The Tomahawk., 1919-02-06

known always and yet with whom nov
she seemed to be so strange.
| Don't you want to steal an houl
away from your desk at headquarters
tomorrow and have lunch with me ut
q teahouse on the outskirts of the au-
tumn woods?" David asked, OBTAINING
Gladys by very gentle touch on her
urn. 49, \ =. -.
Gladys caught her breath-and was
almost afraid he could hear her catch
1t. What was the matter with her,
she wondered? Why did the touch of
David Stapleton make her heart leap
so wildly, and why did his voice sound
SO low and tender? ,..> -.
After she reached the house she re-
mcmbered having promised to 60 with
him on the following day. She could
have shaken herself for having acted
like a girl of sixteen instead Of like a
woman nearly thirty at the mere invi-
tation to have q bit of lunch with q
man whom she had known all her life.
On her desk the following morning
she found note. It told her that the
president of the bank had had an &C.
cident to his eyes the previous night
and would not be in the Office that day
the last but three of the loan cam
paign. Therefore, that note went on
to say, David Stapleton would be I'M
able to leave his desk for so much as
half hour.
Gladys did not know whether she
was disappointed or relieved. But
there was much work to do; the hu-
man tide Of patriotic citizens flowed
constantly toward her desk all day.
and she had little time in which to
think of herself.
Not so with the cashier-David
Stapleton. His work had become so
much a mechanical part of his every
day life that, though his hands were
constantly busy, his thoughts were not
on Liberty bonds. On bonds they
might have been, but D.. @S.
The telephone rang: "Hello-Mr.
Stapleton" .. .......
her voice at once. ..-, E..
1--WE just received my call"
"Call!" exclaimed David.
"Yes-didn't tell you the other
night that you wouldn't be the only
one in France-before long?"
"No-you did not tell me-"
Gladys did not reply. Each held the
receiver while no sound came over the
wire.
"You didn't, Gladys" repeated
David.
II thought I had told you. I
shall have to report at once for phys
ical examination. Then come my
passports and then-sailing!, Won't
it be wonderful" -.
"Yes-oh, yes. 1t will be quite won.
derful," said David, mechanically.
The world around him had gone
suddenly into the shadow-the world
that had seemed SO sunny, so well
worth living in, of late. But-of
course he himself. would he going If
the powers that be would have him
and" .... ..'.. ...'.
'You don't seem very glad for me-"
came Gladys voice across the wire,
wistfully.
"Oh, forgive me-7of course I'm glad
more glad thanI can tell you, but"
':But what1''
"Good-by. I'm coming over to your
desk. I want to see~ you about some
bonds" David said, abruptly. Some
one had come. into his Office and he
had been forced to speak quite cas-
ually.
Gladys understood.
When David approached her her
hands were cold. Her cheeks were
prettily pink. Her breath came far
more quickly than she wanted it to.
"Want to buy q bond?" she asked
jokingly. Gladys had a way of jest
ing when she was playing for time.
yes; want q bond, the maturity
of which depends on fate, Gladys"
he said, sitting down across the desk
and trying to compel her to look at
him. There were no others in the
room at the moment, but the place
was as public as the whole out-of-
doors. y ~ t=.'.
I'll wonder if we have that sort,"
she demurred, looking over her card
Of instructions. ..
II want no other Sort" David said,
firmly. "Gladys, love you. Do mar
ry me"
Gladys could not speak. She had
lost her power to resist him, and she
knew not what to say in acQuies-
cence. -. 81 h.
won't you, dear? Marry me be-,
fore you 60" -~
Gladys nodded series Of little
mods, and when she finally looked at
him her eyes were full of shiny tears
that with difficulty she kept from tum-
bling foolishly down her cheeks.
Suddenly she brushed them away.
She had seen some one coming. "Of
course, WILL" she said. "You knew
1t when you asked, didn't your