eftenest won with women by
making them the pursuers. / believed that
man, who preens himself on being the
hunter, Is unconsciously almost always the
hunted.
Anlta temAlned IN FRANCE dlleT heI
father returned home. He shut himself
up in a rented bungalow down at Bayside,
and gave notice that he would not be dis
turbed by outsiders. He had no telephone.
The two brief letters wrote him remained
unanswered. And pride prevented further
efforts. So now, having recognised him
on the train, was held back from speak
ing TO him at once.
The porter came buzzing with his
whiskbFOom. FrowniPg at having his med
itations disturbed, Doctor Spear waved
him away. By chance he looked at me
RacnnnitInn cama inin hia ewes ..Hmgh