The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1919-01-31
ROMANTIC EPISODE
by ]. ISABELLE BURN4AM.
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Is. by Mcclure Newsphps
SyntiIcate.S

Vow, what shall I do nexts"
thought mischievous little Miss Court
nes Burke She made very pretty
picture as She SAT on the dark sofa,
her golden head laid against II aud
her dark gray eyes gazing earnestly
nj tfe ceiling.
As She was sitting there her broth
el's little two-year-ola girl came into
th.. room. She toddIed up 10 sourtnes
and said: Ne wite letter "a papt---
nour papa, way off deere Iii E:,nce.
Nhu iiase you got, Helens1 Court
ney asked her,
lieisn held up a newspaper which
showed several pictures If soldiers
suddenly t'ourtney's eyes tlstnesd
miehiayonsly and She eagerly scanned
the faces Of the soiaers 10 lind une 10
Mhusn she thought IN. Word "romince'
Mould fit,
She same 10 the name of Lieut.. Ar.
iinr Stanton. Then She stopped md
looked ii the half-hnished sMenfer be
side ilsr
I'll itaish this sWeater." She saeia.
stiatf HWY Nsftii Sttls HxN4ln ~ ~
ing u lille note for i lonely soldirv
Accordingly after lhe khaki sweater
was finished she Note il eheeiy title
nnte and signed her nlesess naiae,
Miss Helen. Burke ta C.
Time Went on. alnl Courtney had
very nearly fargathn about letters
aild sweaters. when Il letter canie for
hei little niece Upon opening i
she found Il very interesting and
grateful letter from Lien, Arthur
| Sf.tnTon
He thanked her for the sweater. also
/ FOR The letter, which, lie said. MIS- llle
first hat he had received from the
| good Oil 4. \. A. closing by asking
her 10 write rs often ns vas possible.
Courtney wrote to him. sls she re-
eeived lis nice letters. bHi ali the
while SHE had the guilty feeling iliai
she was deceiving him.
4 long lime elapsed and Tie letters
eeased She wondered anA wateaiea
for them. Untii now. She did not
meant 10 her. She was angry With
herself for thinking and feeling az
| she si.! Whai did she know about
himf Nothing, only what he had writ
len her
She soon lad other things 10 lake
i up her mind as her brother had writ
teu That he was coming hotne On Il
short furlongh.
II was q very warm day IN June that
/ Courtney had just finished eomhing
her little niece's hair. as IIeien's papa
Was expected home that day There
was a strong resemblance between the
seyenfeen-year-old aunt anti her little
fwo-yeal-old niece.
4 The bell rang and Courtney Jumped
| NJ and ran out of tlte nursery She
hurried 10 The door, bnl instead ef see
Ing her brother. as she expected, She
looked Into the merry brown eyes of
young soldier
"Does Miss Helen Burke live here?'
he inquired politely
Courtney replied iii the affirmative
4 ind after asking him ia she called her
little niece.
The soldier expressed no surprise III
seeing the little tot instead Of a grown.
up young lady, but he introduced him
self as Lieut.. Arthur Stanton.
i Courtney turned red, then While.
Sll~ didn't know whether TO ery or TO
laugh, so she turned 10 the window
unill she could get control Of her.
self
What would she do? Here he WAS
making himself right al home, paying
no more attention 10 her than II she
wasn't there oh, dear Why did She
write that letterI She might have
known she would get into trouble she
always did. My, but he was d very
good-looking fellow Ut that. Well. The
only thing to do vas 10 tell him The
Il truth.
Lieutenant Stanton, | wish TO make
aa apology, she said.
He raised his eyebrows and stood
up His young figure MAS very erect
as he stood with his head thraWn
baek. and she just couldn't help but
admire the man. HIS blnck hair waved
she always did love curly hair.
OH why did he look 81 her 50 close.
~ Ii made things - much harder.
"tl, Helen, She said suddenly
please 80 and get The newspaper IN
uunis's desk
AZ The little one teddIed away
Courtney looked al him agafli, allsi she
thought, how could eyer hstye lone
such thing.
Lieutenant Stanton stood waiting In
silence for her to speak. and II there
WAS Il twinkle Of fun III his dark eyes
she failed to see Ii.
She opened her lips To speak then
burst into tears. He fet her cry .
while, then spoke very gently. Mis-
Burke, ! think ! know what you arr
about to say. Please don't apologize
for anything. ] know all about IT.
She raised her head quickly ant
looked oil him questioningly.
You see" he said, your brother
and I were pals. 1t was he who no
ticed the letter pinned IN The sMeatel
and he recognized your writing. Ant