Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-02
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
DICKS RETURN
BY Mary e. Briggs

| 4
SSTNHERE, the last lesson is over, but
just know I'll never dare parlez
vous single word when there's any one
around" sighed pretty Constance, flushed
and bright-eyed from her brisk walk
home from the French class.
As Constance sat before the fire her
thoughts flew forward to the coming
dance 10 be given in honor of Dick
G.. who had just returned from 'over
there" and then backward to her last
meeting with Dick
| II was the night before he had left
for camp and her mother was giving a
party in honor of Constance's eighteenth
birthday Early in the evening Dick
had drawn her aside and told her that
| he wished to leave the party early in
| order to spend as much time as possible
with his mother, but asked her permits
sion to come again before he left. There
was a certain closeness to his hand
clasp, and in his eyes, as he gazed down
into hers. was a peculiar Intensity that
left her startled and tingling to her
finger tips, happy but too broathless 10
speak
And tnen. in the midst of this para
disc, Jack II came to claim her for
the next dance. Relieved at any excuse
to get away and stop the flood of color
rising to her face. she quickly swung
into the fox-trot with Jack but not be-
fore she saw the look of hurt disappoint-
ment in Dicks eyes. This was the look
that had haunted Constance for over
year now, for Dick did not come back
after the party nor had she ever seen
or heard from him since Why had he
not written? Surely he must have seen
that she had left him for the dance with
Jack only to cover ner confusion. But
the fact remained-he had not cared
enough for her to even write. And
Constance wiped a tear of despair from
her eyes.
Then she recalled how certain pic
ture of herself had disappeared from
the library table that night. and how
they never had been able to find IL af-
torward. At first she had almost dared
to hope that Dick had taken 1t. but
commonsense told her that man who
went soldering could not carry six
n-inch, full-length portrait concealed
about his person, no matter how much
he loved the girl and besides, Dick APP
parently did not care and had forgotten
her.
stance had never been more dazzling
and brilliant. She had determined to
be the perfect butterfly if only to show
Dick c. how Indifferent she was to
his lack Of attention that year of alb
sence. and her merry laughter and
gay French repartees, wonderful recon-
mandations for the little French pro-
fessor. made her the belle of the ball.
II was not until late in the evening
that Dick was able to secure a dance
with her. and then, when the dance was
half over utterly ohlvious of her gra-
ciousness in allowing him whole
dance. he led her from the ballroom out
to the cool veranda.
"po YOU know why asked YOU TO
come out here where we can talk he
whispered as soon as they were alone,
Once more Constance felt tho same
emptiness in the region where her lungs
ought to he. although she could hear
herself fairly Wheeling. Once more she
was struck dumb. though all sorts of
bright French retorts chased through
her mind. hut refused to cross her lips.
She gave one big, unbutterflyike gasp,
however, as Dick continued
ITS because You're the only girl I've
met this evening who hasn't made me
want to duck for my little. French die
tionary When "A chaps been hearing
and only half understanding foreign
language for over a year. you've no
idea how good It seems to hear his
mother tongue spoken by familiar
voice"
Resides" he continued. II want to
return this TO its proper owner, al
though I must apologize for its condi-
ton" and he drew from his pocket
small beautifully chased gold frame,
containing "A small picture of herself
cut from the one long missing from her
library table Pointing to an ugly hull
let scar on the frame, he continued hur-
riedly:
"Once this little frame saved my
life" and he showed her where the bull
let still lodged. "And many other times
this sweet face and the thought of her
at home saved me from much worse
Constance 7 had intended to ask for the
subject of this little picture before I
went away, but my foolish jealousy
sea led my lips, Now I'm returning the
picture, may ! not claim the original"
~ last Constance found her voice.
and the words that she spoke were
French, not the brilliant repartees she
had praCtiCed, hut a little three-word
sentence she learned IN her first lesson
This time Dick felt no inclination TO
duck for his dictionary; he reached for
her hands instead and as he drew her
close the smile that he gave her--welI.
that Is the same in all languages
Tomorrow's Complete No,eieue-"An
tyiatOr's Romance"